Week 7: St. Theresa & St. Joseph- Wednesday

Today the Agape group held a food bank. Some groups stayed and some went to get supplies like baby diapers, wipes, and more items for the food bank. The rest the groups helped set up for the food bank. We all felt amazing after we were finished. Even though no one spoke English we still managed to make people happy. We saw Jesus in a very cute baby.

Written by John and Elise.

Food Bank Update!

I want to thank all of you who contributed to the food bank in your actions and prayers this week and for making it possible to serve the migrant community again! We served 112 families! God Bless and keep up the good work. 

Week 7: St. Theresa & St. Joseph- Tuesday

St. Joseph, Day 3, Tuesday, August 4th
Today, the St. Joe's Agape group split into two groups to conquer two different farms. One, the Breckenridge Blueberry Farm, where the group helped weeding and washing delivery trays. On the other farm, Bellingham Country Gardens, the group harvested roughly 60 potatoes as well as many other tasks such as pulling weeds and harvesting carrots and strawberries. Both groups had a pleasant time at both farms, talking and engaging in various shenanigans. (Including the massive blueberry throwing contest from crops that fell on the ground.)  While my friends are leaning on me and commenting on my satisfactory typing ability, I am getting quite irritated by my fellow campers, who are "helping" me write this blog. Indeed, while five hours were spent on the farms, we spent the rest of the day playing with the children at Sunrise Migrant Camp, taking a shower at the local YMCA, and learning how to budget money at a "Grocery Outlet: Bargain Market." Together, with out assigned families, we cooked our meals, however nasty they were, and partook in the evening activities, which included journaling, and playing Telephone: a game that that took a humorous turn every time we played. To end the day, we will have some free time to hang around, play games, socialize, and finish our leftovers from our homemade dinners.
Live long and prosper,
Gracie

Week 7: St. Theresa & St. Joseph- Monday

August 3rd, 2015

Today we had to work as a family to pick all of our harvest on our land and pay our loans. We had to get to the borderline of Mexico and the U.S. just to be able to get a better job. It showed us the of life as a migrant worker. It would take them months to cross the border into the U.S. while it just took us 200 pesos and ninja skills. After lunch we visited Sunrise Farms and played with the migrant children. We hardships played scatter ball with them and did arts and crafts. When we came back, we had a light snack of chips and salsa. We then split up into groups and went out to the local grocery stores. We asked people for food for the food drive. We carried all of the generous donations to the  basement of the church. Then we had a reflection of the day. After that we ate dinner with solidarity soup. Then we had a big group discussion about the day and we had our free time.

Week 7: St. Theresa & St. Joseph- Sunday

Today was the first day of our Agape mission trip. It hasn't really changed one bit since the last time I went which was 4 years ago. I'm really excited for this week, to serve so many people, to make new friends, and to grow in my faith and closer to God, to be in solidarity with all the migrant workers. I love using the Beatitudes as our theme, it is one of those things we're living by, it makes your life so much better and so much more full. This week will definitely give me the chance to share my gifts and talents and use them to make other's lives better, to serve the Jesus in all of the people I will encounter. Can't wait to come back and share with all of you my experience this week. :D

Today was a pretty good first day for me. This is my second year in a row going to Agape, and I'm feeling pretty excited and prepared, knowing what to expect. Today we started with fun icebreaker activities, just like last year. I think I will have a better attitude and be more willing to grow closer to God after having done Agape before. I am very excited to do all the fun activities that I did last year again. This week I hope to achieve an even greater understanding of the hardships migrant workers face. I hope to get to know everyone, and not be afraid to go out of my comfort zone. I am confident that this week will be very fun, impactful, and enlightening.

