Day 4, Browning, March 13, 2024

From Emma:

We opened today with Mass led by my class, the 7^th graders! I loved getting to see how they went about assigning mass parts and studying for their roles earlier this week. All of the students were very eager to participate which I found very encouraging. Mass in Little Flower Parish was beautiful and I was very happy to finally get to visit the chapel space after unfortunately being unable to on Sunday. I spent the remainder of the day working one on one helping students complete some of their missing work. However, I think that the students worked very independently throughout the day and I appreciated the change from making sure that work was being completed to being able to act as an additional resource when they encountered questions.

Over this week I have really seen God’s presence in these kids; in their laughter, in their curiosity, and especially in their perseverance. These traits lead me to understand that although the circumstances of life feel like they divide us, at our core we are all connected both through our humanity and our status as God’s children. When I was preparing for this trip, I was expecting to feel more alienated as I entered this community that I knew very little about outside of their hardships but during my time here I have recognized the ways that this school feels familiar. I grew up attending a small Catholic private school and I see so much of my childhood in these classrooms; simultaneously I also understand even more clearly how privileged my upbringing made me. However, I think that it is important for me to acknowledge this difference and be able to recognize that the differences aren’t what connects us.