By Oswaldo Martinez, Raychel Brown and Rochus Sison
Today, we went back to Nuestra Casa and we indulged. The students and staff of Nuestra Casa gathered for a potluck. We witnessed the community come together to bring food and laughter around the table.
As the clatter of dishes being put away faded in the background, we gravitated towards Sister Mary Rita – the founder of Nuestra Casa. However, this isn’t her only achievement. She indulged us with stories about her life and her impact on the global community. Sister Mary Rita was part of the founding of Heritage University (which we visited yesterday), spearheaded a low income housing program in Lake Oswego, took part in social justice missions in Nicaragua and across Africa, started a Spanish-language program at a local university, and continues to serve as an educator in the valley.
Seeing the work Sister Mary Rita has done in social justice and activism has shown us that one person really can make a sustainable impact. Listening to the stories of people like Sister Mary Rita and the people of Nuestra Casa has enriched our education and expanded our perspectives. We are forever thankful for this experience that we have been allowed to participate in. 🙂 <3 xoxo