Week 6: St. Louise & Mary Queen of Peace- Thursday

 Today, after we woke up, we got to watch a video called La Cosecha (the harvest). Which was a documentary about migrant kids, how they had to help support their families. They talked about, how they wanted to graduate, go to college and get a better job, but because they moved so often, they often dropped out/gave up. Then we prayed the rosary and got ready for Mass. I think that most people enjoy getting the experience to go to another Mass and listen to other priest's homilies. After that we went swimming and had an amazing time, and got to do things with our friends.         After that we showered quickly, and then rushed to Sunrise, where we had a wonderful afternoon/evening with the kids, and very good BBQ. We had a fun time this week, thank you parents and AGAPE staff. Have a nice day :)

  

 

Week 6: Mary Queen of Peace & St. Louise- Wednesday

July 29, 2015
              This morning everyone here at AGAPE woke up at 7:15 for a tasty breakfast meal of cold cereal!  (Like every day before too!).  Today was food bank day, so everybody was prepared to serve migrant workers food and supply donations that we had collected.  At 8:30 we walked across the street to the Sacred Heart church to go to mass.  The mass was really similar to the mass that we have at MQP, only a bit shorter.  The priest was 97 years old, and had been a priest for 72 years!  He explained to us what each part of mass was like, the Eucharist, first reading, etc.  It was pretty neat to learn about all the different parts of mass.

             After mass we had a bit of free time, then started loading our rental truck for the food bank.  The hardest part about the food bank was unloading the truck in the hot sun.  It was at least 85 degrees Fahrenheit and the packages, boxes, and bags were HEAVY.  After that we had to fill bags of sugar, flour, rice and beans, so the migrants could have reasonable portions of the respective ingredients.  When we were done with packaging the raw goods, we dolled out all the supplies onto tables and started serving migrants.  I managed the canned beans section of the food bank, which was good because it was one of the sections that was in the shade.  Most of the migrants liked the refried beans.  We had to learn a phrase of Spanish too, so the migrants knew how many of each item to take.  My phrase was, "Frijoles, Dos"  Which means, "You may take two beans."

             Cleanup was not as hard, but it felt hard because we were all tired out from serving the migrants.  Some migrants came at the end when we were in the middle of putting things away, so we had to get those items back out so we could give them away.

I'm looking forward to coming home to Sammamish, and taking an hour long hot shower.

See you all soon!

--Harrison K. MQP Parish


     The day was a success in my mind. We went to church, helped out families, and made new friends. The highlight of the day was the food bank.  I met so many wonderful people and attempted to talk to them with my limited Spanish. A band of brothers about three or four years old were looking through the toys. We told them where the soccer balls were and believe me, their eyes would've lit up the night sky. They joyously screamed, "Oooooh PELOTAS!" It made my day. Overall, the food bank made me realize the little things in life that I should appreciate. I will now think of those boys whenever I am down and in need of a little happiness.

Harrison O. STL Parish

Overall, our food bank today was a success! We were able to serve 91 families!

 

Week 6: Mary Queen of Peace & St. Louise- Tuesday

July 28, 2015

          Today was Migrant Immersion Day. Which basically means we had a short glimpse on what a migrant's everyday life would be like. We started the day by waking up at 5:15 in the morning. After that we went to work at the fields to see what sorts of work the migrants did. Half of us went to pick blueberries and the other half had to harvest garlic. With garlic it took nimble fingers to peel the outer skin to make the garlic look white, fresh, and delicious just like you see in the market. Then for the half that had to pick blueberries we had to personally look through each batch to check that there were no bad berries. Then we had to put them into small boxes like the ones you see in stores. And then they were ready to go. All the produce we collected gave us money for the food that we were going to have for dinner. Most of the groups had about 3-7 dollars. It might not seem that little, but we were barely able to afford enough food to feed each of our families. Next time you see all the food in the grocery store, try thinking about how much effort and how many people it took to get that food there.

