Buenos Aires 6/14

Hi from Costa Rica! It’s Elizabeth. As you may know, I’m at the Buenos Aires cite painting the fence around the church. It’s pretty tiring but it’s actually really fun. Today, we went to the Del Monte pineapple packaging cite. It is the world’s largest pineapple export. The missionaries I’m with and the Costa Rican people I’ve met are absolutely amazing. This trip is so extraordinary and I can’t wait to tell you all about it. I miss you guys! See you soon!

Hola familia! It’s Mariana. I’m having so much fun at Costa Rica. I’m staying in Buenos Aires but I travel 25 mins to get to my working cite called Volcan. At Volcán we have been painting the parish center and playing soccer with a bunch of kids around the area. One of the kids I met is named Duan and he is my best friend. I’m so happy I’m able to help everyone else in the my group communicate with the kids and it’s truly amazing seeing everyone connect with the kids. Miss you guys and I’m so excited to tell you everything in detail when I get back! Love y’all!

Hi all! I am Nikka, and I am staying at Buenos Aires. We are working with a man Arturo to paint the fence of a local church. He has extreme patience with our amateur skills and working very hard to help us. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous here along with the sunsets. We go to Mass every evening said by Fr. Augustin. I love that we join the community members to celebrate the Eucharist, and I feel extremely blessed how welcoming they are to all of us. I am having an amazing time with the other missionaries and can’t wait to tell you all about it!

Buenos Aires Work Sites

The attached pictures show the division of the work sites at Buenos Aires.

Chaperones at each site:
Volcán at St. John the Baptist Church: Maritza, Kathryn Gibbs, Diego Morillo, Daniel Bouchard

Buenos Aires at St Peter the Apostle Church (one block from our retreat center home): Susan Matasa, Nick Brandt, Robert Clark, Fr. Augustine, Sylvia Garza

Patty (Nurse Barton) is back and forth but mainly at Volcán since it is further out.

San Isidro (Bambu) 6/14

Hey Blog Readers!!!

Its lexie!!!

So far the trip has been amazing! I’m honestly having such a great and genuinely fun time. Today was day three for me of working at the site and everyday it gets better and better. The past two mornings we have woken up at 6 and gone to mass at 6:30. It is so weird because when we wake up it is so sunny and we can hear birds chirping and it honestly feels a lot later in the day than it actually is, AND on top of that I usually don’t wake up that early (lol). But so far at my site, San Isidro, we have mostly been clearing dirt, scraping paint, and tying and cutting rebar and wire. Personally I think the hardest job is scraping and chipping paint because it is a REAL forearm workout. But luckily we finished that part today!! Also today I did a lot of digging and moving of dirt. It honestly all has been so fun and worth it because while we are doing the hard work we are having great and real conversations. I find it so crazy how we can go from topic to topic and just talk about the most random things! Also the past two days at the site it has rained after lunch and when it rains we can work, so of course we turn to playing our favorite game, MAFIA. This game challenges the mind and makes people question how people are acting and it is so so so fun. It honestly is probably gonna be THE game of the mission trip. Almost every time we have free time we play it and the conversations are so heated and so fun! The food has also been surprisingly good (Im not starving mom lol). And I’m starting to really like almost everything I eat. But overall we have all been having so much fun and we are all bonding so well even despite our different schools and backgrounds which I am so grateful for. I’m having so much fun and smiling even more than I usually do.

Shout out to my Bamboo site group (were the best)!!!!

PS: love and miss you mom and dad!! (and lj) and HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!

Site Lists

The attached pictures show you the site assignments for all students and chaperones. We hope this helps as you follow the blog!

