Meeting Fr. Greg
Yesterday on our visit to Homeboy Industries, we met Fr. Greg Boyle. Check out the video to hear a bit of what he had to say to us. Standing along side him is Fr. Ted, the Associate Pastor of Dolores Mission Parish.
Guadalupe Homeless Project (GHP) Breakfast
Preparing and serving breakfast to the homeless men of GHP is one of the many ways we are serving the community this week. Taking shifts, today Amy, Makayla, and I awoke around 3:45 am to arrive at the kitchen by 4 am. Just three floors below where we were soundly asleep, the kitchen was lively with an energetic woman named Navidad and latin music playing in the background. We were awake in no time.
We watched as this happy woman weaved around the kitchen and took guesses at what she was preparing. She admitted to speaking little English but fortunately she spoke English well enough to tell us about her children, husband, job, and life here. Words she didn’t know she animatedly thought out loud in Spanish until she came to a similar word in English. The conversation was therefore choppy but delightful.
Breakfast was prepared around 5:30: coffee, rice, hamburger with stewed tomatoes and potatoes, an excellent chili and garlic sauce, and day old bread from the Homeboy bakery. At 5:30 the men arrived, 33 in all. They gathered in the hall to say a morning prayer before their meal. We joined them to pray. “It was short today”, one of the men commented. Then we helped serve their plates. After they all were seated with their food and coffee we grabbed a small plate to taste what we made and sat with some of the men. They were very warm. Navidad introduced us to them as volunteers from Montana after we were seated and they applauded us. After we finished we decided to go around and shake every man’s hand, wishing them a good day. One man, who looked a lot like my grandpa Esteves, now deceased, kissed our hand. We felt elated interacting with them. Some of us were pushed out of our comfort zones. Some of us were more comfortable than we would have thought. The real lesson for me is these men are all people we know. I see God in all of them.
-Natasha Leidholt
Sand, Enchiladas, a woman named Lupe, and a beautiful Mission
We finally made it! We arrived in East L.A. yesterday afternoon. Upon arrival we met the Jesuit Volunteer, Joanne, who will be guiding our service trip for the week. After brief introductions with Joanne, she escorted us to our home for the next two days. After spending a night with all 8 of us girls in one hotel room on the way to east L.A. we were once again delighted to find we would have even more time to bond. For the next two days we will be sleeping together in a classroom at the Dolores Mission School. To those at home, this may seem like it would be a less than enjoyable experience. However, after reading about the story here at Dolores Mission, we are more than honored and humbled to have this experience. Leading up to our trip to East L.A. we have been reading “Tattoos on the Heart”, a book written by father Greg who started the work here at Dolores Mission. Dolores Mission does a lot of work with gang rehabilitation, assistance for the homeless, and assistance for immigrants. Throughout the week we will get to see and participate in some of the work that Father Greg has for these three groups of individuals. We are all excited for what the week has in store. Consequently, spending a night together on a classroom floor was no discouraging task. After getting settled (blowing up air mattresses with hair dryers and somehow fitting in 12 sleeping bags) we decided to take a little trip to Manhattan Beach. 
For a group of Montana folks who drove 18 hours to get here, swimming in the 65 degree weather was a must. After getting thrashed around by the waves, we had an amazing dinner at a local restaurant in Manhattan Beach to celebrate Natasha’s birthday! When we got back to school, our first priority was to wash off the sand and head straight to bed because we knew tomorrow would be a busy day.
Which brings us to this morning…. This morning we got up and got ready (three girls sitting on the floor in a elementary school hallway attempting to straighten their hair is quite the sight to see). We attended mass at 9:00 am (the only English mass of the five masses celebrated at the Dolores Mission Parish every Sunday). After mass we hung out with the locals from the surrounding neighborhood in the church courtyard. We all had the pleasure of eating food prepared by a few of the local women. Authentic Mexican food doesn’t even begin to describe that experience! Per the suggestion of Mary and Laura’s sister Anne, we all tried the enchiladas, which were delicious. Even more so than the food, we were delighted to share in the experience with the people of the neighborhood. We had the opportunity to meet one of the Priests, Father Ted, and many of the locals. It was amazing how hospitable and joyful they were!