Week 6: Mary Queen of Peace & St. Louise- Monday

MQP - Today we participated in a immigration simulation in the morning, a little while after we got up. It was really fun, but we also learned a lot about immigrants and all the trouble they have to go through in order to get enough money for their family and maintain a decent lifestyle. After that, we went to an immigration housing development, next to a crop field and in a sort of rural area. We played with the little kids and helped them with arts and crafts,, including dodgeball and making friendship bracelets. It was a lot of fun getting to know the kids and playing with them. Then, we had lunch and went to a bunch of different grocery stores to raise money and get donations for the Agape food bank, and then came back for reflection. Lastly, we had dinner (soup and bread and cheese sticks). It was really interesting and fun. 

STL - on sunday we played a really fun name game. today i had a lot of playing with the kids.

FOOD BANK update:

Today, through the generous donations of God's good people, we received $359.93!! Thank you for your support in prayer, food, clothing and money! God Bless!

Week 6: Mary Queen of Peace & St. Louise- Sunday

Both St. Louise and Mary Queen of Peace both left their parishes to go to the Park and Ride to meet up with each other. After checking that everyone was on the same page, they both left on their way to Bellingham. They stopped for a stretch at Multnomah Falls Park where they ate lunch and explored the waterfall, Afterwards, they drove to Boomer's Burgers to grab their dinner. They drove to the Sacred Heart church where everyone ate dinner. Once they we're all finished eating, they all helped to unload the donations into the Sacred Heart church. Soon after, both parishes came inside where they played icebreakers and discussed the plan for the week. Everyone is looking forward to this brand new experience! :)

~TK and Matteo

Week 5: Holy Redeemer- Thursday

HAPPY LAST FULL DAY AND THURSDAY!! After waking up and doing morning chores, we sat in group circle and watched a film on Migrant's and what a typical day looks like for a working kid. It was very eye opening to see what kids 16 and under go through to provide for themselves and their family. The kids handle this situation in a very mature way, sacrificing many things for themselves to help their family out. After the film as a small group we prayed the Diversity Rosary. It was peaceful and something I never usually do so it was amazing praying for those in need. Then we went to daily mass at a beautiful church. It was very fast but so great to be there with God and be in peace. Another shower! YAY! After mass we went to a swimming center and got to swim and shower for 2 hours. It was fun to be able to relax and be with everyone. The best part of the day was after the showers... going to Sunrise to be with the kids. Every time I am with them it is beautiful. They are all such amazing people. They have the biggest hearts and can brighten the mood of anyone there. Being with them for multiple days you can see Christ through them and how amazing life is for them even if it is a daily struggle. This brought to mind how thankful I am for the life I have and to count your blessings everyday. We take life and the things we have in it for granted everyday without even recognizing it. It was such a blessing to suffer this week to understand the struggles many people around the world go through. Those kids will forever hold a special place in my heart and I will never forget the mark they left on me.
"If you judge people you have no time to love them" -Mother Teresa
God Bless,
Love Jessica

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Wednesday

Hola everyone,

we started out today with mass, which is a good way to start your day. After that some of us loaded up the cars with all the food we collected the previous day tabling and the other small group, witch I was in, went to Cash and Carry to collect all the other needed items that weren't donated mainly consisting of 50 lb. bags of beans, rice, flour, and sugar. then we went straight to the food bank. my car arrived there more then three hours early and their were already people waiting for us! it took us the full three hours to get set up because we had to portion all the bulk 50 lb bags and organize all the food. Right off the bat we were busy as we all manned our stations, letting people know how much of each food they could take. We all attempted to speak Spanish, but some people, mainly me, struggled with it. We all kept a smile on our faces, and everyone was really nice. There was this one woman who had a crying child, and I felt really bad for the child. The mom had to give up two power bars for fruit snacks to cheer her kid up. All and all, it was an amazing day and we served tons of people. At one point Rays watch ran out of bags. Remember get hyped for the Lord!
Anthony and Peter

Today at the food bank we served 117 families! Yay! We ran out of food because there were so many families!... More food to come next week as we pray God will provide!