Buenos Aires 6/13 #2

From Justus Bartz Cistercian:

First, I would like to tell my parents that I miss y’all dearly and can not wait to see y’all back in Dallas and I love y’all. So, the trip so far has been phenomenal. The first day, the 10th, was the travel day to Costa Rica, and, being the first flight out of Dallas, we had a 6 hour layover in Houston, waiting for the next group to arrive. I didn’t fail to entertain myself with the airport massage chairs, as well as some Panda Express. On both flights, I sat by my new friend, Louis from JPII. We talked most of both flights and had some great laughs together, making us fast friends. After a full day of traveling and waiting, the pizza we had for dinner couldn’t have been more delicious. Having a nice, final hot shower the next morning, the 11th, I was ready for the day ahead. We took a bus from San Jose to San Isidro and I napped most of the way due to the carsickness that was a result of the winding roads in the mountains. We, eventually, made it to Buenos Aires, by the end of the day. We were welcomed with a delicious dinner. However, the sleeping situation was rather unpleasant. Being in a room with no A/C nor air flow, as well as a constant noise from the road close by, I tossed and turned all night, yet felt refreshed to see the morning light at 5:00 am. The next day, the 12th, I went to work at a little village called Vulcán. My group and I were to paint the parish center. After working hard for a few hours, we were welcomed to a friendly game of fútbol with the school children. Right before we were to return to Buenos Aires, the group and I were taken to the edge of Rio Vulcán. It was clear and refreshing. Having the beautiful, cloud-covered mountains in the back, it made for a stunning spectacle. At the end of the day, I couldn’t have been happier to take an ice cold shower. Today, the 13th, it was more of the same. I felt more confident with my Spanish and was able to understand almost everything that I heard. I look forward to the rest of this trip and am so thankful I can serve those who are less fortunate than me. Finally, to my Mom: could we please start speaking Spanish at home? Learning Spanish from a book is no fun.

Buenos Aires 6/13

From Louis Urtecho from JPII:

What’s going on with my child in the country of Costa Rica? Firstly, and most importantly, the food is great. Almost as great as the people. Just kidding. There’s this man named Arturo and he totally reminds me of my dad, he taught us how to paint “correctly” and he always looks disappointed in us when he is teaching how to do so. Arturo: 10/10
Next person is Doña Carmen. She cooks all of our food, has like a million kids, and her granddaughter is awesome. Plus she jokes with me sometimes.
Doña Carmen: 11/10
There are a lot of stray dogs that I’m also thinking of adopting. It’s almost bedtime and everyone is rushing me so I’m just gonna end by saying that I was the only person from JPII in the beginning of the trip, but now I feel that I have the same types of friendships as the ones that I have developed over three years. Bye.
-Louis

San Isidro

Hello friends and family,

It has been 3 long days of hard work  (emphasis on the hard work). But actually I love being here working with others. It is exciting to be with new friends learning about each other and trusting one another. This trip is the single most humbling experience I have ever been a part of. Everyone is so kind and caring and loves one another.

For fam bam: I love and miss you and we should live here. I totally forgot what a phone was so just go ahead and destroy mine (not actually). But for real, this is such an exciting trip and I cannot thank yall enough for sending me on this trip.

On the way here, I read a book on the plane about Josh Hamilton. Right before we landed in Costa Rica, I ended a chapter and the last words were a quote that I now hold close and use as my motto for everyday. I believe God was sending a sign and I feel the need to carry on his message to others so I leave with the quote.

James 4:7

                Humble yourself before God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Stay safe, God bless, and much love.

-Larson A. Beaurline; Bishop Lynch

San Isidro - Pictures from work site Bambu

Here are some photos from work site Bambu

The students and chaperones working here are:

