Testimony Bustos Cristancho Family
"The Lord blessed us with our fourth daughter (Maria Fatima Isabella) who was born in Peru"
We are a Colombian family and we have been married for 20 years, the result of this beautiful marriage are our four treasures: Alejandro 19, Valentina 12, Sara 7, and Fatima 5.
During our married life, we have had various ups and downs and difficulties, but, within everything, the most beautiful thing that has happened to us is to have entered into a process of conversion, which began, when we felt inspired by the Lord to be an active part of the construction of the Kingdom of God.
We have started working with the homeless (in our country unfairly named as: "disposables"), whom we called "miseritos" whose meaning was that of "in need of mercy". Every Saturday we distributed a decent meal to them (rice, lentils, eggs, and a hot drink), we managed to distribute up to 200 portions, and we went to where they were; we did this activity accompanied by our first two children (Valentina and Alejandro) who at that time were 2 and 7 years old respectively. To finance this small work, we trusted in the Divine Providence that was manifested thanks to the fruit of our work, the financial support of some of our friends plus some people who were getting to know the work.
In addition to this work we did apostolate in three homes in Bogotá: the first, the "Luz y Vida" home where we helped to give food to children with disabilities; in this home, there were about 200 orphaned children who had various diseases; the second was the home of the "Missionaries of Christ the Master" whose charism develops in the midst of service to the poorest children, there we supported with the distribution of food; and finally, in the "Betania" home of the "daughters of the Merciful Heart of Mary" whose apostolate is focused on pregnant women at high risk of vulnerability, a place where we listened and advised these women, so that they could carry out their entire gestation process.
During this time, we went through a period of economic crisis, where we found ourselves in the need to tell the Lord that we could not continue with the mission, since the money was not enough and we saw that our first obligation was towards our own children, although in our hearts, continued to burn the desire to serve the Lord in the poorest.
"During our married life, we have had various ups and downs and difficulties"
We thank God and the Blessed Virgin Mary for the lives of each of those who support in one way or another the "Missionary Servants of the Poor"
However, it was then that the Lord in His infinite Love and Mercy presented to us the work of the "Missionary Servants of the Poor" work of which we fell in love at "first sight". Although our "yes" had been immediate, the Lord made us wait for 4 years to come to Peru. During the wait, our Good God allowed us to resume our apostolates in Bogotá, thanks to the financial support of a group of people who knew our apostolate together with the spiritual support of Frs. Orlando Ibarra (Augustinian) and Manuel Gómez (Capuchin). At that time, He also blessed us with the arrival of our third daughter (Sara).
We arrived in Peru on February 13, 2016, during these 6 years we have served where our superiors have asked us to, giving classes of religion, tutoring and morality in the schools of our community, we have also been entrusted with several responsibilities such as the dining room of the school "Sts. Francisco and Jacinta Marto”, the various visits to the homes of our students, where we have been able to feel more intimately the suffering of our children and their families.
Five years ago, our eldest son Jhon Alejandro (now 19 years old), entered the Centro Vocacional "San Luis Gonzaga" to discern his religious vocation, in that center he finished his secondary school, and given the religious formation that in this community he received for religious life, he decided to continue his formative process, entering on May 4, 2019, to the community of priests and brothers of the MSP. After culminating with his aspiration process, he has entered the postulancy that takes place in the house of formation "Santa María Madre de los Pobres" that the MSP have in Ajofrín, Spain. We kindly ask for your prayers, so that he may persevere in this call!
On the other hand, the Lord blessed us with our fourth daughter (Maria Fatima Isabella) who was born in Peru. Our daughters study at the "Santa Maria Goretti" school that belongs to our community, and although they do not participate directly in the mission, they have been able to feel in their own flesh the sufferings of their companions. In the school, they receive the same treatment as all the other students, and it is thanks to this sharing that they have been able to develop very important values for their spiritual and personal growth.
We thank God and the Blessed Virgin Mary for the lives of each of those who support in one way or another the "Missionary Servants of the Poor". You can all count with our poor and humble prayers that the Lord and the Virgin Mary may pour out all the necessary graces upon each one of you.
United in Prayer
Bustos Cristancho Family
"In need of mercy"