The Blessed Sacrament is then taken out of the small tabernacle in the chapel and set on top of a table in the center of the room. The children then sit in silence for about 10-15 minutes, so they can "experience silence (and) meet Jesus in the silence," Carin said.
Afterward, a passage from the Gospel is read, since that is where Jesus speaks to us "directly," she said, explaining that when the reading is done, they discuss "how we can live the Gospel in daily life, because to be Christian is not only in the chapel, we have to continue in the camp."
The class ends with prayers of intercession asking "for the world as we want (it to be)," and with a prayer to Mary.
Homework consists only of practicing at home what they learn in class, Carin said, explaining that when the children go back to the camps "they have to continue to put the Gospel into practice. This, and only this."
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Carin, who has eight years of experience as a missionary, developed the curriculum for the catechism class herself. It follows the liturgical calendar, and includes special activities during Christmas and Easter.
After visiting the school on her own for a two week visit in September, Carin proposed her plan of catechesis to the Dominican sisters running it.
The sisters approved, and invited Carin to return for a longer, six month period. After receiving help from the international missionary-training organization FIDESCO, Carin arrived to Erbil in January, and will move on in June when the school year is over.
She currently lives in a camp inside one of the "containers" provided for her by the Dominican sisters, and has no income. "It's providence that takes care of me," she said.
Carin said that while she had worked for a humanitarian organization for seven years, the motivation for her missionary work comes from a personal conversion she had at the age of 25.
"I was living for 25 years without God. I started my life without God," she said.
After she converted to Christianity she felt strongly that she wanted to give her heart to her Father in heaven, "and for this I am a missionary. I gave up my life because (now I) give my life for God."
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In addition to helping the Dominican Sisters at the school, Carin also assists another order of religious sisters, the Little Sisters of Jesus, with their ministry inside a camp they assist.
Every day the Blessed Sacrament is brought to camp so that everyone, adults and children, will have the opportunity to pray.
The idea is not only to provide direct access to Jesus in the Sacrament, but also "to give hope, because the people here are very tired."
"It's been a long time now and now they need hope," Cardin said, adding that "when we cannot do anything on a human level, it's better to put Jesus, and then after Jesus, work. It's like this."
Elise Harris was senior Rome correspondent for CNA from 2012 to 2018.