St. Joseph - Day 5 (Celebration Day!)

We woke up at around eight and had the same breakfast as the rest of the week. After a yummy breakfast of the generic brand of Captain Crunch (Berry Treats) we sorted all the food left over from the food bank yesterday. Apparently, baby food lasts a while. We dropped off the food that would expire before Agape next year at Hope House, and had lunch. Friday is leftovers day, so we had tacos and sandwiches. Everyone changed and we went swimming for two hours. We had a barbecue with the migrant workers we'd seen all week, and had a great game of dodgeball. After we got back to Sacred Heart, we had ice cream and a dance party.

-Victoria

St. Joseph- Day 4

Today we ran the food bank. It was an amazing experience, seeing the childrens' smiles as they waited in line for backpacks and school supplies. It was also great to see the gratitude on the faces of the migrants coming to the food bank. As we all did  our separate jobs to make the food bank run smoothly, we all felt satisfied to be able to help all of the people feel welcome and cared for. You could tell when a person was grateful that you asked them how they were and how their day was. We are also thankful to the people that donated food, clothing, and school supplies, thank you!

Mia and Grace

St. Joseph- Day 3

Today at Agape we went blueberry picking. Then we made earnings off of what normal migrant workers would get paid. The group seemed to really understand how hard it is to earn a living for the migrant workers and their families.  After we got paid, the group was split up into groups that were called our "families". It is surprising to see what you can get for a few dollars. There were three people in my family and we had only $4.50 to spend for our dinner. Yet we got pasta, sauce, and a dink. Later, we all went to see migrant camps to play with the kids. All of the kids were so happy and joyful when we hung out with them. Even though they don't have a lot, the kids see joy in everything. I never knew what these people had to deal with until now. It is a gift for all of us to be round them and to understand, and the gift that they are to us.
- Nicole

Saint Josephs - Day 2

The day started off with a "healthy" breakfast followed by morning prayer and then we proceeded to get on the bus to drive to a residential neighborhood where we collected food from the residents to support the food bank for the migrant workers. The reactions ranged from enthusiastic to "get off my lawn!". After about an hour of collecting food we proceeded to come back and eat a nice  lunch of sandwiches. After lunch we hopped on the bus and went to the migrant camp and played with all the cute children. It was funny how much they warm up to you after a smile. After an hour of playing we sadly said goodbye to the children, and the returned. Upon returning to our lodgings, we had free time. We came up for dinner only to have us divide to groups according to random card color. Upon entering the dinning room we found out that color cards were for our seating. The options were a ragged blue tarp with rice on the floor, a decent table with a pot of soup and bread to a nice lace table cloth with fancy 3 course meal. After the Hunger Banquet, we sat in a circle and talked about dinner and what it meant in relation to the world and also about people living in lower class, middle class, and upper class environments. After that we divided into small groups and answered reflective questions about the day, and now we are are writing this blog post which you are currently reading.

Diana and Olivia

St. Joseph- Day 1

We arrived on a bus that had twelve seats with a small blue car following us, and all of the donations we had received. Driving up the hill with the Sacred Heart Parish center in our sites, the bus door opened and it was like a door way to the truth, with the light shining in and a tree creating shade. We all got to; grab our stuff, say hi to the staff, and go to our rooms. The two rooms are nice and compact with enough to room to fit twelve maybe fifteen people. With our things put away the fun began by  playing games and learning the names of all our leaders. The games ended and we were split up into small groups. After, we got to write our thoughts about the week into our small, black and white, prayer booklets. With the writings done we got together in small groups again to share and learn about each others expectations. The night still young, and the sun setting, we get our amazing orange shirts that say Agape and got to eat some snacks; carrots, apples, and chips, appease the hunger of the weary travelers who have left their homes and families to help those in need.

-Burke

Holy Redeemer - Day 5

We started our morning by going out and advertising for next week's food drive. We also prepared for the barbecue by going shopping. We got supplies for crafts for the kids and food for all! After attending mass and adoration we ate a quick lunch of leftovers and headed over to the swimming pool :) Everyone had lots of fun with the diving board and twisty slide! The fun continued as we headed over to the migrant camp for the barbecue. In order to receive dinner we had to get to know a migrant child which was very interesting because we got to learn more about their lives. The evening was filled with crafts, games, food and smiles :) To top off a fantastic day we had the JOY of eating ice cream for dessert!!!!!! :D A dance party ended our last evening of Agape! It was so awesome! We love Agape!

- Kaitlyn & Tess