Allison Elliott

Liz Hernandez

Nick Fazzino

Sammy Argumaniz

Melody Ortega

Marina Barraco

Claire Doyle

Emily Arenas

Lexie Dunn

Emily Blake

Chris Ivie

Matthew Sawtelle

Samuel Hernandez

Matthew Wynne

Larson Beaurline

Jane Onuoha

6/13/2018 San Isidro

Hi! My name is Marina Barraco and I’m a rising senior from Ursuline Academy. Today 6/13/2018, we woke up at 6:00am and went to 6:30 mass in a small chapel on the San Isidro site. We then went to breakfast where we were served plantains, rice, beans, and bread. Afterwards we were asked to travel to our sites, mine being Bamboo. Once arriving at Bamboo, a small church site, we were asked to continue our previous work from the last day. I started off the workday by brushing off moss from the walls behind the church. I made sure to take water breaks every fifteen minutes because of the hot weather. Afterwards, I went and scraped plaster from a brick wall and dug trenches in the ground behind the church so bricks could be placed inside. After a while we were called to eat lunch and were served rice, beef and vegetables, plantains, and some type of pasta. After lunch I went back behind the church and made sure that the dirt was leveled. In addition, I made foundations using beams until it began to rain so I had to stop. Because of the rain we had to go back inside and started to play mafia. The ladies were nice enough to provide us with rice pudding to eat while it rained. After a long work day, we finally returned home and cleaned up to begin our evening.

To my family: I already miss you all so much but am having an amazing time here in Costa Rica! I also want to wish Dad a happy father’s day since I won’t be there to celebrate. Love you guys!

Marina Barraco

Ursuline Academy

                Hello to all of the people reading this. This is Chris Ivie, rising Senior at Bishop Dunne. It is just about 8:00 pm here and boy do I have the angriest cramps right now! Playing guitar at the masses has truly been blessing and I am so happy that I am providing all of my talents for the Costa Ricans' disposal. Costa Rica is hands down the most beautiful country ever! The amount of friends that I have made and the people that I have met has truly touched me in so many different ways. Ultimately when I came into this, I wondered what God was truly calling me to do. I understand that He chose me as we as the others to serve, all with our different purposes. It wasn’t until we all sat down and we all talked for the first time that I found what my duty is. I am to work until my hands and knees give out, serving God as much as I possibly can. It is when you are at your weakest points that you find the greatest strength. I can’t tell you how appreciative I am of everything that I have at home (especially a cold bedroom)! Today, June 13 of 2018, me and some of the other missionaries talked about how it is up to us to live up to our faith no matter what your background is. I think that it is in the midst of true simplicity that we find the beauty of everything. I know that my family is reading this chat board every day, waiting for me to write. So to my family; Caden, you are probably one of my biggest inspirations with all of your hardships and pain that you have persevered through. Theran, I know you are keeping my bed warm and waiting for me to come swimming. Mom, I want you to know that God will always put me on the right path. Dad, you need to know how grateful I am for all of the suffering that you have been through just trying to give our family the best life we can live. As a whole, I love y’all more than y’all will ever know. Thank you to those who read this completely, and my God Bless you!

Chris Ivie

Bishop Dunne Catholic School

Pictures from San Isidro - Hortensia work site

Hello! At San Isidro we are split into two work sites - Bambu and Hortensia. Here are some pictures from Hortensia. 

The students and chaperones at this site are:

Sarah Francis

Melissa Waldon

Jerry Waldon

Steve Guerrero

Christa Gorman

Sofia Marichal

Isabella Arpero

Maggie Campbell

Tom Worth

Robert Harworth

Johnny De La Cruz

Jack Corrigan

Emily Dierks

Anna Murphy

Kaci Mills

Alejandro Coto

Kayla Wilkerson

Pictures from Bambu coming soon!

Buenos Aires 6/12

Today was our second real day in Costa Rica. Yesterday we arrived at San Isidro and we were split up into two groups. One would stay in San Isidro and the other would go to Buenos Aires. We arrived to Buenos Aires later, unpacked, and ate an amazing dinner with fresh fruit for desert. Once the dishes were done and everyone had showered, we had circle time where we had icebreakers and serious reflection time. We went to bed and the rooms are very hot and humid so it took a while for us to fall asleep. Sunrise was a little after 5 AM and we all woke up very early. After another amazing meal we were separated once again into two more groups. One group went to an area called Volcán and my group went to the church nearby and painted the surrounding fence all day. My group also met the grandchildren of the kind women who has been cooking our meals. One was a 10 year old girl named Maripaz who participated in some intense games of tic-tac-toe and Uno. She also knew three English words which were “hello, I’m sorry” and “pineapple”.  We ended the day with mass and a good dinner. There is much we will all have to get used to (mostly the humidity and cold showers), but so far the trip has been the experience of a lifetime.
- Ethan C.

