2022 Trip Updates
Follow us on our trip!
Pictures and updates will be tentatively posted each night (depending on activities, internet access and other factors). Please, be patient with us as we try to meet our goal of nightly posts.
Even if we are delayed, know we are thinking of you all and working on it!
Thank-you.
Pictures and updates will be tentatively posted each night (depending on activities, internet access and other factors). Please, be patient with us as we try to meet our goal of nightly posts.
Even if we are delayed, know we are thinking of you all and working on it!
Thank-you.
Saturday, July 9
Hi, everyone!
We had a very good, safe day of travel. First, we stopped at the Shrine of the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend, Iowa, for about an hour. After a stop for lunch, we decorated the four SUVS. All of their "names" are slipping my mind at the moment (sorry!) but I can tell you that two of them are Toby and Rhonda. Stay tuned tomorrow for the others!
We arrived in Quincy, Illinois, about an hour later than we originally planned, about 8:00 p.m. When we arrived at Quincy Notre Dame High School, we received such an amazing surprise from the group here. Mike Young, their Youth Coordinator, and their High School Leadership Team, were all waiting for us. This wonderful group of people here has recently returned for their mission trip--a Catholic Heart Workcamp site in Montana. When the teens heard we were coming, they wanted nothing less than to hang out with our group!
After we left briefly to shower over at the Sheridan Swim Club, we returned to the high school where our group had tons of fun with those who were here! Our group played games, danced in the gym, ate snacks that were provided for us, and so much more! This was a very nice surprise and a great way to have fun after a long first day of driving.
What a great first day, filled with even better hospitality. We are so thankful for Mike, his friends over at the Sheridan Swim Club, the teens here, and so many more kind people we encountered today. We're hoping to be up and on the road at 6:30 tomorrow morning! (Say some prayers for that--ha!) We plan to attend the 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis! We heard that relics of St. Bernadette might be there tomorrow--what a beautiful sight to see if so!
We'll keep you all posted the best we can. Thank-you so much for everything! Please, keep your prayers and messages coming, too! I know we received a handful tonight and I can't wait to share them all with the group, tomorrow! - Jake
We had a very good, safe day of travel. First, we stopped at the Shrine of the Grotto of Redemption in West Bend, Iowa, for about an hour. After a stop for lunch, we decorated the four SUVS. All of their "names" are slipping my mind at the moment (sorry!) but I can tell you that two of them are Toby and Rhonda. Stay tuned tomorrow for the others!
We arrived in Quincy, Illinois, about an hour later than we originally planned, about 8:00 p.m. When we arrived at Quincy Notre Dame High School, we received such an amazing surprise from the group here. Mike Young, their Youth Coordinator, and their High School Leadership Team, were all waiting for us. This wonderful group of people here has recently returned for their mission trip--a Catholic Heart Workcamp site in Montana. When the teens heard we were coming, they wanted nothing less than to hang out with our group!
After we left briefly to shower over at the Sheridan Swim Club, we returned to the high school where our group had tons of fun with those who were here! Our group played games, danced in the gym, ate snacks that were provided for us, and so much more! This was a very nice surprise and a great way to have fun after a long first day of driving.
What a great first day, filled with even better hospitality. We are so thankful for Mike, his friends over at the Sheridan Swim Club, the teens here, and so many more kind people we encountered today. We're hoping to be up and on the road at 6:30 tomorrow morning! (Say some prayers for that--ha!) We plan to attend the 10 a.m. Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis! We heard that relics of St. Bernadette might be there tomorrow--what a beautiful sight to see if so!
We'll keep you all posted the best we can. Thank-you so much for everything! Please, keep your prayers and messages coming, too! I know we received a handful tonight and I can't wait to share them all with the group, tomorrow! - Jake
Sunday, July 10
Hi, everyone!
