Week 6: St. Catherine's and St. Joseph's - Monday

My day went amazing because we went to the migrant camps and went tabling at local grocery stores. Which went pretty well. Therefore nothing did not go well today at Agape. -CodyToday was really fun. We went to Sunrise Camp to play with the children there and collected food and money donations in front of a Haggen's. At the camp, my friends and I met these little girls and instantly became friends. One little girl made me three bracelets and was so kind and funny.At Haggen's there were so people who weren't interested but most people listened and brought us lots of donations. It was so cool getting to experience all these things with my friends and getting to make new ones in the process.-Tamsyn  

 Note from the Agape Staff: Thanks to the youth's hard work tabling today, we managed to collect over $210 in donations which will go towards our food bank on Wednesday! Stay tuned to find out how many families we will serve at our food bank on our Wednesday Blog Post!

Week 6: St. Catherine's and St. Joseph's - Sunday

We arrived at Agape today and met in a community circle. The instructors read us a bible passage and we were given journals. We answered questions in the journal then reflected on them in groups. We are excited for the week to come.

                                                                             

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Thursday

Greetings from Bellingham!

This week has been an amazing and eye-opening week! Today was a day of celebration and it was a fantastic way to wrap up the week. Today's Catholic Social Teaching was about the life and dignity of the human person. We opened the day with our morning prayer and then prayed the Divine Mercy Chaplet, which was beautiful and powerful. We also watched a documentary about the migrant community and the struggles they encounter on a daily basis. After some thoughtful conversations, we went to Mass at Assumption, then returned to Sacred Heart for lunch: left-overs! We then headed out to swim and shower, and afterwards, spent the rest of the day at Sunrise. The night ended at Sacred Heart with reflection, ice cream, and a dance party! Agape has been a wonderful experience and I am sad to see the week come to an end. A big thank you to the Agape staff and our adult leaders for everything they have done to make this week possible!

Blessings,

Sara L.

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Wednesday

July 26, 2017 Agape

        Today we started off with a tasty breakfast. After an energetic mass we loaded the rental delivery truck with all of our donated items. After 32 minutes of cruising down the highway in our Honda Oddessy, we came to a screeching halt at the 3rd christian reformed church in Lindon. once the other group arrived with all the produce we began preparing the setup for to food bank. After several hard working hours of setting up we were ready to start the food bank, and the long line of people were ready too! The two of us carried box's for people because they were pretty heavy. It was really cool to see the ear to ear smiles on peoples faces when we were carrying their box's to their car and they didn't have to worry about paying for any it! After we finished with the food bank we all slumped back into the parish center from the long, hard, tiring but very fun day we were met up with an amazing taco bar.

Blog made by Justin Griffin and Michael Schneider 

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Tuesday

Today was an amazing day. I feel like the VBS group had a lot of fun. All the children were so happy when we brought lunch for them they even could not finish their food and were saving it for later when we take for granted all the food we have. My group for dinner got $5.00 and we got beans, rice, and corn tortillas. It tasted amazing cuz we were starving. - Evelyn Kohler


Today was crazy in the best way possible. It was probably the most action packed 14 hour day I've had all summer. But one of the highlights I had today was at the Sunrise migrant camp. We visited this camp yesterday and met all of the children then, but today they greeted us like we were cousins they could not wait to hang out with. My "buddy" clung to me for our time at the camp. We painted each others' faces, painted nails, even got soaked with water balloons. But my favorite part was the nicknames we gave each other: Dora for her, and 'mochila' for me. I am the backpack to her Dora, and I know I'll miss her dearly when it comes time to leave, but I'll never forget her:) -Jordan Griffin

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Monday

agape

today at a agape i went to the a cool farm. were a meant a lot of new friends and we played a lot of cool games . then after that were went to a store to do a food drive which was fun and we got a lot of people to raise a lot of food.

Agape.  Sacrificial love.  Giving up what I want for the needs or wants of others.  Today, in addition to prayer, relationship-building games, and food activities we had the opportunity to play with the kids at a migrant camp.  The joy that they had combined with the love that they showed for each other and for us was inspiring.  It was important for us to be there for them, to be present in the moment to give back to them all that they were giving us.  I struggled with not being present, with wanting to do what I wanted to do.  I needed to focus on them and do what they wanted to do.  It made me feel good to serve them in this way.  To give up what I want to make them happy and for God's glory made me happy, too.  God bless you!