Hey Mom, Dad, and Mallory
It’s Garrett the first few days here have been very fun. Except for the traveling which was tiring and made me feel sick. The food has been great. We mostly eat beans,rice, and chicken. But today we got fried chicken which was amazing. I am surprised at how good the food is. At our work cite we are painting a activity center for the town of Volcán. We played lots of soccer with the kids of the town and many different games. At the end of today we went down to the river, it was nice and the water was  super clean. I can’t wait for the rest of the trip.
See ya soon!!
-Garrett

One more for this morning from San Isidro...

Hi! So far today we’ve had mass at 6:30 and we’re now eating breakfast. Yesterday we worked all day and everyone around is sore from the hard work we put in. So far we’ve dug around 8 inches of dirt out and removed debris from the backyard of a church and we’ve started to create a trench for the fence. We rotated digging and scraping paint for awhile so we wouldn’t get too tired. The people at the church brought us bananas while we were working. They also made us really nice meal for us but Melody spilled two cups and Larson had five servings of food. We were super tired by the end of the day and thankfully it started raining which felt really nice. Then after everyone got back from the sites we played a mean game of four square (and I found out I was terrible at it) overlooking the city below us. We then had dinner and then the second group of missionaries arrived and we found out that all the girls had to sleep in one room. After we had dinner we played mafia (as always) and then had circle time and we called it a day.

To my parents: thank you so much for giving me this amazing opportunity to come on this mission trip. I love y’all so much and I’ll see you guys soon. Also, happy early fathers day dad!

Emily Arenas

John Paul II

Hello from San Isidro!

Hello friends and family -

My name is Sarah Francis and I am the site lead over here in San Isidro! I am a teacher at Ursuline and a frequent traveler on these mission trips. Your kids are all doing so well and we were excited to welcome everyone who came in on the flight yesterday 6/12/18.

I think the Buenos Aires site is having connectivity problems but no news is good news, right? We will make sure you hear from your kids over there soon.

So - enough from me, you want to hear from the kids!

Sincerely,
Sarah Francis
Ursuline Academy

Hello. We just finished our first day of work at San Isidro. Our group has been split up into two separate workstations: Bamboo and Hortencia. I have been given the privilege to help fix up a church at Bamboo. Today, our main focus was digging dirt to allow us to put in a fence surrounding the church. We haven’t started putting in the fence yet, but we are looking forward to it. Along with the digging, we worked on scraping off the plaster on the outer wall. It was a long, tiring process and we were very thankful for the meal that was prepared for us. They prepared beans, rice, and sausage which tasted amazing. Day 1 of work was a success and we look forward to topping it tomorrow.

                -Matthew Wynne (Cistercian)

Greetings! From San Isidro, Costa Rica. My name is Isabella A. and I am from Bishop Dunne. Although this is my third day in Costa Rica, I haven’t felt the shock of being in an entirely different country. Aside from the cold showers and the bugs, everything has seemed pretty homey. My group arrived at San Isidro yesterday evening, so after showering and crashing last night, I was excited to work this morning. I woke up before the wake-up call and was ready to get to work. I was assigned to the Hortencia site, where we prepped a small church for painting, dug on the side of the church, moved a lot of rocks, and dug some more. My favorite part of the day was interacting with the kids, who were standing and watching us waiting to be asked to help. I feel very fortunate to be at my site where I can speak with the people and children and help others communicate with them as well. Overall, the day was hard work, but it was productive and I am pleased with our work. I hope that the coming days are filled with just as much joy and interaction and I am very excited for what God has in store for us in this next week and a half. I know I will miss my family and those who I am usually around, but I have already formed good relationships with the student missionaries and some of the people from Costa Rica and I hope to keep building those friendships.

