My name is Liliana Asamé and I live in La Plata, Argentina. My husband, Guillermo Cardoso, and I have been participating in the Canossian volunteer program for 10 years: it’s an extraordinary experience for us. These seven days are a privilege, a gift, and a task, which help us redefine our entire lives, revealing what truly matters. Believers and non-believers alike find in serving the poor, who are everywhere, the most sublime way to restore their dignity as children of God, often robbed by the poverty in which they live generation after generation. Our task during these seven days is very small: to play music, sing, and comb the hair of the children who lovingly await us every year. We also visit families, blessing their homes. We care for the sick and help families with various repairs. The volunteer group is made up of people of good will who contact the Sisters and/or the volunteers themselves. This year, 51 of us participated, in addition with us were Sr. Jorgelina Sancho, Novice Luz, and Postulant Milagros. The Sisters of the two communities in Encarnación (Paraguay), along with the teachers and lay people who live and work in those communities, prepared everything to welcome us. The group experience was supported by the prayers and offerings of so many communities and individuals that God’s presence was felt daily, through a serene, supportive, and joyful coexistence. I encourage those who read this testimony not to miss the opportunity to experience Canossian volunteering: I assure you that you will leave with the desire to give and give of yourselves, with a heart full of all you will receive. You will come back with strength and vitality to continue moving forward in service, for the glory of God, to make Him known and loved… May Mary, Our Lady of Sorrows, bless you and accompany you always. With love, Lili.