Week 5: Holy Redeemer - Sunday

Today when I came to Agape I saw an organization that emitted mercy and love and I thought that this will be a good week.
             -Jordan George

If we are being completely honest here, I wasn't planning on having any expectations for the week. I thought that not having any expectations was a good idea, but I now know how wrong I was. Maybe not wrong, per se, but maybe changing was my wording to what am I seeking.....and that changed my view point of EVERYTHING. So I think that maybe seeking patience, could be my "expectation" for this week........

-Kennedy Nicholson

Week 4: St. Gabriel, St. Anthony, St. Rose - Thursday

this week that we work with migrant is show how we are need rights . We helped in farms and we had to make a lot of sacrifices and I felt that this was a well put out mission trip. We ate small meals sometimes.

Belle hoskin

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"today was 'celebration' day, so we got to party. we got up and ate break fast and stuff. then we went to mass at church, because 'the mass is a celebration' ;) then we went back to sacred heart to grab our pool bags, and shower bags, and stuff bags, and stuff, and we were off to the pool. ..........the pool was closed :00000 so we decided that we'd just go to fairhaven park. and it was pretty chill because they had those cool spray grounds ,and a play set, and a swing set :))))). and we just hung around, chilled, for an hour. when we were done we went to the migrant camp for a barb-e-q with the migrant children and families. we started playing around with the children and stuff. and then when it was dinnerrrrrrr time we had burgers and hot dogs and watermelone :)then played more and stuff :))))) then it was time to go back and everyone was crying, saying good bye to their little friends :(((( and i was like 'see you next year' and she was like 'i wont behere next year' and im sad :( then we went back and discussed bout our day. and thenwe had ice cream oops :,))) then we put on music and everyone danced or somethinggggg :/ . ooh, we also had 'not agua'  and that was my day :)"

                                                                                                -jaykub rafael :)))

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JAR WARS EPISODE IV: A new Jar

      On this episode of team JAR, our heroes found themselves starting their day's adventure by waking up at the first light of dawn. After battling the demon lord in the nightmare realm, they awoke to the sound of Ryan saying: "GET UP boiiiiiissssss". Onward to breakfast.... (HP replenished)... Onward to group time (cool).... finally we reached the destination the fountain of youth(swimming pool), which was closed due to air quality. thx pollution. Fast forward x16 a;ldjadfadfadsl;kfjaweoiuh Play! Wee wreestle allergotors et de mudd peet. (Thanks billy) We had fun at the park indeed. sup mah dooodss we the bois of st. ant plyaed some fun fnu ball at dem hoops. Alright PEACE *Mic drop* 2b outt!! BUT WAIT THERES MORE!!! ARE YOU IN NEED OF EXTRA FUN FUN ?!!?!?! WELL WE KNOW THE PLACE JUST FOR YOU!!! COME ON DOWN TO AGAPE MISSION TRIP FOR SOME GOOD FUN IN THE SUN!!!! NOTHING FILLS THE SOUL LIKE FRIED RICE MADE FROM NOT ONE DOLLA, NOT TWO DOLLA, BUT EIGHTEEN DOLLA!!! FEED YOUR FAMILY OF SIXTEEN TODAY!!!! (PURCHASE INCLUDES LEFTOVERS Batteries not inlcuded TM). Now back to the real bloggers. After the park we headed over to the migrant camp to play with the kids and have a BBQ. We met some buddies, and learned about their lives. Also, we piggyback raced and played with a hammock, turned swing. Moral of the story, FUN TIMES BOIIIS also ice cream. The end. 

