The mission is simple, yet powerful; “to care for the poorest of the poor.” That’s the guiding principle of the Missionaries of Charity Sisters, Saint Teresa of Calcutta’s order, and it’s what volunteer Darlene Timmerman, RN experienced firsthand while serving in communities near Tijuana, Mexico.
Darlene served as a medical consultant for the Sisters at several sites near Tijuana. With only one Sister trained as a nurse, her medical expertise was deeply valued. One of her first tasks was to organize their medication room, a project that may have seemed small, but made an enormous difference. The room had fallen into disarray over time, and Darlene’s careful work brought order to a space that was essential for patient care. A simple act that made a big difference and for which the Sisters were profoundly grateful.
At a home in the community of Postal, Darlene helped care for 28 women living with a range of medical and emotional challenges. Some could manage their daily routines, while others required full-time care. Many had dementia or chronic illnesses and nowhere else to go. A few had lived there for years. One woman was receiving treatment for colorectal cancer, while another, living with HIV, was tenderly being cared for by the Sisters in her final days.
“I was struck by the Sisters’ compassion,” Darlene said. “They cared for everyone with the same gentleness and grace, no matter the circumstance.”
She was deeply inspired by the six Sisters who lived and served there, women from around the world, including two from the United States, who had given up comfortable lives to dedicate themselves fully to others. They owned only two saris and a few personal belongings, slept in sparse rooms with a simple bed and dresser, and lived entirely without modern conveniences like phones or watches. Each Sister had a specialty — nursing, education, or another skill — and together they formed a community bound by purpose, humility, and joy.
When Darlene accompanied one of the residents to the local community hospital, she was deeply moved by what she saw; overcrowded rooms, peeling paint, and a shortage of even the most basic medical supplies.
“It was heartbreaking. The largest population there were people experiencing homelessness, but there was still so much dignity in the way the staff cared for them.”
Darlene also visited the Sisters’ other ministries: a home in Rosarito that shelters 45 elderly men, lovingly called “abuelos,” a soup kitchen and overnight shelter in Centralia for men rebuilding their lives, and community programs supporting teenagers and children, and another site that provides meals, shelter, and medical care for men working to rebuild their lives.
For Darlene, serving alongside the Missionaries of Charity was a life-changing experience.
“It was humbling,” she said. “Being completely out of my element made the world feel smaller, and my heart feel bigger.”
Through her time in Mexico, Darlene saw what Saint Teresa meant when she said, ‘Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.’
Volunteers like Darlene bring healing and hope to communities around the world. Discover how you can serve alongside Global Care Force in places like Mexico, Jordan, and Ukraine.