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Tuesday

Today we worked in the farms as migrant workers. Woke up at 5:15 and arrived at the farms around 7 and worked till 10:45. My group was at the blueberries and it was such an awesome time. Seeing what the workers do and how hard the job is, plus waking up early, not having a lot of food gave me so much respect for all the hard work they do. We had to go to the grocery store with our family and we got a scenario  and only got a certain amount of money. My family, a family of 4 got $5.25 to buy dinner for all of us. It was very difficult trying to buy cheap food that would make us full, yet that were somewhat healthy for us. It gave me such a different outlook on life and how hard they work and yet they can't buy dinner for their family. It really made me realize how blessed I am for the life I have, but even for the small things, such as a shower, food, clean clothes and especially for my two hardworking parents that I have.
-Madison

Today we at VBS for the kids at the migrant camp. We woke up at 5:15 to be in solidarity with the people who went to work in the farms. When we got to the migrant camp some of the kids came out when they saw us drive up and it was just the most amazing thing to see them so excited to see us. We did some games and crafts and the kids really enjoyed that. One of the crafts was decorating frames and crosses with paint and sparkles. One of the kids loved this so much that he painted rocks and gave one to almost every person there, he ended up giving me three and it was just the sweetest thing. Some of the girls decided they wanted to decorate the holy redeemer boys' hands and they covered them in glue and sequins. And they gave them tattoos on their arms in crayola markers.
The thing that really struck me the most today though was a little girl 5 years old at most said that the only food she had had the last two days was the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches we were giving them for lunch. She said that her parents were gone so much that she hardly ever saw her parents over the summer and being as young as she was she didn't know how to make food for herself. This just made my heart break not only for the children but for their parents as well. I can't even imagine having the strength to work in the fields day after day let alone being able to leave their children to fend for themselves. Today really made me become aware of how much I take for granted and how truly blessed I am.
~Madelyne

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Monday

Monday (Day 2): We started off our day by eating breakfast and having a simulation of the process to get into the USA, as well as an example of what the wages are like in Mexico. 

At this time, the VBS kids were getting ready for the day by preparing lunch. They left at 10:00am for Sunrise Camp, where the migrant kids awaited their arrival. 

While this was going on, the Agape Track 1 kids were watching a section of a video about migrants and immigration. After the section was over, they talked about the process of getting to the USA and how hard it was to do it successfully. 

After this, the Track 1 kids traveled to Sunrise Camp, where they rendezvoused with the VBS kids. They went on to play games and do a craft with the children at Sunrise. 

This ended at 3:00 PM when we cleaned up and left Sunrise to go Tabling.We got into groups and all headed to different local grocery stores. Tabling was very successful, and we came, unloaded and then had dinner.

After dinner we had a group discussion on today's encounters. We talked about what was impactful, and what was challenging. We also discussed loving people at all times.We wrapped up the day with a prayer led by one of the Agape Track 1 kids. 

 

At Vacation Bible School's Week of Fun!

One "Family" at this morning's Immigration Simulation

"Tabling" outside the grocery store's today! We raised collected a good amount of food and nearly $300! Thank you so much for your donations! Check back Thursday to see how many families we will have served!

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Sunday

Hey Everyone,

Today was our first day at Agape and so far its been great. We had ice breaker games and learned
about the Eight Beatitudes and went over the rules and expectations of the program. We are all very excited to be here and can't wait to enjoy what God has in plan for us tomorrow. We all believe that God called each of us to be here for a very specific reason... to serve him with unfailing love and to be with others in solitude. We can't wait to see what God has in store for us. Pray for us all.

Sincerely,

Sam & Evan

Week 4: St. John the Baptist & St. Theresa - Wednesday

 We totally "Banked" in for today! 

