Obama Election Celebration

Yesterday Sister Annette gave a presentation on Catholica Social Teaching and within the presenation she had really great media that she showed us. While we was talking about the seven themes of catholic social teaching which are...
Life and Dignity of the Human
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
Rights and Responsibilities
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God’s Creation
While talking about the call to family, community and participation we talked about this past election and how it affected us on a global level and really people all over the world participated in this election. She showed us the following video which i found to be really inspiring:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3PszZbJf_0

Check it out!

This video was shown to us today during one of our Catholic Social Teaching Presentations check it out...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM

Also check out this Playing for Change organization:
http://www.playingforchange.com/

An inspiring organization working to bring peace through music and people around the world!

Trip to West Virginia

It has been a very busy last week for me! On Saturday morning our group packed up headed to Wyoming County, West Virginia to spend 3 days working the Passionist Volunteer Domestic Program. We rented two mini vans and it was about a six hour drive to our site. When we arrived at the Glen Fork School (our site) we moved into our room. Nine of us girls would be sharing a room for a few days...just like a big slumber party!! We found out it wouldn't just be our group staying there, over the next couple of days volunteers would be moving in to spend anywhere from a week to the whole summer working with the program. We had the afternoon off so we spent it playing ultimate Frisbee and after dinner some intense basketball games. The next morning we had mass around 11 but it was a 20 minutes drive to get to the closest catholic church. Mass was held in a very small local church in Pineville. I think there is something so beautiful and intimate about sharing an experience like mass in such a small church. The passionist volunteers took up most of the space in the pews and community members filled in the edges. The local community was so warm and welcoming, anxious to know where we were all from and how we were enjoying our stay. After mass we headed back to our site and our afternoon was filled with information sessions and get-to-know-you activities. We got to meet a lot of the volunteers that had spent up to 18 summers working with this program. It ranged from one volunteer to entire families. I found it to be inspiring and exciting that so many generations can come together to work for a common goal. Sunday evening we had a commissioning into the program with prayer and songs as well as the anointing of hands and forehead. We also received our passionist volunteer necklace that had been hand cut by one of the volunteers. This sounds cliche but it was really amazing to see such passion for the program. We got to pick our job sites for the next day after the commissioning! I chose to work at a soccer camp the next day. There would be two sessions, one in the morning with young kids and older kids in the afternoon. I was so excited for this opportunity! Soccer Camp was an absolute blast on Monday. Joanine and i were the two PVI's that went to soccer camp and then other volunteers that would be staying a week or longer came as well. Our morning session was filled with lots of running away and just trying to keep the kids as active as possible. We did some drills but for the most part just played games like minnows and sharks as well as the blob! Our afternoon session was a little more intense because the kids were all headed into there freshmen year in high school. We did a lot of running and scrimmaging. By the end of the day i was exhausted but had a really great day! We packed up and headed back to our site. Monday evening our PVI group ran reflection. Six of us asked a person we had worked with that day if we could wash there feet during the reflection. All of them agreed and during reflection we first read the passage from the bible where Jesus washes his disciples feet. We then asked those six people to come up and we each washed there feet. After this we asked them to share what it was liked to be served and to have there feet washed and how that might relate to the service they provide during the day. There answers were amazing and humbling. They were son honored and touch that a group of young adults would do something like this. You could tell it really touched there hearts. I finished washing Zach's (a kid from soccer camp) feet and then got up to go back to my seat, as i sat down i noticed Jean washing Maryanne's feet. She did it with such grace and compassion...it literally brought tears to my eyes. Through this orientation process sometimes i take a step back and realize how lucky i am to be here and what wonderful people i am surrounded by. Its such a humbling and inspiring experience. We loaded up the vans Tuesday morning and headed back to Pittsburgh! We stopped at a national park and took some really amazing photos! They are posted on my Flickr account and the link is on an earlier blog!
Wednesday was back to more presentations. Robyn Ryan came to talk to us about theological reflection. He asked us before lunch to take sometime to write about a service experience we had before. What happened in it, who it involved and how it challenged us spiritually and with our faith. I chose an experience i had in South Dakota while installing a bunk bed in the last house on our last day. The house was just a trailer and falling apart. The room we were installing the bed in for a little boy wasn't cleaned out so that was our first task. While cleaning out the room the grandfather who owned the home went into a back room and when he came back out the smell of marijuana filled the small trailer home. Also one of his grandson's who was only about 8th or 9th grade age wise came out as well. You could plainly see that they were both high. This experience was extremely hard for me. I was filled with so many emotions--anger, sadness, frustration, and some hopelessness. When we got back into the truck to head back to our site i broke down in tears. I was challenged in so many ways with this experience and really questioned where God was in all of this. It is something that i still struggle with today but is also the reason i continue to serve and walk with those who are the most vulnerable with the hope that i can create change and justice. After sharing this experience with those i will be traveling to Jamaica with they were able to ask questions about my experience. It was a great activity for us because we will have to do that often when we are in Jamaica. We will be having lots of experiences and its so important to be able to process it with my home community. They all shared stories as well which gave me an even better understanding about who they are and how i can be a support to all of them. Our group as a whole that will be going to Jamaica has been really trying to make an effort to spend more time together and really get to know each other. Yesterday afternoon we all went out to lunch and then the girls and i had a girls afternoon walking Carson street window shopping and talking about our lives and our trip to Jamaica. On Wednesday Night we got gold pass tickets to Kennywood Amusement Park!!! Our night was filled with rollercoaster rides and other crazy rides! It was really a great night to be out with great people. Last night we had tickets to the Pittsburgh Pirates Baseball Game! Again just a really fun night with amazing people and even better the rain held off and the Pirates won!
We have presentations today on Catholic Social Teaching. Tomorrow there is a presentation on the Jamaican Experience (im really excited for this), and Sunday is our offical Commissioning into PVI!!! I really cant believe how quickly orientation has gone but it also makes me so excited and ready to head to Jamaica!!!!

