4th Form Retreat Pictures!

I finally found some pictures from fourth form retreat. The student that took them said it was okay if I shared them with you.

During an ice-breaker game where we all had to "hit the deck" (fall on the ground) as fast as possible.

Dog pile!

The skit (Christ in the foreground, "Satan in the background", God's children in their struggle on the ground)

The boys playing futbol (soccer) at 5:30am!

Life Starring Me

April 12, 2011


I used to star in my own life. I was the main attraction: my phone would ring, texts coming in, facebooks to check, places to go, and a variety of outfits to choose from. Part of me knew that I would be humbled when I came to Belize but the extent of humility was unknown to me. Suddenly I’m not starring in my life anymore (I didn’t think that was possible?). I then ponder the great question: who is it that is starring in my life now? I think---it is a strange mishmash of students, the volunteers, the religious here, and God. I want my lead role back, but somehow I think God is teaching me through this. The world would tell me to grab the reigns and take it back, but Scripture says to die to self so that Christ can live in you. Is that what He is doing? Is He trying to live in me? It is much easier said than done.


I liked starring in my life. How do I learn to like this emptying? It’s hard. It’s ugly. It’s messy. I gave the Lord my friends when I left. I gave the Lord my family when I left. I gave Him my car, my clothes, my shoes, my nice legs that I didn’t realize were so nice until I got 100 Belizian bug bits on them, my soft feet, any kind of dating life, going out on a regular basis, my cell phone, internet in the house, television, the movie theater, money. I gave Him much…I know he is more present within the quiet, without the distractions, in the sacraments. The sacramental life is beautiful here. Yet, all of this purifying is painful. But I can’t forget their beautiful faces: the students. I get caught up in my own discomfort and lose the beauty in their presence. I can not forget the sweet smile from fresh-mouth, but hilarious and adorable, J when he got up and crossed over the basketball court just to say hi. I can not forget C and her “I love you’s!” or W and his “you’re my second favorite teacher, Miss!” I can not forget H (A-Rod) and his bracelet and his surprisingly goofy side (and his hilarious mumbling). I must remember the joy and laughter of the fourth formers as they dog piled us at the retreat and M doing an impression of Mr. JM (I cringed, laughed, and screamed to myself as it was occurring).


How can I forget RM and R trying to flirt with me, thinking it will help their grade or worse, just for fun? What about the weekend with JB, K, V, R, and J? It was perfect. I must daily keep in mind the cutie-first -form girls that say hello everyday or laugh at me when I scream because I saw a cockroach. I love it when the students come to talk: when D comes to my office or J sits down because she got kicked out of class yet again. I love saying hello to M every night when I pass his house or when he’s on his bike and all his tattoos are showing. I loved every second of being with those boys on the softball field: of laughing and rejoicing with them. Here, in my memory, lay the precious tears that were in some of the boys’ eyes after the teachers yelled at the first form boys or when we lost a game in the tournament. B with the catcher’s gear and D running in between the bases with his hand on his over-sized helmet during a game because he was confused. Most importantly: how can any of us forget G in his ladies basketball shorts that were so short he called them “boxers” when he went up to the plate and had on white ankle socks and black shiny shoes? Impossible. How I so easily forget to hold these things before me.


I will try and have tried to keep these lights in my heart as I finish up my last few weeks here at Mt. Carmel. It is a challenge to give up the leading role in my life but I think God is on to something here...

Holy Week

Holy Week in Benque is like nothing you could possibly imagine. I'm not even sure if I can write about it at this moment, but I would like to share some pictures from the processions and events.

Palm Sunday

S.O.L.T. candidates and volunteer teachers dressed up as disciples for the procession

Jesus riding in on a (real) donkey

Good Friday Passion Play

Another volunteer teacher and I played weeping women

A volunteer teacher played St. John and another volunteer teacher played Mary Magdalene. Jesus and Mary were played by fourth form students.

They raise Jesus up on on a wooden cross (the ropes were used to raise him)...it was incredible.

Rugs made from sawdust for Good Friday
(You will see them throughout the streets of the town. The people work on them for many hours.)

They are stunning. The rugs are kept on the street all of Good Friday and then those in the procession walk over the rugs in the evening.

Retreat Part II

Saturday

On Saturday, we woke up around 6:45am and prayed the rosary. Mind you, I woke up around 6am to the sounds of kids running around outside playing soccer and I wondered how they had the energy to get up, much less play soccer! Soon after, we had Mass and Father J gave a beautiful homily. We ate breakfast and then got into a huge circle around the room for a chance at student testimonies or witnesses (in order to share about their experience on retreat). I wasn't sure how this would go over but I really felt the need to have this even if only a couple of kids shared.

The retreats that were significant in my life almost always included a witness time at the end of the weekend where teens could go up and share about the retreat or their lives. I asked them to share their favorite part of retreat and much to my surprise, every single student except one spoke! Even the "tough guys" would share a moment or crack a joke. It was truly moving. It was awesome for me to hear as well because it shows what an opportunity a retreat is and it was a huge blessing to know that the students were able to get a lot out of it.

Finally, H came in and gave his own witness talk (his life as a kid, teenager, and his conversion). It was an amazing story and then he performed a rap that he had written and it was awesome. The kids were into it and one kid practically ran up to him after to talk to him about some of the stuff he could relate to in his testimony and song.

Praise God for a fantastic retreat!