After spending sometime in the church courtyard we went back the school and Joanne introduced us to a woman named Lupe. Lupe has lived in this neighborhood for over 40 years! She has seen it at the best of times and at the worst of times. Lupe gave us an even better explanation of the history of the neighborhood and the work done by Father Greg. She talked to us about the problem of gang violence in the area and how it has changed over the years. Reading the book about Dolores Mission was inspiring in and of itself but actually hearing a firsthand account of woman who had lived here and raised 8 boys in this area gave the story of the neighborhood a whole new reality. After learning more and more about Dolores Mission we are all very excited to see the ways in which Christ will work through us to touch this community even in our short time here. These people are truly an inspiration in faith and a testament to God’s love and I can hardly wait for what the week has in store.
Peace,
Tessa
The Importance of Self-Worth
It is 2:00, and we are headed to Manhattan Beach! Today’s car ride has been very enjoyable. The scenery has been interesting and the conversations fruitful. In my car, we had a discussion about “Tattoos on the Heart,” a book by Father Boyle, who started Homeboy Industries.
We talked about the following quote: ”Behold the One beholding you, and smiling.” What does this mean? It is an incredibly powerful quote and should be reflected on. Colleen had an interesting take: this quotes means that since the Lord loves us infinitely, we have a responsibility, in return, to behold Him. Father Boyle states that “He cannot take His eyes off us.” Why should we take our eyes off of Him?
It also means that, although we are all flawed, God loves each of us unconditionally, simply because we are who we are; who he made us to be. There is importance in this for each one of us individually. If we don’t recognize this, then we cannot completely reach our potentials, and therefore, fulfill the will of God. It hinders the growth of our relationship with God and growth in all other areas in life. If we cannot understand our own worthiness, how can we get anywhere? What implications does this have for the poor and marginalized, who face obstacles several times a day, and whose odds are completely against them?
That led us to the next discussion topic: why is it so hard for us to believe that we are worthy of God’s unconditional and eternal love? We came with a few reasons. It might be because our pasts are full of sin and we are ashamed and assume the Lord is, as well. Or maybe, because we cannot fathom God’s love for what it really is, we assume that He doesn’t want to be close to us. Colleen pointed out that Christian music sometimes gives us the wrong idea about our self-worth and being “unworthy” of God.
What does this mean for our service trip? Father Boyle did a great job writing about the soul’s self-worth. It is something that we all need, although some of us don’t receive a sense of self-worth as much as others. Building relationships and kinship with the people we will encounter is a huge part of our service trip,in order to promote feelings of self-worth that everyone has as children of God. “Kinship- not serving the other, but being one with the other.” Father Boyle points out that service is a start; it is just “the hallway to the Grand Ballroom.”
God bless and thanks for reading!
Laura Gillette, 12’
Tattoos on the Heart Discussion #1
One of the organizations we will work with this week is Homeboy Industries.
All participants on this Carroll Campus Ministry Headlights trip received a copy of Fr. Greg Boyle’s (founder of Homeboy Industries) book Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion, and have been reading it in preparation for the trip.
Here are the questions we used to guide our discussion while traveling from Mesquite, NV to Los Angeles this morning:
From the road: Day 1
I write this as we travel south on I-15 through my home state of Idaho on our way to East Los Angeles. Isn’t it amazing the connectivity that technology offers us? I can chat with my van-mates, learning about other members of the Carroll Community that I am so blessed to be a part of, while also writing a blog post, even as my phone buzzes to remind me that I have a new email from my office.
And yet, as many of us have learned the hard way, this style of connectivity can also consume us, building up walls around us rather than opening channels of deep and authentic relationship. After all, am I truly connecting with the others in our van as I type this post?
This hyper-connectivity is the greatest blessing and also the greatest challenge in my daily life (funny how it usually works that way, isn’t it?). For several years now I have traveled extensively in my work with the Institute for Excellence & Ethics studying schools, implementing intervention programs, and facilitating workshops and retreats for educators and students. This style of work would be impossible without technology; I am able to respond to emails within minutes, I scramble to create documents during the moments when “electronic devices may be used” on flights, and interact with colleagues through blogs and Twitter. These days a lack of consistent internet connection can be a miniature disaster.