To my parents at home who are probably anxious because I cant sent my usual “arrived” and “I’m okay” texts: I’m doing well, I’m okay, and the food is great here. I love you all and I hope to see you soon.

Also, Dad, Happy Early Father’s Day. J

Isabella Arpero (Bishop Dunne)

Heading home

It's been a busy last few days with tearful goodbyes and discovering the natural beauty of the Nicaraguan landscape. At the hotel lobby at 3:45 and on our way home!

A few more pictures

pinata during retreat day 6/18

futbol at San Ignacio

San Ignacio - 6/19 (both groups)

Here is the capilla (San Ignacio) where we celebrated Mass Monday and a picture as Mass was about to begin.

Device Name: Spot Mission Dallas Latitude: 11.83352 
Longitude: -86.01495 
GPS location Date/Time: 06/19/2017 17:12:17 CDT 

Message: Youth Mission 2017 Check in OK

Click the link below to see where I am located. http://fms.ws/jrBeY/11.83352N/86.01495W

If the above link does not work, try this link: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=11.83352,-86.01495&ll=11.83352,-86.01495&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1

Diria - 6/19

Abby K. (Diria)

Hello friends and family. I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to write but I really wanted to wait until something important happened and luckily today was that day. The spirit of Nicaragua is inside me and I can only pray that it will stay with me long after I board the plane to Dallas. The people here are so wonderful. Where else but Nicaragua can you stop and say hello (or hola) to every person you see? Each day in this trip has been filled with so much happiness that I long for daylight and dread marking another day off in my journal. My brief stay here has been filled with dancing, soccer (something I’m surprisingly good at), and laughter. Today was especially memorable. This morning I was feeling really nervous because I hadn’t given away my cross yet and hadn’t even met someone that I had bonded with. Of course I met people and became friends but I wanted to have something special. I wanted to just… know. So as I boarded the bus I was especially anxious to start the day at the new work site, determined to find someone I could connect with. Then our head chaperone announces that we will be stopping at a school for 15 minutes or so before heading to the new community. When we got there, I wandered through classrooms and finally made my way to one of the last ones, where a couple of others had stopped to go inside. My eyes immediately gravitated towards a boy by the windows of the school. I went over to him, said hello and asked him for his name and his age. He said that he was nine years old and that his name was Francisco. I replied by saying that I was 17 and that my name was Abby. He smiled and said “Hola Abby” and I swear in that moment I had found the person that I was going to give my cross to. He was the first person here to ever directly call me by my name as weird as that sounds.  I felt at peace and 100% confident in my decision for the first time since I arrived here in this amazing country. After talking to him a little bit more (mostly through a translator), I wrote my name on the cross and gave it to him. I never really believed in having a call to God or receiving a vocation but today I completely felt the pull of faith, something that I had never truly experienced before. I know now that God is within the people of Nicaragua, and their spirit is alive within in me.

Along with sharing this story I would really like to thank my family for sending me their kind words in letters. I burst into tears at the sight of your words and they have truly pushed me to continue in my mission of faith. Dad, I loved your letter so much that I kept it over my heart when I went to bed last night (also Happy Belated Father’s Day you ninja dad). Sarah, I seriously miss you so much and I can almost hear your laughter every time I have tripped while walking on the slippery Nicaraguan roads (which has been about 10 times now).  Mom, I miss telling you about my day and am looking forward to when I can tell you all of my stories from my time here. Coop, every time I see a dog here I wish I was at home with you. Thank you all so much for supporting me and loving me. I am so excited to see you back in Dallas.

P.S. Mom, I am taking my malaria medication and probiotics. You can stop worrying now.