     Today, some of us woke up an hour earlier (ridiculous, we know) to play some extreme games of spoons, while the more exhausted  of us slept in more until 7-ish. Along with that, we ate a fantastic breakfast, per usual. Once done, we went to mass and enjoyed a nice morning mass to start our busy day off. After that, we then split up and sent two groups out to get toys for kids, a group to cash & carry for some more food, and everyone else to load the cars with our already collected items. Victoria got in the car with her group and admired the lovely scenery. Bailey's group Rocked out to both High School Musical 1 & 2 Soundtracks all the way to target to get some toys for kids. Once that was finished, we all met up at the designated "Food Bank" place. Victoria's group arrived before Bailey's and started to unload and set up. Bailey's group arrived in just enough time to unload their own toys and set up shop. Like most when busy, no one really bothered to check their watches as we were so focused and involved on getting the party started. We opened around one, since many of the migrants had to get to work at two. Many of us had next to no skills in Spanish (which can usually end in disaster) but many of the migrants still managed to give us a smile at our attempted "Hola". The most fun I (Victoria) had was seeing the families smile and some of them taking away more than just food and us laughing at one another. Experiencing this whole event has really changed my view of how our migrant brothers and sisters live and what they go through daily. And as for me, Bailey, I can't help but love the way we are all trying to make a difference in even one families life, because if we can make a difference in one person's world, who's to tell us where to stop when we won't be stopping? So we also decided to help out in the little garden/farm that was at the place we held the food bank because why not do more work when we finished what we had already planned to do?  After this occurrence, we were gifted by our splendid Agape leaders a sweet icy treat, to which we consumed after cheering for them. All in all, one of the best times of our lives helping out our fellow earthlings of the world. Bailey & Victoria Signing out <3 

Week 4: St. John the Baptist & St. Theresa - Tuesday

Today was full of nothing but rewarding experiences. From waking up early to weed a farm, to buying our own food at a grocery store, today was full of hard work and dedication. I was surprised on how much food we had gotten with only 3 dollars and 75 cents. It really gives me more appreciation of what farmers do for a living.
Luaifoa

Today we wake up early to pick barriers and clear out bushes. seeing what the migrant workers have to do on a daily basis and not earning a lot was really eye opening. we also had do buy our own dinner with only a little amount of money and having to provide for your whole family with that little bit. after all that we went to go play the the children and seeing their smiling face brought a smile to my face, but knowing that they don't do much when we are gone is sad. Overall today was a good day and being able to experience just a little of what the migrants go through is amazing.
Hannah

Week 4: St. John the Baptist & St. Theresa- Monday

Today we started off with a simulation where we put ourselves in the migrants shoes, where we went through a series of situations to learn what that migrants go through.  The first situation was we all were with our "family" harvesting beans one by one, learning the difficulties they go through just to feed their families. In this part of the simulation our goal was to hopefully pick enough beans to get to the border city where we would hopefully get a job and be able to eventually reach the United States.  After that we went to play with the migrant children where we did crafts and enjoyed playing several games including dodge ball, and afterwards, tabling at several grocery stores in hopes to receive many donations for the migrant food bank.

Overall, the experience was a great start to an epic week of service. We got a glimpse of struggle through the simulation, informing us of the lives of the people that we were gathering food for, while also having tons of fun with the children. While the simulation and the food collecting were incredibly frustrating, it was an eye open experience for most of us, and we're excited to see what's in store for us tomorrow.

Week 4: St. John the Baptist & St. Theresa- Sunday

Today was the first day of Agape and in all honestly, it was a really good experience. I met new people, played games, read for story time and did all these things to get to know myself and others. Even though it was the first day, I can feel the good vibes from all these people. This week will be a well rounded week. Well, that's all from me. GOO 'MERICAAAH!!!    -Cisco

Today was a better then I thought it would be. When we all said our goodbyes to family and set off on the drive to Agape I believed that I would have a hard time making new friends and wouldn't have anyone to talk to the first day, but when I got in the car and started talking I knew it would be a great time. When I got to the church and unpacked I saw even more unfamiliar faces before being welcomed in and immediately started playing group games, forming small groups to talk and generally getting to know each other. Overall I have high hopes for the next few days of helping in gods name. Amen. -Jacob B.

