January 2005 Volume 1 Number 1

Megan’s Hope 

This is a publication of Su Misericordia 

(His Mercy), Inc. 

Enkindle in us the fire of Your love! 

January 2005 Volume 1 Number 1 

Welcome To our First Edition 

This being our first ever newsletter from Su Misericordia, we have asked the mother of Megan, our newsletters name sake to introduce Megan to all and to begin our journey of faith and service. 

 

"Reaching out from Heaven 

We lost our daughter, Megan at the tender age of nine after a long 2 ½ year battle with Leukemia. She was a sweet, caring, feisty, outgoing little girl. I thank God everyday He chose me to be her mother. She taught me to, not put off tomorrow what I can do today, to love those around you with all your heart, to be thankful for what we have because it can all be taken away in a heartbeat, and that it is our destined journey here on earth to reach out to those most in need, helping anyway we can. Megan faced her illness with a brave heart and a courageous smile, never once shedding a tear for herself. While I held her helplessly and shed a lifetime of tears behind her back and feigned a fearful, but hopeful smile to her face until the very end, never wanting her to see my fear of losing her...never giving up hope. I couldn’t take away her pain or take away this disease that forced her to go through everything she had to endure to fight it. I could only comfort her and pray. She had the best doctors and treatment available, but it wasn’t enough. Her innocence and future was stolen at a very young age. This evil disease took away her simple pleasures of being a regular kid, going to school and playing with friends and replaced it with long hospital visits, needles, hair loss, weight gain, insecurity, chemotherapy, 

immunosuppression, isolation, sickness, bone marrow transplant and finally death. Never would I have thought her struggle to live would have such an affect on countless well children still living on this earth. Her story has 

touched not only the many friends and family she had, but strangers as well. My daughter, Megan, watches over us from above now, leaving behind a family who aches for her presence everyday. We struggle daily to function as a family unit minus one important member. Every time we are together as a whole, her absence is magnified. Telling the hostess when we go to dinner there are 4 of us instead of 5, still brings such pain after all these months. Setting the table with 4 plates instead of 5, four chairs circle our kitchen table now instead of 5. Her chair sits in a corner with her name on the back. “Butterflies are Free” decorate her barren seat. Her chair, a reminder of her absence, is a place to sit and remember her beautiful smile and contagious energy and zest for life. Her memory rests gently now in my heart, but the terrors of her illness still wake me from a restless sleep. I have asked God many times. How do I fill this empty void that I will forever have in my heart? How do I go on with my life here knowing it could be a long time before I see my little girl again? The message I received from Him was strong and clear. As a tribute to her feisty will to live, I knew I had to seek out and help those who struggle to live everyday. I learned through our church and my son’s youth group about a Mission Trip to Mexico to help the desperately poor, uneducated, desolate families of the Oaxacan Indians. They do not have enough food to eat. They live in shacks. They line their shacks with worn out clothing for insulation. Many of the children work in the fields by their parent’s side instead of being in school where they belong to learn how to read and write and perhaps someday escape the poverty they are surrounded by. They don’t have running water or heat in their cardboard and tarp shacks which they call home. And a fever in the middle of the night, brings terror, I know so well, to many mothers who do not have the simple medicines we take for granted. I felt strongly God was calling me and my son to go on this mission trip and help those who struggle everyday to survive.  

It was not an easy time for us. We were coming upon the 1st anniversary of my daughter’s death, and our pain and grief had made for a very long year. We met Ana and Danny Gmeiner, founders of the Mexico Mission, on that 1st trip as well as many other wonderful catholic missionaries. It was a sad, but exciting experience for both my son and I to work so closely with these people and to bring a little bit of sunshine to the lives of many Oaxacan Indians. We have been on two Mission Trips now and look forward to our 3rd trip on April 8th-10th. We feel honored that our parish, St. Anthony’s has named their Mission Work, “Megan’s Missions” and Ana Gmeiner has asked to name this newsletter “Megan’s Hope”, honoring the memory of our precious daughter, Megan. Megan was blessed to be born in an educated family, and lived very comfortable, surrounded by parents and a brother and sister who loved her dearly. After her illness she received the best cutting edge medical treatment and care available in the world. We had family and friends who reached out to us with unbelievable support and love. All her needs were met and all her wishes where granted. It is our hope through this mission work, that many lives will be fed, clothed, sheltered, educated, and given a chance at a normal life where all their basic needs are met. A life all mankind should be entitled to.  

With Sincere Love and Peace, Kim Savage" 

From the President’s desk  

Dear Friends, 

Greetings in the Lord! We are so excited because this is our first newsletter. I continue to be in awe of God. In 1982 when I first visited Maneadero, Mexico and saw how the Oaxacan Indians and the poor lived I knew I had 

found my mission. When I was a little girl I used to dream of spreading God’s love to the poor. God put this deep desire in my heart and now He is fulfilling it. God’s plan is always better than ours because He knew it was not 

my dream alone but yours too. Some of us are missionaries because we go on the missions and others are missionaries because you support us. This newsletter is going to be a vehicle to share with you about our dreams, accomplishments and challenges as we go on this journey of helping the Oaxacan people and the poor. I am so grateful for your support and love. 