This morning we were on the road by 6:30 a.m. We went to Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. It is so incredibly beautiful there! Afterwards, we made a quick journey over to the Old Basilica of St. Louis, by the arch, to be in the presence of some of St. Bernadette's relics. After a short drive and stop for lunch, we continued on our journey towards Nashville--arriving at 6:00 p.m.
We were greeted by another group that is here this week--a group from Wisconsin! Not that far from us back home! After dinner and the YouthWorks orientation, we played games, listened to testimonies, had a small worship session and finished the night in our own church group time.
Tonight, we read all of your messages/prayers (thank-you so much; they mean more than I can express!) and we "checked" our baggage. This intentional devotion helps us to 'temporarily' place our worries, cares, and/or any other emotions from our hearts that we might distract us from our time here, at God's throne. Although, it was difficult, our group began to open up to one another and comfort each other as some of our 'baggage' was laid out. This was a powerful first church group time, filled with love.
We are excited for the week. We will start service sites tomorrow! Please, stay tuned for work crews, locations, and so much more. I hope to have kids writing on these updates here, too! I know Rachel V. can't wait to share her daily dose of her favorite Don H. quotes. We are so thankful for him and the joy he has brought to this trip! Don taught the kids a great dance move tonight--involving screwing in a lightbulb and some of weird foot thing...what a sight!
Tomorrow night, Monday, will be a hard, difficult night in our church group time. We will pray and ask God to open up our hearts to help heal and take out the wounds and hurts we carry. Although tomorrow night may be filled with sadness and many tears, we pray for strength and courage for all of us to be vulnerable with God and each other; so, that His love may pour in and through us. Please, pray for us all a little extra tomorrow night--if you would be so kind. Thank-you!
May God bless all of you. Know we are praying for your intentions, too! We hope to write to you tomorrow! - Jake
P.S. The other two vehicles are named Sheila (the sheep) and Stacy. (I'm not sure why--ha!)
This morning we were on the road by 6:30 a.m. We went to Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis. It is so incredibly beautiful there! Afterwards, we made a quick journey over to the Old Basilica of St. Louis, by the arch, to be in the presence of some of St. Bernadette's relics. After a short drive and stop for lunch, we continued on our journey towards Nashville--arriving at 6:00 p.m.
We were greeted by another group that is here this week--a group from Wisconsin! Not that far from us back home! After dinner and the YouthWorks orientation, we played games, listened to testimonies, had a small worship session and finished the night in our own church group time.
Tonight, we read all of your messages/prayers (thank-you so much; they mean more than I can express!) and we "checked" our baggage. This intentional devotion helps us to 'temporarily' place our worries, cares, and/or any other emotions from our hearts that we might distract us from our time here, at God's throne. Although, it was difficult, our group began to open up to one another and comfort each other as some of our 'baggage' was laid out. This was a powerful first church group time, filled with love.
We are excited for the week. We will start service sites tomorrow! Please, stay tuned for work crews, locations, and so much more. I hope to have kids writing on these updates here, too! I know Rachel V. can't wait to share her daily dose of her favorite Don H. quotes. We are so thankful for him and the joy he has brought to this trip! Don taught the kids a great dance move tonight--involving screwing in a lightbulb and some of weird foot thing...what a sight!
Tomorrow night, Monday, will be a hard, difficult night in our church group time. We will pray and ask God to open up our hearts to help heal and take out the wounds and hurts we carry. Although tomorrow night may be filled with sadness and many tears, we pray for strength and courage for all of us to be vulnerable with God and each other; so, that His love may pour in and through us. Please, pray for us all a little extra tomorrow night--if you would be so kind. Thank-you!
May God bless all of you. Know we are praying for your intentions, too! We hope to write to you tomorrow! - Jake
P.S. The other two vehicles are named Sheila (the sheep) and Stacy. (I'm not sure why--ha!)
Monday, July 11
Hi, everyone.
I apologize for the delay in posting; we had a late night. Yesterday, (Monday), was our first work day in Nashville. Please, read below to hear from some of our kids!
More updates for to come! Please, stay tuned!