Carter P. (Diria)

Hola, Como Estas. I miss y’all a lot and am so thankful for all of the letters. One thing that really stuck out in the letters is what Papa said. He said that whenever he visits out of country it seems like the people with the least seem to have the most joy. That has been so true throughout this trip and every single person I am meeting has been making an impact on my life. It has been so amazing in Nicaragua. I have made so many life-changing relationships and I have given my cross away. I met a little boy named Miguelito and he had such an impact on me. I got to play with him, his brother Andreas and their cousin Anayensi for two straight days at Granadilla. He always had such a smile on his face and just seeing him made me so happy. I already miss him and it has only been two days since I last saw him. Our living conditions and food are amazing but recently the entire city of Diria has been celebrating their feast day for the past two days and it has been a pain. They party all night and all day and with all the fireworks it has been crazy. Also it took until today for my dumb self to realize that we packed earplugs so hopefully tonight I get some more sleep. I love and miss everyone back home<3. Can’t wait to see all of y’all again. I have been having such a great time here and yesterday Morillo taught me how to salsa. We are going to be performing tomorrow for the Nicaraguan people and I am so excited!!! Adios from Nicaragua

Colten P. (Diria)

Hey everyone, Happy Late Father’s Day Dad. Hope y’all had a good time at the hotel thing and I hope all y’all are healthy. Things have been going good here, the people are really nice and they are all very strong in their faith and it is just really awesome to see that. We haven’t done like any manual labor but I know our main goal was to build up the communities in this diocese and I think we have done that. I gave away my cross to a little boy I met named Andreas from Granadilla, he was really funny for like two days straight all he did was play and he was just so full of energy, it was just awesome. In Diria their Patron Saints are Saint Peter and Saint Paul and they celebrate hard core on their feast day  (June 29^th) but… they start celebrating like a week in advance so for the last like 3 nights they shoot fireworks all night long and there are bands that walk the streets playing music at all hours of the night. It is so annoying, but now while I’m typing it is raining so they can’t shoot them off right now… Thank God.

But yeah that’s about all I got so I guess I’ll end it here. I love all of y’all and I’ll see y’all soon.

Roland L. (Diria)

Hey everybody…Happy Father’s Day Dads love both of y’all and I hope y’all had the best father’s day! Sorry it has taken me so long to write a second blog post…it took forever to find any wifi connection and everybody else was always on. But the past couple of days have been great. We have visited 3 church communities so far on our trip. I will tell you all about them when I get back because I am way too lazy to type up everything that has happened so far. It’s pretty lit over here … the Nicaragua people literally party every single night. They are life goals, yet the constant explosions due to the fireworks can get a bit annoying. The towns people do this because it is the feast of Saint Peter and this has been going on for the whole month. I have made a lot of new friends and I’m fairly sure we got the coolest chaperones by far. Lastly, before I get back to breakfast I wanted to thank everybody for their letters. I read them last night and it meant a lot and it will definitely affect the way I approach the last bit of this journey. Btw Jason liked his Jake. Much love and many prayers from Nicaragua!

Clare N. (Diria)

Okay, I’m back. Fireworks have been going off for a few days now. The place we are staying at is nice. I met this one girl, Hillary. She is 12 years old. She touched my heart. I feel in love with her over two days at one of our worksites. The people here are really nice. I love the architecture. Beautiful vegetation everywhere. AHHHHHH SOS!!!!!!!!! I AM RUNNING OUT OF MALARIA MEDICATION SO IF ONE OF MI FAMILIA READS THIS PLEASE GET MORE GRACIAS!!!!!! The mangos fall straight from the tree and we wash, peel, and eat them. Mr. Brant wakes us up by singing every morning. That’s pretty lit. Okay ladies, byeeeee

Pictures from Diria

Setting up for the farewell Mass at Granadilla

Saying goodbye in Granadilla

Diria - 6/18 evening

Caroline M. (Diria)

Today was my 16^th birthday and it was so great; this morning everyone sang ‘Sweet Caroline’ to me and it was both awkward and fun. I found out yesterday that my brother Chris got drafted with the Rays, so congratulations Christopher you deserve it – miss you queen. Can’t wait to see y’all!!!!!

