Anna Hogan

I love when people ask me what I am doing after graduation....

<p>The conversation usually goes something like this....</p> <p><em>"Congratulations on your graduation! So what's next? Law school?"</em></p> <p><em>"Well, that was the plan for a while, but a lot has changed in the past year. &nbsp;I'm actually moving to Jamaica to serve as a missionary there for a while."</em></p> <p><em>"Oh, that'll be a great thing to be able to put on your resume"</em></p> <p>It this point I typically just smile and nod, but I want to take this chance to tell a little bit of why I am doing this, because concern for my resume certainly did not move me to this decision. &nbsp;</p> <p>Two years ago, I was blessed with the opportunity to go on my first mission to Jamaica. &nbsp;I actually almost dropped out because I knew it would be waaay out of my comfort zone. &nbsp;But the Lord prepared my heart for this work in incredible ways, both at home and with my friends and especially in my prayer. &nbsp;I learned a ton during that time, but above all I think I learned what it meant to find my identity in Christ, to finally feel like I was being who I was created to be. &nbsp;It ignited and amplified a lot of desires in my heart that taught me about myself. &nbsp;And by "myself" I mean who I truly am as a Christian striving to faithfully respond to my baptisimal call. &nbsp;</p> <p>And the more I learned about the missionary vocation of the Church and read the words of St. Paul and our Holy Fathers, my heart was burning. &nbsp;Everything about mission work semed to fulfill these new desires I was finding in myself. &nbsp;Not that I've perfected this idea by any means, but living half of a Christian life has never made sense to me, and it doesn't seemed to have made sense to any of the early Christians. &nbsp;<strong>And what is the New Evangelization but a return to the urgency and Spirit of the first disciples as they were sent at the Great Commissioning?</strong></p> <p><strong><br /></strong>So when I was asked to return and lead another trip to Jamaica, I took this trip to discern returning as a long-term missionary. &nbsp;And what I found was that there was something about the Jamaican people themselves that was pulling my heart toward them. &nbsp;I have never felt such an intense love for a <em>people</em> as a whole, such a strong desire for a <em>nation</em> to know the Lord. &nbsp;The thrill or "experience" of a mission trip couldn't have moved me to this decision. &nbsp;What my heart broke for was the daily in and out with these people. &nbsp;Living through their struggles with them, and kneeling by their side to pray in both dispair and in thanksgiving. &nbsp; Holding a dying woman attempting to sing her favorite hymn and showering a child with a love they have never known. &nbsp;I don't fully understand how, but I know these people will play a pivitol role in my vocaation. &nbsp;</p> <p><strong>We go because we have been called and as Blessed John Paul II observed, a missionary lives with the knowledge that his heart will be satisfied by nothing but answering this call.</strong></p>

About Me

• 1 Campaign From the launch to the finish line, these were the campaigns you ran to make something happen for your entrepreneurial, cause-related, or creative passions.
• 0 Comments Engagement is the name of the game when it comes to crowdfunding. Sharing your thoughts on campaigns can help campaigners and strengthen the Indiegogo community.
• 1 Contribution Whether you contributed a little or a lot, this number signifies the times you helped support someone else’s idea, project, or goal.