I apologize for the delay in posting; we had a late night. Yesterday, (Monday), was our first work day in Nashville. Please, read below to hear from some of our kids!
- Our first day of service was incredible! In the morning, my group had the opportunity to help out in a community garden and meet some of the community members. In the afternoon, we went to a community center and spent the afternoon with some young kids. Our evening was filled with playing games, visiting Centennial Park, ice cream, and a very meaningful group reflection. We are excited to start another day of service and can't wait to see God working in so many different people. -Rachel V
- On Monday, my group served an adult care center. We joined in on their exercise hour and devotional time. We got to spend time with the seniors by playing games and watching them engage with each other. After our service day we got to spend time with our church and the others at our housing site, and at Centennial Park. We got to walk around the life size replica of the Parthenon, and enjoy the skyline and city of Nashville. Our church group time was very eye-opening. Everyone was vulnerable in sharing their stories and roadblocks. It's safe to say everyone is excited for tomorrow! - Grace S
More updates for to come! Please, stay tuned!
Tuesday, July 12
Hi, everyone!
Between the short night of rest and the busy day today--it's hard to keep everything straight! I will try to have many of the kids write updates tomorrow--but for now, please read the following from a few of our students:
- Our second day of service was amazing! We got to meet so many amazing new kids and workers that made my day. Even though it was 100 degrees outside we still had fun inside, with playing many games including Capture the Flag (we won, of course). Even though most our days consisted of running, it was still super fun. It was so sad to leave them every day because of the connections we had with the kids. Close to the end of the day we even got to see a police helicopter take off and the kids even got to see inside (most the time me and the others were in the shade it still was pretty cool to see one up close). We also finally got a picture of Greyson with a kid! He said it never would happen, but I guess it did. Spending a day with them you could really tell the workers are connected with the kids, I even got to meet the man the legend, Robert, and he was as great as the stories I heard. That was mostly all we did that day (we were promised arts and crafts but that didn't happen, it was kind of sad because we have done nothing but run these two days and believe it or not I enjoyed it a lot.) Today was the last day of working with kids, although it's sad, I know we made somewhat of an impact on these kids. Hope to write more soon -Sophia W.
- Yesterday, my group volunteered at Sew for Hope. Bonnie, one of the volunteers taught us about the operation and shared her powerful story. I learned that Sew for Hope teaches classes to refugee women on how to sew in different levels. The students make a full outfit and at the end of the program they receive a sewing machine. To help out, we cut fabric for sewing kits for the students. Throughout the day we engaged in many spiritual conversations with Bonnie, which continuously changed my perspective on many topics. I was inspired by the work Sew for Hope does for the refugees in Nashville. - Hannah V
- Tuesday, my group went to thriftsmart for the day. Thriftsmart is a nonprofit store where people supply donations of clothes, books, shoes, and other needs. Their profits then go to local charities to help around the community with other needs. We cleaned and organized shelves, and sorted clothes by a fun color coordination ruler. It was nice to see how the littlest things you can do can make a big impact and affect multiple others in a community around you. All in all we had a fun day and were lucky to be inside out of the heat. - Josh S
- Hey everyone! The last few days have been amazing. We went to two daycares, and we met the most awesome kids. Although we spent almost all day playing running games, it totally paid off just to see the kids smile. They all were so social with us, and seemed very excited to have us there. I met a kid who claimed to do a 1,000 pushups, and he could also do a front handspring, which was very cool. He beat me in basketball by a lot, but I am proud to say that I was the champion of ping pong (21-8). I also met another little girl who let me braid her hair and it was super fun. All of the staff was amazing, and seemed very close with the kids (Robert in specific). We've had an amazing time meeting all of the kids, and it's been such a joy to see the huge smiles on their faces. Unfortunates, we were promised craft time and it never happened :( But none the less, it's been a great time. Our church group time at the end of the night as been amazing (if not a little late)! All of the talks I've had with the leaders have been fantastic. We got to go see the Parthenon replica, and it was beautiful. We also went to Broadway street last night! It's been a great time, but I can't wait to see my family again at the end of the week. (Much love to you mom, and I hope you know I'm feeling great and doing just fine!) I'm so glad I went on this trip. -Ava K.