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 /To be continued >>>>>/
                        

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  |    | / __ \\__  \  /     \          |    |     /  /_\  \     |       _/    
  |    |\  ___/ / __ \|  Y Y  \     /\__|    |    /    |    \    |    |   \    
  |____| \___  >____  /__|_|  /     \________| /\ \____|__  / /\ |____|_  / /\ 
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Week 4: St. Gabriel, St. Anthony, St. Rose - Wednesday

Agape: Day 4

Today we started out the day with Adoration and Mass. We had the option to go to Confession, which was a way to get us prepared for the day by putting Christ in the forefront of our minds. During Mass, Fr. Francesco had a homily about how each of us had our own "burning bush" that was sent by God to call us here.
Afterward, we split up into groups to either load the truck with donations for the food bank, or to pick up more items for the food bank. We then made our way to the food bank site where we set up for the food bank. While there, we served 86 families. Throughout the day, we each had our encounters with Christ, both among the migrant families and among each other. As a result, we were able to bond more as a team and as friends.
We had delicious tacos for dinner, which were eaten in good company ending our day on an even higher note!

-Bianca S., Kaitlyn W., Jessa D. :)

Week 4: St. Gabriel, St. Anthony, St. Rose - Tuesday

      Today we were in solidarity with the migrant workers. They let us sleep in till 5:00 AM!!! We then proceeded to go work on the farms. We worked on farms and weeded, picked fruit, and assisted the farmers for about 3-4 hours. We left the farm and took a nice 10 minute shower. For our dinners we were separated into families and received money for our work in the fields, each person made a whole $1.25 to support dinner.  Afterwords we left to the migrant camps and spent time with the children. The end.

Week 4: St. Gabriel, St. Anthony, St. Rose - Monday

We started off the day, by playing a couple of name games, as well as some leadership activities. Then for lunch, we were divided into three different groups. Each group represented a different social class: migrant workers, middle class, and the upper class. Each group had a different meal, from beans and rice, to sandwiches, and lastly a three course meal! This activity was a representation of the two social justice teachings we focused on today, which were options for the poor and vulnerable, and solidarity with the poor. After lunch we went down to the Sunrise camp, and played with the migrant worker's kids. Then we went tabling at multiple stores to collect donations for the food bank we are going to be hosting on Wednesday. To end the day, we ate solidarity soup and had quiet reflection. :)

PS: Thank you for all those who donated at grocery stores today. Check back on Wednesday to see how many families we served at our food bank!  

Week 4: St. Gabriel, St. Anthony, St. Rose - Sunday

Today at Agape we got to know each other, discussed the meaning of love or "Agape", and had a powerful prayer experience. We reflected over my favorite bible passage in which Jesus calms the storm. -Josie (St. Mary's Church)
Agape is a place with NO PEER PRESSURE, so I chose to write on my own free will. For those who have been to Agape before, today was filled with laughs and excitement as people recalled jokes and experiences from the past. And for those who have not been to Agape, hopefully they feel the hype and excitement for the days to come during this next week. Okay, peace out. -Josh (St. Anthony)
I came here today and it was the perfect intro to a week of service. We met with friends and made jokes, but we also had conversations about the meaning talking about how we take every action with love in mind. Today was the "Play ball" to a great game. -Michael St. Gabriel.

Week 3:Sacred Heart Bellingham - Thursday

Adria: All though I could only attend three days of agape I enjoyed the experience very much. The children and teens at Sun Rise even though they had hardly any materialistic things to claim they were so welcoming to me today since it was my first day meeting them. It was sad having to say goodbye to the children after playing dodge ball with them and pushing them on the swings but the sadness started to fade away slowly as we had a giant ice cream/dance party.

Manny: I had a great time at camp today.I have learned to appreciate the migrant families and kid of our community a lot more an all the work they do in agriculture that provides fresh produce for our families.

Nathan: i had a great day  today and enjoyed all of it. i had an espescially great time playing with a boy i met and i was very sad because when i told him that i had to go he cried. i also learned how hard it is for migrants.

Makena:     Today was very impactful for me at the migrant camp. I will never forget the experience i had playing with the kids. The two little girls i played with were sisters and they showed me through their actions that you dont need anything to be happy. they had so little materialistically but they were happy no matter what. You dont need nice clothes or the latest game to be happy, its all about your attitude. I am so thankful for those girls.

Abby: today we went swimming and went to church


Marie: I will never forget the friends I made at the migrant camp.  It was fun to give them piggy back rides and most of all I'm glad they got to be kids again for that short amount of time.  It was an experience that I will always carry with me for the rest of my life.

Alec: Today we celebrated for the service we did and had a chance to connect with the migrant children. Agape was an amazing, insightful experience that I will always hold dear to my heart.