Clare N. (Diria)

Sorry I have not written this whole trip. Yikes? Happy Fathers Day dad. I would say I miss you guys but I am really liking it here. I wonder if Evan has gotten out of his room yet. How many podcasts Hannah has listened to? I cant imagine how many coffee/wine glasses mom has had to have to deal with my absence. Molly- praying for ya girly. Missy- stop barking. DAD I LOVE YOU! Okay you crazy kids, be careful. Don’t do anything I wouldn’t :)Hugs to all. …………………..CRETE

Luke B. (Diria)

Hey everyone back at home, sorry I haven’t written until now! Dad, I’m sorry I’m missing your day and I love you very much and can’t wait to celebrate when I get home! I’m loving my time here especially the food! Erin, I can’t wait to go to Bubba’s and watch the Bachelorette with you when I get home, and Mom I’m super excited to go to Northpark! I miss y’all very much and have thought about you guys every day! Love y’all and can’t wait to see everyone!!

Morgan A. (Diria)

Hey everyone! Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I hope that you had a great day and that Heather or Mom made you a great dinner!! I miss everyone so much! (Please tell Kelly that I miss her too) So much has happened during this trip from meeting so many new people to being woken up non-stop by constant fireworks. (The Nicaraguans literally fire off fireworks in the middle of the night and during the day.) Yesterday, I gave away my cross necklace that we were to give to a person whom we connected with most. I gave my cross to a little girl named Noelia. I played with her and her friends for hours, playing tag, soccer, and Frisbee. One day, I even ran for nearly two hours straight, so make sure to tell Heather that I’m ready for that running plan when I get back. Also, tell Heather that I can now relate to her stories about eating white rice non-stop. I can’t wait to see you all again and to tell you about everything in more detail. Love you guys!!!

UPDATE! Tepeyac 6/18/2017 - Happy Father's Day!

Sitting on the porch at Tepeyac wondering what to blog about, I looked out at the landscape and the flora surrounding our retreat center and was reminded of the stark contrast between the concrete jungle of Dallas and the jungles of Nicaragua. Everything here in Tepeyac and the surrounding rural communities seems to be formed by the natural environment. The people live off of the land. If someone wants a snack, they pick a mango or avocado from a nearby tree. Nature is not just a source of beauty for the locals; rather, it is a critical part of their survival. This reliance on and connection with nature reflects the pure and devout faith of the people. On the first day of our mission work, my group visited the home of a ninety-year-old lady. Fr. Ambrose asked her how many people lived in her home and her response was that she was “alone with God.” Back home in Dallas, it is easy to forget the importance of faith in everyday life since most of us never want for food, water, shelter, air-conditioning, stable infrastructure, safety, electricity, or whatever luxury that we often take for granted. For many people here, faith is a necessity. Along with the faith and nature of Nicaragua, I love the peaceful slow lifestyle and the joy of the people. Today we played a huge game of soccer with both camps of missionaries and a large number of Nicaraguans. Regardless of victory or defeat, the locals and the missionaries were united in the joy of sport. Nicaragua is a beautiful place with beautiful people. Happy Father’s day to all the fathers of the missionaries. All of us wish we could be there for Father’s day.                                                                                                             

Love you Mom and Dad.
Matthew Sawtelle, Cistercian class of 2019

To my Dad, who I miss very much here at Tepeyac, Happy Father’s Day! Even though I’m currently (very) far away, know I’m thinking about you! I wanted to blog mainly to tell my loved ones that I’m thinking of them and I miss them all, but I also wanted to share my experience thus far. I’ve had the most amazing and beautiful time, and I’m so grateful for my family and Bishop Burns for the opportunity to meet and know the people and culture of Nicaragua.