- Hi everybody, we are having a wonderful trip! Thank you for offering prayers and for supporting us on our journey. Throughout the week, I have been so blessed to witness the spiritual growth and transformation of our students as we serve the Nashville community. Overall, I have most enjoyed the deep conversations among our group, spanning from the foundational beliefs of Catholicism to further developing one's personal relationship with Christ to approaching faith as a way of life as opposed to a mere religion. We are so fortunate to have the community of students and chaperones that we do! These students' strength and courage to be vulnerable, not only regarding their faith but also their feelings, has empowered incredible spiritual growth for all of us. I am excited for all that is ahead of us. Thank you again! Blessings, Elli
- Hello! Thank you for keeping us in your prayers and leaving us messages to read at night, the students love to hear them! So far this trip has been amazing to see each student grow in their relationship with God and each other. They have also sharpened their dancing skills (cracking the egg and church clap)! We are all excited to continue on with work, group time, and exploring this week and look forward to bringing this back home! (Hi mom, Nora, & Rams!!!) -Courtney H
Wednesday, July 13
Here are some more updates from us!
It's about 8:00 p.m. and we are enjoying an evening of free time currently. :) We will come together in about an hour for worship, with Lucy, Elli, Grace and the Visser trio, leading worship for the whole group. We can't wait! We will also be closing the night with affirmations for one another. This will be a time for building each other up and allowing God to come in and fill our hearts through our love and admiration for one another. :)
- Our third day of service was awesome!! We got to play and do lots of things with kids today and I thought it was amazing. We are at vacation bible school every day this week and we are loving every minute of it. We all have our own jobs (Skylar-I get to play games with preschoolers and help out with cleaning),(Tia- she gets to be a crew leader and help out with a group of kids and play games with them and also she helps out with cleaning),(Kayla- she gets to help out with doing crafts with preschoolers and help clean also),(Nick and Ben- they were also crew leaders to help out with kids and also did cleaning too). We are so happy to help out this community and do whatever we can do to help serve the Lord. Also so happy to help these kids out at VBS. In all we had an amazing day and week. We are so sad to leave because we are having so much fun. Hope to write soon.-Skylar S. PS. Hi Mom and Dad. :)
- Today, my group (Audrey, Rachel, Grace, Lucy, Jake and Laura) went to Sew for Hope. We cut fabric for the refugees from Afghanistan, we all made about 24 kits that they will use next semester in their class. We put together shelving for the business and also put together sewing kits. It was really cool learning their story about how they help the women in need by teaching them skills to help them get jobs in the future. We are having such a great time! From Audrey and Rachel. P.S. Hi mom, dad, Sarah and Grandma! I miss you and I love you all :) - Rachel P.P.S. Hi Mom, Dad, Laynee, Gavin and of course Maggie. Miss you all! <3 Audrey
- So today we went to Project C.U.R.E. It's an amazing nonprofit that donates used medical supplies to third world countries that are desperately in need of supplies. Today a huge shipment was going out to Panama. We were loading up a semi's worth of stuff, which including hospital beds, medical supplies, mattresses, and many other things. To start off the day, we moved very heavy beds out of the back of a semi, and while it wasn't necessarily fun, it was great to know just how much we were helping others. We then started to move lots of hospital beds into the semi, and it was totally full by the time we were done. We loaded up boxes later, along with other things. While there were a few mishaps, we came out of the day feeling successful, knowing we had saved 1,000s of lives just by helping move things into a car. It's crazy to think just how much we take for granted, for example things such as diapers or sterile gloves. The feeling after knowing that we were helping so many people definitely makes up for the labor aspect. I send much love to home, and I can't wait to see you all again! -Ava K <3
It's about 8:00 p.m. and we are enjoying an evening of free time currently. :) We will come together in about an hour for worship, with Lucy, Elli, Grace and the Visser trio, leading worship for the whole group. We can't wait! We will also be closing the night with affirmations for one another. This will be a time for building each other up and allowing God to come in and fill our hearts through our love and admiration for one another. :)
Thursday, July 14
Hi, everyone!