Emeleah: Today was the best we went to the pool and had a great splash and we went to sunrise camp which was the best part I made things for two kids and gave one of them piggy back rides and we ate food together and she made me things to. I believe this was my favorite thing in the whole week and I will remember this forever.

Week 3: Sacred Heart Bellingham - Wednesday

Today we woke  up at 7:15 to go and eat breakfast that the boys prepared. After breakfast we sat at the big group to plan our day and pray. At 8:30 a.m. we went to adoration for twenty minutes calming down and preparing for the day in the presence of the lord. We loaded the donations into the packing truck while another group got more food at Cash And Carry grocery store. We got into our separate car groups and then headed out. We arrived at the Third Christian Reform church and saw the vacant field behind the church we were going to host our food bank in. What was an empty field transformed into a very welcoming food bank with sorted food on tables, Agape servings, and even pieces of masking tape that told the Agape staff and children how to say each food and the correct portion in Spanish. Next, once every person finished adding their piece of the puzzle to make the food bank functioning we ate lunch and enjoyed it very much while we played a few games. At around 2:00 p.m. right when we finished lunch people started coming and we started helping them get the food their family needed. We continued on with that system with on and off trickles of people until 5:30. We cleaned up the field and said goodbye to the food bank for this week so we could go back to sacred heart to eat delicious tacos. After dinner we all did the usual chores that alternated from boys to girls doing each of the different chores. Finally we circled up into the big group to discuss the highlights of our productive day and learned what are questions were to respond to. We finished the responses and explained them to the group which lead to free time and blogging where this was written. We also served 85 families today! Overall everyone today had a phenomenal experience watching peoples faces light up when they saw the food they were receiving. Most important of all though Jesus showed through all of us today and we respected the rights of all the migrant workers. 

Week 3: Sacred Heart Bellingham - Tuesday

Today was an early morning.  We had to wake up at 5:15! We went down to Farmer Sam's garden and weeded and collected some verde largo for the migrant workers at the food bank. We got paid $1.25 for 4 hours of work. Then we went to the YMCA and got a nice shower. We went to BGO and bought our dinner in family  groups. Then we made dinner and ate it around 3:30. We went back to the migrant camp, handing out fliers for the food bank and playing with the kids.  Then we came back to Sacred Heart and had a discussion and made lunch for tomorrow.   

Week 3: Sacred Heart Bellingham - Monday

Monday, June 10

Today started out at the sacred heart parish hall playing various team building games. For lunch we did an activity called the hunger banquet where we were separated into three groups lower class middle class and upper class. Then we went to Sunrise migrant camp to play and interact with the children. After that we each were assigned groups to table grocery stores for a food bank we are putting on Wednesday for the migrant families. In one group a homeless man named Walter gave us his pocket full of change for the food bank, please keep him in your prayers. And Today we were keeping the Catholic Social Teachings, Option for the Poor and Vulnerable and Solidarity for the Poor in our minds as we accomplished our service activities.Today was very eye opening for us as we saw how much we take for granted that a lot of people don't have the privilege of having. 

Week 3: Sacred Heart Bellingham -Sunday

July 9th 2017

We all arrived at Sacred Heart at 6:00pm, 1 hour later we realized that only assumption church and sacred heart were going to be here this week so it would be a very small group of 6 kids. We all played games for a little bit and then we did an introduction and found our small groups. Then we practiced Ignatius prayer. Then we answered some questions in our packet and shared them in our small groups which later we joined together to share as a big group. Then we ended in a group prayer and we are all currently having a snack and playing games :)

Week 3: Volunteer Foodbank

Wednesday -  July 6th, 2017

Hello Everyone!

This week we did not have a group of youth come to do Agape. Although we did not have a group, we still had to serve the migrant community of Whatcom County. So we rounded up some friends and family from around Western Washington to help out and volunteer at the food bank. Our volunteers were wonderful and with their help we fed 119 migrant families today. They were speedy and kept their spirits bright even in the scorching heat. So I want to give a huge thanks to all of the people that came and worked all day in the sun at our food bank!

Lots of Agape Love
-Katie (Assistant Director)

PS. Stay tuned, we will be getting more kids in on Sunday for another exciting adventure!