"For young people, this widespread
involvement constitutes a school of life which offers
them a formation in solidarity and in readiness to offer others
not simply material
aid but their very selves" - Benedict XVI Deus Caritas
est
Liz
Hoering,
21 years old,
Bowdoin Collegge, Maine.
Mission Trip
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I
went to Peru with this question: how is it that we can
really make change in the world? The answer was made clear
to me in more ways than I ever thought possible: it is
with faith. Faith that plants planted with love along
a dry, rocky hillside in a Lima shantytown will spread
and grow with the care of the people, flourishing to bring
smiles to onlookers the following year.
Faith that children touched by the construction of a park
in their community will come and help us build another
for someone else.
And faith, most of all, in the strength of God's unfailing
hand which creates for us the encounters that change our
lives forever. |
Renee
Burke-Drazba
22 years old,
Massachusetts.
Mission Trip
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I
remember that first day when we were in Madrigal sitting
on my front step and seeing donkeys and chickens run past
me and thinking, "What have I done with myself?"
It was so scary being in a totally foreign environment.
But that meant that I was forced to totally put my trust
in the Lord and that's what I did. I think that I was
supposed to go on the trip so that I could learn to do
that. I felt so vulnerable not knowing the language or
the culture but by putting all of my trust in the Lord,
I knew that I would get through it. It turned out to be
one of the most important three weeks of my life! |
Ségolène
de Lassus
22 years old,
Paris – France.
White Cross
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I
went with a friend to Peru for three months to participate
in social projects. One of them was the summer camp “Cruz
Blanca” or “White Cross”, where we spent
15 days serving a group of 200 street children and orphan
girls. It was a very special moment for us but also a
very strong experience. Sharing 15 days with girls from
shanty towns, from the streets, that don’t have
anything was a very privileged moment. Ever since, I remember
all the time the girls, their faces, their smiles. I also
remember the games and religious activities that we shared
with the girls. Sometimes, the songs will come back to
my head «ding dong hay que cantar, para saber amar…
ding, dong hay que reír, para saber vivir….
» (..ding, dong, one has to sing to know how to
love…ding, dong, one has to laugh, to know how to
live..). These girls don’t
have anything, they come to stay for two weeks and they
bring a very small bag with few clothes. They are not
used to eating 3 times a day. At the beginning, they
see food as something special and they save some of
their breakfast for the end of the day, thinking that
they would not have anything else to eat for the rest
of the day. They don’t know how to play either.
They live in the streets and have to work to earn some
money for their family. They know how to fight but not
how to play with the ball or any other game. |
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In
“White Cross” they finally can live as children.
They can eat, play, pray, sleep well, receive authentic
love and affection. We could see the smiles in their
faces and that is the most beautiful thing of the world!!
These two weeks were so full of things
so good I cannot even express it. You have to come to
the camp to see how good this project is. It is a project
that gives life and love to kids that are not that lucky.
A project where we receive much more than what we give.
It is a project of love and joy under the presence of
God and Holy Mary. |
Kimberly
Wilson
23 years old,
Nebraska.
Mission Trip
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My
experience with working with the poor of Peru was like
nothing I had experienced before. I am not fluent in Spanish
by any means and yet, through God's grace, I was able
to still communicate to the youth of the
villiage we worked in (Madrigal). There was also a strong
sense of community that formed with other students that
went on the trip.
This bond of friendship and community was so strong that
months later we are all trying to come together again
for a reunion. We came together from many different states
for a sole purpose, to help others, and through that God
blessed us with so much more than we could have ever imagined. |
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