Amazing Video

Carolyn from the Honduras group shared this video and i found it extremely moving and powerful...check it out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01FE9cPXE3M

"We are prophets of a future not our own"

The past few days have been a flurry of information and activity. I really didn't think i would be learning as much as i have been while on orientation but it will make a transition into a new culture better. Monday was all about the History of the Passionists where we learned about there history and how we fit into the picture as passionist volunteers. Father Gerry, talked to us and shared about how the passionists were started by Paul of the Cross and his chrism which was based around the passion of Jesus. The passionists really believe in accompanying those who are the most vulnerable and oppressed. When listening to Father Gerry talk about the passionists and what there mission was i felt a huge connection in the sense that is exactly what i am looking for in my service. Its really about walking with those who are suffering and really making a personal connection with them. When reflecting of what i will be doing in Jamaica i think it will be so important to "walk" with those in the communities i work in and really try to understand there suffering. I have done lots of service projects with tangible results but i think the most "real" and true service is living in community and spending time with people to really get to know what there needs are. Father Gerry said to us today "let yourself fall into the hands of God." This quote really stood out to me because if you trust in God then he will guide you to where and what your should be doing. I feel such a strong sense of family when i am among the passionists. All the people i have interacted with here have been so welcoming and generous, they really take the time to get to know each of us volunteers and they listen. I am continually humbled by how much i am learning here. Father Rob talked with us on Monday afternoon and to start his presentation he took us outside to the cemetery on site and took us around to certain gravestones to tell us the stories of what some of these passionists had done on there missions. After his entire presentation he asked us what we were feeling and for me my thoughts were that I think it is so inspiring to follow in the foots steps of such incredible men that took risks and took the time to get to know themselves and what gifts they had. I think that as volunteers if we can do a fraction of what some of these men did we will have succeeded.
Yesterday we had a day full of presentations about Adult Development, two professors from Seton Hill came and spoke to us. It was all sociology based so of course it was right up my alley. The presentations were really focused on knowing ourselves and what makes us anxious and happy. Learning how to communicate feelings. I think it will be so important for us while living together as 5 people to be able to communicate and do it effectively. Last night Father Jim came and talked to us about some changes that will be happening for PVI after this year. After our year in Jamaica we will be changing sites from Stony Hill to Mandaville, Jamaica. There are many reasons for this but i think the thing that stuck out most to me were that we have missions to our international sites to empower people to be able to develop skills so that they can sustain and live in a less oppressed situation. I think it will be hard at the end of the year to say goodbye to communities and people we have worked with for seven years but it is also a time for us as volunteers during the year to really empower and inspire the communities that they can do things for themselves. We can help start projects that they can be the voice and force behind it. I really think its such and honor and exciting time for us as volunteers. I think as well as volunteers we need to make sure we here what needs the people of Stony Hill and neighboring communities have so that we can help empower them as best as possible. I know that while I'm in Jamaica i will get to do some teaching but the rest of it is all up in the air and i think that's so exciting. We will be assigned "missions" and they could consist of so many different possibilities.
I have been spending a lot of time getting to know the four other people i will be living with next year as well and those who will be in Honduras. We were asked to have 1 on 1's with each other to talk about things we like and dint like, living styles, and just things we think people should know about us. Since we only have three weeks its really important to give people as much information about yourself as possible so that when arriving in Jamaica we can be a support system to each other. It is going to be a huge change for each of us in many different ways and we will need to rely on each other for support. We all know there will be good days and bad days but knowing you have a support system in your house is essential. So needless to say they sure do keep us busy here, but we do get to have some fun. Last night we went to the Corner Cafe a bar that's about a stone throw away from the retreat center. Its a really small bar and there was all of us from PVI and about 5 locals. We basically took over the place, we sang Karaoke and danced till the late hours of the night. I cant even begin to explain for grateful i am to have this opportunity. I am surrounded by such and inspiring and great people. I have been laughing a lot and getting lots of time for reflection. I know that i am where I'm supposed to be.