It's about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday here. We've finished up our last work day and our about to celebrate with a community grill out! After dinner, we will be experiencing foot washing--recounting the time Jesus washed his disciples feet (John 13).
Our work groups changed during the middle of the week and all of our St. Anastasia participants were placed solely with members from our group; rather than with the other church group here. So, many of us have served at many different locations and were able to bond more closely with all members in our group! Tonight looks to be powerful. The days have seemed long; yet, I can't believe we are getting ready to load up and start our journey back home already. Tomorrow will come early. We hope to update you again, either tonight still or tomorrow, when we make it back to Quincy, IL.
Thank-you for all of your love, support and prayers. Hearing from you all has been such a blessing to our group. We are making it a point to be back for the 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday night. Please, come to that if you can! We may have testimonials, songs, and a few other things in store! Talk with you soon, Jake.
Additional Updates from Kids tonight still:
It's about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday here. We've finished up our last work day and our about to celebrate with a community grill out! After dinner, we will be experiencing foot washing--recounting the time Jesus washed his disciples feet (John 13).
Our work groups changed during the middle of the week and all of our St. Anastasia participants were placed solely with members from our group; rather than with the other church group here. So, many of us have served at many different locations and were able to bond more closely with all members in our group! Tonight looks to be powerful. The days have seemed long; yet, I can't believe we are getting ready to load up and start our journey back home already. Tomorrow will come early. We hope to update you again, either tonight still or tomorrow, when we make it back to Quincy, IL.
Thank-you for all of your love, support and prayers. Hearing from you all has been such a blessing to our group. We are making it a point to be back for the 4:30 p.m. Mass on Saturday night. Please, come to that if you can! We may have testimonials, songs, and a few other things in store! Talk with you soon, Jake.
Additional Updates from Kids tonight still:
- Hiii! We had an amazing last day today and it was awesome. We are really going to miss being with the kids and helping out as much as we can. During this whole trip we all got closer and learned a lot of new things. It was sad to have this be the last day with the kids and we are all going to miss them so much. (Skylar- I had to move a bucket of nails to make them disappear and help tare down all of the theme and supplies), (Tia- she got to still help be a crew leader and also help tare down the theme and supplies), (Kayla- she got to help out with the preschoolers and do crafts with them and also help tare down the theme and supplies). We had such an amazing trip and had so much fun with the kids and just helping out as much as we could. We all really hope to do this again next year because it was just so amazing. It was nice to help out the community as much as we could and we hope they enjoyed our help as much as we enjoyed helping them! -Skylar S, and Hi Mom and Dad!