Week 3: Mary Queen of Peace and Sacred Heart Enumclaw- Wednesday

Hello Upper Eastsiders,

Today MQP and Sacred Heart had the privilege to run a food bank for the migrant farm workers. Although, this morning we were struck with devastating news that affected half our staff, but we put our best foot forward and continued our service. Throughout our service we were able to give food, clothes, toys, and other necessities to the families and brighten their day. We were able to serve over 80 families! Overall it was a very rewarding experience for us. We also had lots of fun in the process. One of our Agape leaders was able to combine the popular Cup Song from Pitch Perfect with a lot of classic Disney songs, such as "In the Jungle" and "Kiss the Girl". We also got to try a delicious traditional Mexican drink called horchata made by Manuel, a long time friend of the Agape staff. At the end of the day, we felt very accomplished and nourished by our service.

XOXO, MQPeeps

Today when we worked at the food bank there were a few individual who stuck out to us. One was a 13-14 year old girl accompanied by a 6 year old girl and a baby, we immediately assumed that they were her sisters. However after talking to her we figured out that these two girls were her daughters. This discovery took us by surprise and made us realize how difficult their life's are and how they are forced to mature at a really young age. This experience made us appreciate all the opportunities we have without having to stress about taking care of a kid.
~Nicole and Kyndra from Sacred Heart

Week 3: Mary Queen of Peace and Sacred Heart Enumclaw- Tuesday

Dear lord i know we missn shark week
But we aint missin out on being with the meek
those who will inherit the land of God
while we be pickin garlic with barney the dog
-Aidan

Today was great. From the beautiful smell of blueberries, to the hardships of saying good by to the kids. We all learned so much not just about the life of  the workers but also the way of the owners. One of the most important things that I learned today was that most of the time the workers only have about $6.50 to feed there families of 5-7, which trust me is not easy, we tried. But it was all for the good. We learned and experienced, from this we can sympathize and understand there life for the better.
-Noah

Week 3: Mary Queen of Peace & Sacred Heart Enumclaw - Monday

Today started our week of simplicity at Agape. here is a list of what we did.
1. We did a migrant simulation were we had to work and make money to get closer to the U.S. which had obstacles similar to what the Mexican immigrants have to experience.

2. We went to Sunrise Migrant camp to play with the migrant children, and listen to a story of a migrant worker named Angelica who told us about her story of immigration to the U.S. from Mexico

3. Then we went to various super markets to get food for the migrant community.


Jacob
Zack
Liam 

Week 3 Mary Queen of Peace and Sacred Heart Enumclaw- Sunday

Dear Parents,

Today was our first day in  Bellingham. After a long drive the parishes both arrived, unfortunately one of the MQP drivers had totaled their car on the way but, everyone in the accident was fine. We started out our afternoon with some "get to know you" games. We also had time to set up our sleeping quarters. We then reflected on the day and we shared our reasons for coming to Agape with the rest of the group. We then concluded our evening with prayers, chips, and salsa. We are excited to start helping out the migrant farm workers tomorrow!

Sincerely,

Katie, Luke, and Lauren

P.S- Someone just broke a glass but, like the accident, no one was hurt.

Week 2: Assumption & Sacred Heart-Thursday

Today was our final day of Agape and was a great day of celebration (Even though the beatitude of today was mourning!) We started the day with a video about migrant kids our age and their lives as migrants. We then drove to assumption and listened to a speaker and his story of his migration to America. After that we went to a short mass at Assumption. Then it was time for swimming! We went to Arne Hanna and had a blast playing "volleyball" and jumping on the diving board. We dried of and headed to Sunrise Migrant Camp for an afternoon of burgers, dodgeball and fun! I saw many smiles on the kids and I could tell they were having a blast! We headed back home and had a final reflection on the day and the week itself. We were surprised with root beer floats and we danced off all the sugar! I had lots of fun this week and I learned lots of stuff, and i'm sure everyone else did as well!