Photos

This link will connect you to photos i have taken during orientation and while in Jamaica! Enjoy

http://www.flickr.com/photos/svickers2/

Days 1&2 of Orientation

This is day 2 in Pittsburgh and it already feels like we have been here for weeks. Our first evening consisted of quick introductions and recieving our schedules for the week. We are living at St. Paul of the Cross Retreat Center located up on a hill over looking the city of Pittsburgh. The retreat center has over 100 bedrooms and lots of rooms for meetings and presentations. There are Passionist Monks that live here as well and we see them often during the day and at meals. I have found so far with the Passionists that they are all so nice and welcoming which is part of there mission and lifestyle which i absolutely love! They have been so gracious with there home and have been so willing and eager to hear about where we have all come from and what brought us to the passionists! I was actually expecting to be staying in a small house and sharing rooms with other PVI participants. We all have our own rooms on the 3rd floor but we dont really spend a lot of time up here. Friday morning Carolyn (Honduras participant) and i got up around 7AM to go for a run down to Carson St. Carson St is a very popular street with lots of shops and resturants, the one catch for us is that it is down a very very large hill which meant we had to run back up it! Our first morning meeting consisted of talks around our energy entering orientation, hopes, stresses, and questions would like answered during these next three weeks. We went over things we would be doing over the next three weeks as well. We will be having lots of presentations on many different topics, we will have some group work which will consist of work within our group going to jamaica to talk about what it will mean to live and work together. From June 20th-23rd we will be traveling to PVI's domestic sight in West Virginia to work with the volunteers there. I am not really sure what specific work we will be doing but im really excited about it. Some fun things we have to look forward to are a trip to Kennywood Amusement Park and a baseball game at the Pittsburgh Pirates!!! Later on in the morning Father Lucieon, Sister Maureen, Amy, and Tricia all told us there "life stories" which consisted of growing up and what has brought them to where they are now. After lunch we all had to do the same thing and it was really an incredible experience. It put us all in such a vulnerable but yet safe situation to really open ourselves up to each other. We all have very different life stories which i think in itself has something to say. Not on of us of a like which is why we are unique and it isnt our place to judge others which i think will be a key value to take going into our year in Jamaica or Honduras. We have a recpetion hosted by the associates as well that evening! There was lots of food and drink for us! We mingled with all of the passionist associates who were eager to hear where we were from and what brought us to the associates! While at the reception i met a women name Palma, we shared where we were from and how we both got to the passionists. She has been involved for a long time but was very eager to hear about me! I told her about my experiences working with children with disabilites and things i had done in college. After i wonderful conversation she asked for my contact information so that she can keep up with all that i am involved in and where my career takes me. After the recpetion we went down to Carson St which is a popular street in Pittsburgh and we watched the Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup. Fat Head's the bar we were at erupted with cheers and joys as those final seconds ticked down. We then headed outside to closed streets and lots of joyous celebrating! It was one of the most exciting things i have ever seen and an amazing amount of city pride! It was a great way for all of us to relax and have some fun together! On Saturday Sister Maureen talked to us and presented information on acculturation. We talked about our culture and what it will be like living and adjusting into a new culture. I know there are going to be many challenging moments adjusting and living in a new culture completely different from my own but i know how wonderful of an opportunity this is. I anticipate culture shock which will be difficult but i also know that i have four other roommates who will be there for support and visa versa. Im really loving getting to know everyone here and the group headed to jamaica seems amazing!

PVI Orientation

Today, i fly to Pittsburgh where i will have 3 weeks of Orientation with the Passionist Volunteers International!! I will be spending a year in Stony Hill, Jamaica serving in the local communities. The Passionists have two international sites one in Jamaica and the other in Honduras. I will be living with four other volunteers and we will be volunteering in a number of different ways: Teaching, coaching, working in after school programs, visiting the sick and shut-in, helping citizens get there birth certificates, ministry visits, and any other needs the local communities have. I really couldn't be more excited for the new adventure i am about to go on! I will be officially leaving for Jamaica July 24th 2009 and will return August 1st 2010. I don't really know what we will be doing during orientation the only confirmed plans as of now is going into the Appalachian region of Virginia to do some service work for a weekend! We will have an Offical Commissioning on the last sunday of the three weeks where 10 of us will offically become Passionist Volunteers. I am quite anxious and very excited for what these next three weeks will bring!