Itinerary is shaping up...

I still don't have all the dates finalized for places that we will be visiting, but at least I know where we're going.

The primary place we are going to visit is called the "Working Boys' Center: A Family of Families" in Quito. This is where we will be staying and is our "home base". Click here to visit their website.

One day we will be visiting a place called "House of Wisdom" in English - it has an indigeneous name which I can't remember right now. Basically it's a center that works with native peoples and they are trying to preserve native handicrafts and skills such as weaving, jewelry making, etc.

Then on one day, we are making a side trip over to Guayaquil to visit Casa Damien which is a hospital/clinic for patients with Hansen's disease (leprosy) and Nuevo Mundo, a school with a unique model which offers education for the rich (they pay tuition) and very poor (who come for free)sharing the same facilities, staff, etc.

Guayaquil Side Trip

So looks like our group is also going on a side trip to Guayaquil from Quito. It is just a day trip, but we will be visiting two places while there. I'm still working on getting the names of the places, they are ministries of the BVM sisters, as soon as I know I will post them and links to their websites (if available). Should be a great trip, really eye opening and inspiring.

About the WBC

Here is the back story about the Working Boys' Center: A Family of Families (WBC) and St. Matthias Parishes relationship with them. (Find more information about the WBC - or CMT in Spanish at www.workingboyscenter.org.

About 45 years ago, Fr. John Halligan, SJ www.jesuit.orgwas sent to Quito by the Jesuits to found a mission there. He was told to assess the needs of the people and decide what was most needed. Day after day, for about 30 days he sit in a park and watched, watched as business men came and went, indigenous people passed through, and boys carrying shoe shine kits exchanged their services for a couple of coins. These boys were as young as 6 years old! Fr. John (or Padre Juan as he is known in Quito) talked to these boys and realized that none of them were going to school, but rather were responsible for earning money to support their families.

Recognizing the value of hard work and the invaluable contribution that the boys were making to their families - but also realizing that the only way shoe shine boys were ever going to be anything other than shoe shine boys - Padre Juan decided to start a school for these boys. They started in the attic of a local church (may have been the cathedral) - the Working Boys' Center was founded. The boys came to school part of the day, and still shined shoes to support their families.

This went on for a few years, then Padre Juan realized he needed some help. A couple of Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary www.bvmcong.org(BVM's)were sent to help out - Sister Miguel and later Sister Cindy Sullivan. With their collaboration, the Center has grown exponentially in terms of numbers of people served, program implemented, and buildings built. The Working Boys' Center became a "Family of Families" as services, educational and trade school opportunities, meal services, hygiene and medical care were expanded to the entire family. Parents come for school or to learn a skill, babies come for child care, school aged kids come for school - but still work earning and saving money for their families.

Jump ahead several years to 2005. Sr. Dee Myers, BVM our Pastoral Associate and member of the BVM sisters, arranged a trip for 10 people in our parish community to visit the WBC and experience all that they have to offer. The trip was eye opening for all who went. In preparation for the trip, the parish community participated in several collections and events to learn more about the work of the center and to help out. We collected towels and soccer uniforms (futbol is the national sport of Ecuador, so uniforms were a big hit) which were donated. We hosted a soup supper featuring Ecuadorian soups and a slide show of photos from the Center.

Since that time, the children in our Faith Formation program have been participating in an annual coin collection called, "Money for Maestros" which helps to pay teachers' salaries at the WBC. Each year to kick off this collection, we show photos, tell stories and even host Sister Cindy to tell us more!

This summer from June 24-July 5, 13 (maybe 14 people) will be staying and volunteering at the Center - to experience what they do, help out where needed, and be open to whatever God provides for us.

Space, the final frontier...

Ok - so the person I thought was going to be able to join us on the trip is now not. So we have one space open still. Doesn't some one out there want to travel with us??? Really, I am not desperate - it is just fine if I don't fill the spot - we can cancel, but I just thought it would be nice to have an even, round number - 14 sounds so much better than 13 which sounds very unlucky. Just kidding, I am really not superstitious at all and will be happy with 13!