Twenty people, five destinations, one shared mission: to serve, learn and grow as an Augustinian Recollect family. We spoke with Javier Sanchez, director of ARCORES International, about this life-changing experience since 2018.
A proposal born from the heart and lived in community
Since 2018, the international volunteerism of ARCORES Spain has been one of the jewels of the solidarity network of the Augustinian Recollect family. “It was one of the first things we put in place,” explains Javier Sanchez, director of ARCORES International. And although the pandemic forced a pause in 2020 and 2021, since 2022 the experience has resumed strength, structure and depth.
“Today we have a solid team of volunteers, with demanding training processes and close accompaniment. All this helps the people who participate not only to know where they are going, but also why they are going”, says Javier.says Javier.
One of the keys to success has been the group format. “We offer group experiences, not individual ones, because sharing enriches. The host community is an essential part of volunteering,” he says.he says.
Five destinations, one family
This summer, more than twenty people will travel to five projects: Lar Santa Monica in Brazil, Casi Island in the Philippines, Caracas in Venezuela, Totonicapán in Guatemala and the missions of Kamalo and Kamabai in Sierra Leone. In all cases, these are experiences rooted in the concrete life of the Augustinian Recollect communities.
“Each mission is a living testimony of who we are as a family. There we not only help, we learn. You don’t just give, you also receive”, recalls Javier.Javier recalls.
In addition, volunteering strengthens ties within the ARCORES network itself: “Host communities also say that volunteering shakes them up, renews them, pushes them to become more committed.”.
An experience that leaves its mark
The testimonies of those who have participated in previous years coincide: “It has touched me from the inside”, “I have received more than I have given”, “The community has made me live everything differently”. For many people, even for those who arrive far from the faith, it is an opportunity to reconnect with God, with others and with themselves.
“It is a precious moment to question, to propose. There are people who come back shaken, restless, wanting to give more. That’s where ARCORES tries to accompany this process, explains Javier.
A commitment that involves all of us
ARCORES international volunteering is not just a summer activity. It is an expression of the shared charism. It is family. It is mission. And it is a constant invitation to go out, to get involved, to let oneself be touched.
Because, as this year’s motto reminds us, in ARCORES, we are pilgrims of hope. And every summer, for seven years now, hundreds of simple steps are changing the world, one by one, Augustinian Recollect style.