May the sacred heart of Jesus be loved everywhere. 

Ana Gmeiner MSCa, President/Founder of Su Miscericordia 

Education News 

For those of you who don’t know, for the last 5 years, we have been sponsoring children so that they may have the opportunity to pursue an education. Our current school program supports 200 children and we have almost 200 more on a waiting list. This all began through a request by our Bishop (San Bernardino Diocese) to, “effect systemic change”.  

The Mexico Mission school sponsorship program, on December 29, 2004 was another success. Our students were eager to show us their report cards and discuss how well they are doing in school. We measure their success by what they have achieved from the last time we visited. Many of them have improved their grades. We will have our first high school graduate this year. He is planning to go on to college (we need your help). Another success 

story is a young man that did not have a sponsor but presented himself so eloquently and asked if we could somehow fit him into the sponsorship program. His words to me were, “ I know that I can make something of 

myself if you would just give me a chance”. In a second flat, I had 3 missionaries offering to sponsor this fine young man. We now have 201 students in our sponsorship program.  

Back packs and school materials were distributed to all students and a fiesta was given in their honor. They wore their uniforms to the celebration and had a great time. When we return in April we will be calculating semester 

grade point averages and giving incentives for their hard work.  

If you would like to be part of this program, please see the contact information at the end of this newsletter. God Bless! 

Medical News

 

Another opportunity that has presented itself to us is to help with the medical needs of the Oaxacan and other poor people in Maneadero, Mexico. We have for several years taken doctors and nurses as their schedules permitted them, to Maneadero to provide whatever medical service we could. We have also begun working with a local doctor that has allowed us to get medication and treatment even when we are not there. Dr. Celia Nunez has been a great help and continues to support us by seeing those in need, many times free of charge or for only what they are able to pay.  

Our most recent crisis involves a 4 year old boy with a large facial tumor. Following is an update on his condition by a local doctor (southern Calif.) that has made many trips with us and is following this case closely. 

 

“To update everyone on the little 4 year old boy, I spoke with Dr. Celia Nunez from Manadero, Mexico and the boy has had his MRI. He has a hydromeningoencephalocele (note meninges are protruding) secondary to a 

malformation of the frontal and ethmoid bone.  

Knowing that the ethmoid bone is involved we should realize that this is a very delicate area. This could complicate the surgery and increases his risk to complications and/or variable sequels. For this a maxilofacial surgeon needs to get involved along with the neurosurgeon. 

They (Dr and mother) will try to get an appointment with the neurosurgeon ASAP. She and I will continue to keep in touch and try to coordinate everything. Our goal is for both surgeons to work together and on the same 

day under one anesthesia.  

We still do not know the cost of the surgery or surgeries. If anyone is interested in helping out let me know so I can give you some flyers.” 

The latest information is that the neurosurgeon is hesitant to do the surgery because the situation is very dangerous. We are now in the process of trying to determine what our next option might be. We will keep you informed as to what happens. 

As you can see, we have many needs. Any donations will be greatly appreciated. To make a donation or to contact us for more information, see the bottom of this newsletter. 

Building News 

We have over the last 10+ years been building everything from temporary shelters made out of wood and tarps to room additions with cement footers and wooden walls and roofs to complete homes (3 rooms, 400 – 600 square feet). Our latest project is a 620 square foot home with 3 rooms and a bathroom (this is our first home with an inside bathroom). During our December 2004 trip we were able only to complete about 25-30 percent of 

the work on the home due to severe weather cutting our trip short. We are scheduled to return the weekend of January 28th – 30th to complete the work, weather permitting.  

One of our next projects will be to build a medical clinic where both Dr. Celia and those medical practitioners that travel with us can have the space they need to provide the best medical care possible to the poor. 

Because of the regulations and laws governing what we can legally transport across the border, building materials are all purchased in Maneadero, Mexico. This means we need money (approximately $5,000 per home) to 

continue to provide adequate housing to as many families as possible. Again, we need your help to continue this work. If you would like to be a part of this effort, please contact us through the various links below. Thank you and God bless. 

A Poets Perspective 

Maneadero 

The coat of many colors is a symbol of our faith, it comes to us in story from a house, a tribe, a race. 

The Indian cloth of Mexico cries back to the colored thread, as they walk the dusty roads that the missionary treads. 

The tiniest brown faces smeared with dust and grime and sweat cries out for Gods great mercy as they toil through lives unkept. 

Bring us once again to this solitude of walls, where the veils of holy women flutter silently in halls. 

There are bags and boxes full of things, that bring the smiles of want on wings, and tears of love and needs unseen, and through the giving, faith is seed. 

For Information about, or Donations to, Su Misericordia or to receive a free subscription to Megan’s Hope newsletter, send an email with your request to Ana Gmeiner at aegmeiner@hotmail.com , phone (909) 985-7160, visit us on our web page at www.oaxacanmission.org , or mail us at 862 W. 19th 

St., Upland, CA 91784