Thursdays blog written by Nolan Burghart

Week 2: Assumption and Sacred Heart - Wednesday

Today was the most coolest day of this whole week and today we set up for food bank it was nice to see the migrant kids pick a toy and leave with a smile on their face it was so cute. One kid was so nerves at the start but i stepped up and played with him and that's when I saw that he had Jesus in him he laughed and he kicked the ball back and forth with  me I loved it. Next I saw the next kid come up he was a part of the Lords plan cause our leader Doug told him that he would be a great engineer when he grows up and really got to me when I saw him do that it was the best, next we got to feed the migrant family's and we feed at lease 90-95 family's. I would really love to come back next year and experience it again.


By: Toby

Week 2: Assumption and Sacred Heart- Tuesday

Today was Migrant immersion day so, we went to Breckenridge blue berries to pick blue berries. It was hard work. We picked blueberries, picked up twigs, and packaged blueberries. At the end we pick 255 pounds of blueberries. We also learned that he smallest accident can lower the pay for a migrant. After that we went to get dinner, which we had to buy with little money. Two groups got four dollars, while another got five dollars, but at the end everyone got food. After that we went to the migrant camps to play with the kids. We had lots of fun and felt sad when we left.

Week 2: Assumption & Sacred Heart- Monday

Today, we tabled in front of grocery stores, and if you don't know tabling then lucky you cause I'm gonna tell you all about it. Tabling is where you give out Agape service project slips that listed an array of items that you, the shopper could buy and donate to our local food bank (Basically a food drive), and the items then would go to our local migrant families in our community. We had a lot of success. After returning back to Sacred Heart and discussing our experiences tabling, we headed out to the migrant camp to hang out and play with the kids. We had so much fun interacting with them and we all got involved playing games and meeting each other. We had a lot of fun playing a game of sprout ball with the kids, in which I got out many times in bitter defeat or shall I think otherwise? The kids were smiling the whole entire time throughout the game while balls were flying through the air and somehow always hitting me, mostly in the head, but it was fun anyways cause the kids were happy and we were happy, that's all that mattered. Upon returning from the camp, we were introduced to another eye opening simulation. We were divided into families and set out to work, picking up beans one by one off the floor. We were faced with financial expenses such as; paying off loans, renting tools, and traveling to new places where better paying jobs were expected. Many of us were split up from our families and faced debt for periods of time. Another struggle was trusting the word of the illegal smuggler who said he would bring us to America, but often left us stranded, with no choice but to return to the original bean-picking fields. Overall, the business in the new place broke down, exploded, gone. Leaving those who traveled with nothing, while some families who stayed in the bean picking fields *cough* Will's family*cough, cough* had money left over from working. It was a tough, not to lie, in both places, but we learned how tough the conditions and the struggles that are faced by migrant families.
                                               Well that sums up all we have to say for now, but stay tuned for there's going to be more to be said,
                                             I'm Will and I'm Dana and this has been today's blog.          

Week 2: Assumption and Sacred Heart- Sunday

First Day Of Agape: During the first day we all meet and became closer to one another. We got settled in our rooms, we prayed, played fun games. So far it looks like it is going to be a very fun and educational week.

-Coleman and Jackson

Week 1: Forest Ridge and Christ the King- Wednesday

Hello Families,

Today was a very busy day! In preparation for the Food/Clothing/Toy Drive that day, we loaded AND unloaded all of our donations in and out of a truck. Our morning started out with a big breakfast and a lot of yawns. Then to the church basement to get all of the donations. A short 30 minutes later and we had arrived at our destination, a small park to set up our mission work. After some unloading of tons, and TONS of donations in the hot weather, we finally began to organize and repackage the donations. Our once piles of boxes were slowly beginning to look like something cool! From falling into a trashcan (Fran), doing people's hair (also Fran, Lilly, Tully and Alejandra), and dropping a bucket of cans on our feet (again, Tully) you can understand why we were wiped out from all our adventures. In between serving people at the main bank, we also managed to run up and down skate ramps. Aside from all of our craziness, we were able to get some actual service in (we know, big surprise). We loved interacting with the migrant families, seeing their smiles and hearing their laughs was so rewarding! Who knew getting a simple "Gracias" would be so meaningful? 

