Sharing since Ecuador

Well, we've had several opportunities to share about the trip. Some formally, some informally.

Here's a run-down: July 17-18 was Mission Co-Op Sunday in the parish. We invited some of those who went on the trip to share their reflections with the parish, during the weekend masses. Vivian and Katy shared at the 5:00 pm Mass, Chris at 8:00 am and Victorina and Alex at the 10:30 am. All were very well received and the parishioners were definitely interested in what they had to say. After each of the Masses, we set up "La Tienda" to sell the items we brought back. Some of the proceeds we'll send to Sister Annie at Casa Damien in Guayaquil and some to Madre Miguel and Padre Juan at the WBC.
Following the 10:30 am Mass was our parish picnic. We did some informal sharing there as well!

This past weekend, I attended the YES (Youth Encountering Spirit) Conference at Mercy High School in SF. This was a two-day workshop for youth of the Archdiocese. They attended workshops and learned leadership skills. On Saturday, they had an period from 3-5 pm where they asked parishes to share through photos and display about their mission trips/service projects. One parish went to San Diego, one to New Orleans. It was cool to see what others have done.

I also shared our experiences and some photos with the St. Matthias Preschool children and staff during their "Around the World" week. For their presentation, I focused on pictures of the animals, children and classrooms.

During the week of July 19-23, St. Pius and St. Matthias collaborated and did a week long Vacation Bible Camp. The mission focus for the week was the Working Boys Center.  Maris had an ingenious idea - we paired a few photos with the theme for each day! It was a great way to share and ask the children to support, which they did by bringing in coins for the collection.

On a personal note, I have shared these photos with groups of friends, family and anyone who will listen! Our experiences were so amazing that I can't help but to "shout it from the rooftops"!