Practice Makes Perfect – Your Weekly Reflection from CMMB

“So be perfect,
just as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

—Matthew 5:48

In this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus asks his followers to show that they love all people through loving actions, whether they be friends or enemies. Love of God and love of neighbor are the fundamental commands that we must follow. Jesus wants us to love others like God loves us—unconditionally. But in the final verse when Jesus says we are to be as perfect as our heavenly father, he knows that we as humans have limitations. The kind of perfection he asks of us is in the effort we make; in striving to follow his example of loving others and being generous to those who need help. Our Christian charity must extend beyond our family and our friends to all those we come into contact with.

CMMB Community Health Workers (CHWs) are invaluable health leaders who serve in the same communities they live in and are dedicated to helping take care of vulnerable families. They are women and men who have faced the challenges of extreme poverty but take the initiative to become trained health workers to help the less fortunate live healthier, more dignified lives. Community health workers provide vital care, they lead programs that empower mothers and women, deliver prenatal and postnatal services, and organize community nutrition and economic empowerment training.

In 2019, CMMB supported a network of 153 CHWs across the Huancayo and Trujillo regions of Peru.

Andree Louvierre is a CMMB volunteer who served as a nurse in Trujillo, Peru last year. She shared with us the special bond she forged with Diana, a CMMB promatora (community health worker).

As a community health worker, Diana (left) visits mothers in their homes to discuss health topics.

When I first arrived in Trujillo, Diana was near the end of her second pregnancy. Nevertheless, she attended our meetings, welcomed us into her home, and continued to fulfill all her duties as a newly trained community health worker. At the end of my first week, she gave birth to her baby boy (and my newest little friend) Dillon. Five days later, she jumped right back into work, attending a project event with a newborn in her arms! Having a new baby while being a new promatora did not set Diana back. In Peru, promatoras are required to provide 25 children and three pregnant moms health support, but Diana was supporting 39 children in the project.

Diana is originally from Huanchaco. She has a technical degree in nursing and enjoys working with CMMB because it allows her to use the skills and knowledge she gained from her studies while still being able to take care of her young family.

Older brother Diajero peeks in at baby Dillon.

Diana’s husband is a mechanic who works 15 days a month away from home, returning only for seven days at a time. He always supports her in her work and even goes with her to home visits at night. Before school and after school, her toddler Diajero helps Diana sell food and other small items. Their family stays busy and everyone does their part to make life more enriching.

The team (from left to right): Jessica, Diana, Diajero, Andree and baby Dillion in the stroller!

Fellow CMMB volunteer Jessica and I accompanied Diana on her first consejeria—meetings with moms in their homes to discuss health topics they are struggling with or need more information on. She did an excellent job teaching the moms about breastfeeding, alimentation, and foods rich in iron.

Before we gave our first presentations, Jessica and I walked with Diana around the neighborhood to invite moms to attend. It warmed my heart to see the beautiful relationship she has with them. —Andree Louvierre, former CMMB volunteer

Through all the obstacles that women like Diana face, they don’t give up. Our faith teaches us that God never gives up either. No matter how many times we fall short on our journey to be as “perfect as our heavenly father,” God continues to love us. There is always another chance. It’s never too late to try again, to right a wrong, or to keep reaching for the perfection of Heaven.

In grace and peace,

CMMB/Healthier Lives Worldwide

*Parts of this article were inspired by Loyola Press Sunday Connection.