It’s impossible to not fall in love with the community here and to truly see the presence of God in them. The children are the most genuine and purest people I’ve ever been blessed to meet. I was able to create a very special relationship with a young girl named Esther. She immediately touched my heart and I fell in love with her, even with the language barrier. I gave her my cross today (and cried while doing so) because she asked for it as something to remember me by. We danced and laughed and sang together and with her family. Not only have I made special connections with the native Nicaraguans but also the missionaries in my camp. My roommate, Natalie, is wonderful and kind, and I could go on and on about the other missionaries here as well. I’ve made many special relationships here that I know will last a lifetime.

To my friends and family: Mom and Dad I love and miss you so much. I found the pictures you hid in my backpack and I teared up. They’re all hanging above my bed. Michael, I miss you the most. Please know I’m thinking of y’all constantly! (But still having so much fun!) I can’t wait to see everyone again and share my experience with you! I’ve had the time of my life and I love you all! Please keep me and the community of Nicaragua in your prayers.

God Bless,

Claire Shelton

Lorraine King: Tepeyac

First of all – Happy Father’s Day, Daddy! I love you! I wish I could celebrate with you, but if it’s any consolation, I’m out of the continent and I’m still thinking about you.

Hey Mom – the notes you left in my bag have been entertaining to find; don’t worry, I heeded your warnings and have yet to drink any tap water (*knocks on wood*). ;) Dear Livie, girl you can’t imagine how many times I wish I had my phone to show someone a picture or a meme or a funny video. Don’t take it for granted.

Y’all, I know we complain about Texas heat but like, at least we ain’t drippin’ sweat most of the time! (Or at least most of us aren’t haha.) I know sometimes I can be a pain around the house while practicing my Spanish, but believe me, it’s definitely paid off. I made a friend on Wednesday with Father Ambrose when a guy named Pedro invited us to his house to see their fields and meet his family! Y’all…they gave us MANGOS as gifts when we told them we had to get back to the church. Everyone here is unbelievably nice. You know how people honk to get you out of the way in Texas? Here, people honk to say hi! Haha it’s great. You feel like everyone is your friend. Even though you can’t flush toilet paper because you know…plumbing, I feel like I could live here happily.

It’s phenomenal down here, y’all, I wish you could see it and experience it with me. Today, we get to see the people from Diria because we split up from them on the first day. I really miss a few of them... ;) and can’t wait to exchange stories.

Anyways, I can’t wait to see y’all again. I also can’t wait to eat a burger and fries and take a hot shower again! I love y’all and miss y’all. Hasta la vista.

Katie Picha

Bishop Dunne 2018

                Happy Father’s Day Dad J And, to family and friends back home, I miss you and am thinking about you and praying for you. Today I realized how much I really do miss home. It’s been easy so far to focus on what’s happening here and now, but that quickly changes when we are given time to reflect on who and what we left behind. So far, one of the main things I have learned is that as soon as we drop our selfish desires, we are able to love others fully and enjoy moments in utter happiness and joy. This week has been full of new encounters, whether that be with people or nature.

                To say that Nicaragua is beautiful would be quite an understatement. Each day, we have been able to walk (a lot) and I constantly find myself tripping over my feet because I am looking up at the landscape rather than where I’m walking. I can’t help but stare everywhere we go because of the sheer magnificence of the nature. I have never seen a place so green (and wet might I add). Pictures never quite do justice to beauty like this.

                Aside from the nature, it has been the beauty of the culture and the people that has left me truly speechless. Each day we are invited into the homes of Nicaraguans and are blessed to be able to hear their stories and share the love of God with each one. I have never met so many people with such strong faith. Right now, my heart is overwhelmed with a new feeling of love; one that is built and strengthened through vulnerability, faith, and pure joy. This love is so incredibly strong, and I can confidently say that I am full of happiness every second of this trip. The students I am with, next to the Nicaraguans, are some of the best people I have ever met and I wouldn’t trade the friendships from Tepeyac and memories for anything in the world. Keep us in your prayers as we continue on our journey and are filled more with grace and love.

Katie Picha

Bishop Dunne 2018