- Today was an awesome last day! There may have been a few tears saying goodbye to the kids, but I had a really fun time getting to know the group leader and all the kids in my group. Throughout the week Skylar, Kayla, and I had a great experience with all the kids, the staff members, and getting closer to god. I was given a chance to meet a young girl and we both shared a special connection. I got to learn a lot about her and she had just as big of an impact on me than I did on her. I am very grateful I got to help out at VBS (Vacation Bible School) and I think Kayla, Skylar, Nick, Ben, Betty, and Josh all enjoyed it too. - Tia
- Hi Mom and Dad! It is the last night of the mission trip and I am sad to see it coming to an end. We arrived to this church on Sunday afternoon and we set up our sleeping areas in the church/sanctuary ( the boys get the basement ) and it's super cool! The stained glass windows are fun to wake up to. Sunday night, we ate, sang some songs, and then went to bed, but the next morning we woke up at 6:45 and got ready before going to breakfast. We packed our lunches and then set off to our mission site for the day. Our site hours go from 9 - 3. I've had a lot of fun with my group because Jake is our leader and Audrey, Rachel, and Grace are there, it's very small. On Monday and Tuesday we went to an Adultcare center; it is for adults that have some sort of mental illness such as dementia. The members come to the building during the day and are able to go home to their families in the evening. We got to know all of the members there over those two days and ended up having a ton of fun! On Wednesday we went to a place at taught refuges from third world and dangerous countries how to sew. Many of them don't speak english but if given the chance to learn a new skill (such as sewing) they are able to get a job and help provide for their family. We helped cut and package kits for the students that Bonnie, the manager, will teacher in a few weeks. Today we went to Soles4Souls and helped separate hundreds of bags of donated clothing and shoes into different crates and trucks. It was a ton of work but the five of use got it done quickly and efficiently. After we were done there, we went to a place called west park and helped out with the kids at a local daycare, they were all so adorable and sweet and it honestly didn't feel like work at all. At three o-clock we head to the showers which are about a 20 minute drive from the church. Then we head home, eat dinner, have our evening activity, do worship, group time, and then sleep. We're planning on heading out tomorrow morning and staying overnight at the same school we stayed at on the way here. I can't wait to see you guys again, is Keeks doing okay?! - Lucy
- Today is our last day of work. It is tough to know the trip is coming to an end. This past week has been amazing to see the St. A's group excel and coming together in not only work but also growing closer and stronger as friends. They constantly outdo each other at taking initiative and picking up hard work. The smiles are never ending no matter how tired or hard their day has been. I am in awe at how wonderful and blessed we as chaperones to be with these kids who have also helped us all to grow and come out of our comfort zones too. This trip has been an amazing time and I hope you parents are proud of each and every one of these amazing kids. - Josh S
Friday, July 15
Final Updates:
- While we were driving for 7 hours today, I was not only sleeping, but I was also reflecting on this past week. I am so grateful for the friendships I've made, the tears I've let out, and the growth I have witnessed in myself and others. Thank you for all the support that has led all of us here. HONK FOR JESUS - Grace
- Today we spent the majority of the day driving, luckily I was able to spend a few hours sleeping in the back seat. The time Me and the girls in my car spent awake, we enjoyed each other's company. Love and miss everyone back home- Ella <3
- This week has been so amazing and has gotten us (Nickolas and Isabelle) a lot closer to God. One thing I (Isabelle) was worried about before the trip was that I was going to miss home and/or I was going to be really anxious, but I knew that it would all be worth it, and I was right. I (Nickolas) did karaoke at 2 am last night :) - Nick and Belle <3
- This entire week has made me so much closer to God, I learned more about my faith during this trip than my whole life. I'm excited to go home, but I'll be a little sad to leave all these amazing people. I'm so excited to see you Dad, Mom, Livia, and Charlotte! -Sophia W. <3
- WOW!!! When Jake suggested to me several months ago that he could use another chaperone, and that I should consider the task, I was quite apprehensive. Some health problems pestered me, and I surely didn't want to be the "weak link" on the mission trip. I pondered it at length, and then threw in my total commitment. God has had my back! But the energy, enthusiasm, love, and empathy that these young adults have shown to others has been amazing and really lifted my spirits They have wisdom beyond their years! I have enjoyed each and every one of them and would sure be proud to call them my child or grandchild! Don Hartung
- Hi, everyone. Thank-you for everything. I have many words in my heart but not a lot of energy in my fingers to write them all out. I'm so proud of everyone on trip. Thank-you for your love, support and trusting us with your loved ones. God was and continues to be present on this trip and in all of our hearts. Being a part of this trip has truly been a pleasure and joy of my life. Our beautiful youth took it upon themselves to go and sing praise and worship music off on their own last evening (Thursday). My heart was easily filled. Today, we made it back to Quincy, IL, went to a fun event and ended with a devotional/worship. We hope to see you at the 4:30 p.m. Mass tomorrow! - Jake
|
|
|