Sincerely, 

Fabulous Fran,

Terrific Tully,

Sensational Sofia,

Ecstatic Elena,

and Interesting Isabella (Brilliant Bubba)

Week 1: Forest Ridge and Christ the King- Tuesday

Hi everyone,
Today we experienced life as a migrant worker. We got up at 5:15 am to work in the fields. Our schools were split up and went to different organic farms. We then weeded the beds, so that plants could thrive in their environment. This took 2 hours in the hot sun. The Forest Ridge School took a tour and saw the cows and calves. Then we planted the potatoes, and weeded the onion beds. Christ the King also took a tour and then we weeded broccoli. They also picked peas and 2 types of beans. Then we all received our "Pay check" which we used later on to buy our dinners. The process on making and buying our dinner was a confusing process.We all received 5 dollars to buy food for all of our "family."  Then we got on buses and went to the migrant camps. We then handed out flyers for our food bank, and got to play with the migrant workers' kids. After that we had circle time and then headed off to bed.
Clara
Zoey
Sravani

Week 1: Forest Ridge and Christ the King- Monday

Hi Families,
Today was a fun filled and amazing day! First, in the morning, we woke up and had some breakfast. Then we sat in our circle and disussed our day. Then, we split into our groups and we went to different grocery stores to collect donated food for the migrant farm workers. After two to three hours we left and came back to Sacred Heart Parish to have lunch. After lunch we went to the Sunrise Migrant Camp where we played with the kids. We couldn't believe the energy and brightness on their faces. They had such bright smiles and we were really amazed about how quickly we all became friends. These kids were very brave from hitting a head in soccer to sliding down a very scary slide! The sweet kids had such good manners and they were very respectful. We were all very sad that we had to leave, but we were very excited that we get to see them again tomorrow. Later, we came back to the Parish and we enjoyed a fun immigration stimulation. We got to learn how the immigrants came to America and we also learned how hard and frustrated it was. We all thought that it was a lot of work. But we all knew that these things all happen in real life. After the simulation we watched a video of how immigrants come to America and the dangers in the way. We are very excited for what is coming up these next 3 days.
Sincerely,
Bahar, Lucy, and Vicky

Week 1: Sunday Forest Ridge and Christ the King

Hi, it's Lily and Megan. We having been having a great time at Agape so far. Our day started with a long and anxious bus ride. We couldn't wait to to finally arrive at Bellingham, which we had been talking about for almost three months! When we got there, we dropped off our bags and met up with the other school that we were going to work with. We played some icebreakers to get to know the other girls. Our favorite game was a game where we would form groups. Then we were given body parts and the number of them. Only that number of those specific body parts could touch the ground. It was especially fun to see what other creative ways the others teams used to solve each challenge. Then we got into small groups and came up with a name and chant to represent our group. We were the crazy cupcakes. Next, we came together in prayer and learned about the Beatitudes. The one that we focused on today was "Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God." Then we each did a reflection on topics like; why we were at Agape, what we wanted to learn, what some gifts and weaknesses that we would face at Agape were, and what some things were that we had to give up while at Agape. Then we shared what we took away from the reflection with our small groups and next out loud with the entire group. We thought it was interesting that everyone in our group wanted to be open and to connect with the migrant farm workers. We closed our meeting with a prayer and talked about the expectations and rules that we need to follow at Agape. We finally got some cool t-shirts that we would wear throughout the week. Lastly, we got a snack and headed off to bed, excited and ready to take on the next day. Overall, our first day at Agape was fun and exciting, and we can't wait for the rest of the week!