This technology also allows me to stay connected to friends and family, both to those at home (a term which for me has come to represent many different places) and those who are scattered around the world. I would be heartbroken without my Friday afternoon conversations with my mother, and there have many times that receiving a text, email, or tweet has lifted my spirit at just the right moment.
And yet this constant connectivity also has dramatic ramifications if not kept in check. I can’t remember a time in the last three years that I haven’t been keenly aware of the emails that still await a reply, of the document that could use a little more editing, or the call I should have placed on a friend’s birthday that I neglectfully allowed to pass.
Perhaps the reason this frantic style of connection is stressful to us is because we are speaking of networks rather than relationships. While technology now allows us to build and maintain highly developed networks, these are different from the deep, intimate relationships that the deepest parts of our human souls seek.
For me, this trip to East Los Angeles presents the opportunity to disconnect (to at least some degree) and to develop relationships with the participating Carroll students and Alumni, but also to enter into relationship with the people in the communities we will serve. Two classic trappings of service trips can be a voyeuristic style of tourism and a misguided mindset that often resembles a savior-complex, so instead we will seek to serve in a better way.
We will focus on embodying a way of being that Dr. Paul Farmer refers to as “accompaniment”. We will act as simple servants, as brothers and sisters sharing a journey. We will serve with our hands and feet and voices when we are able, but more importantly we will serve with our eyes and our ears, our smiles and our laughter and our tears, and our steps, steps that we will take with those we serve and serve alongside.
Even though you won’t be in East Los Angeles with us this week, I hope you will join us as we walk together this week. I humbly ask you to shower our group, and more importantly those that we will meet along the way, with your prayers and your positive thoughts as we prepare to walk the “path of peace” into an area that suffers all too frequently from a lack of it.
There are two great ways you can do so using the technology that is right on your fingertips. You’re already doing the first, which is reading this blog, and I encourage you to continue doing so as we share our experiences throughout the week.
Here’s a second way: By clicking here, you can see the Dolores Mission (where we will work and stay) and the rest of Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. When you get a moment this week (and perhaps beyond this week if you remember to do so), open this link and say a prayer for peace in the lives of all those currently present in the blocks that appear on your screen. It’s a simple but powerful way to put the spirituality of accompaniment into practice, even from afar.
Thank you for prayers, positive thoughts, and support as begin this trip. Stay tuned for more reflections and photos from our group throughout our trip.
Peace,
Kyle Baker, ‘06
The crew starting off with a prayer this morningbefore departing from the Carroll College campus.
Another Trip To East LA
Next week we will be leaving Helena heading once again to East LA. With the encouragment of some participants from the past trip in October and interest from others to go, it was a worthy cause to revisit Dolores Mission for some new experiences. This trip will also include the added element of some alumni travelers along with us.
As I think about setting out there is some hesitation for what will be another long road trip but also an excitement for seeing people in East LA again and hearing stories. This trip is a great invitation for us to learn about immigration, to further understand how violence affects neighborhoods, to learn how people respond to challenges through prayer and understanding the Gospel, and to serve others.
I invite you again to follow us as we travel! We will be leaving Helena early next Friday morning (May 11) and returning a week later.
Our participants are:
Amy Surbrugg – Junior
Makayla Darrow – Junior
Brekk Bass – Senior
Mary Gillette – Senior
Laura Gillette- Senior
Matt Christiaens – Freshman
Tessa Berg- Sophomoe
Kyle Baker – Alumni
Elly Bruursema – Alumni
Natasha Leidholt – Alumni
Stephanie Pung – Admission Counselor/Alumni
Peace,
Colleen Dunne
Campus Ministry
Reuse and Recycle
I spent the week at Daystar, a daycare for children 3 years and younger, who are “medically fragile”. It was an amazing experience! The organization does so much for these children and their families who cannot afford to pay a nurse all day to cater to medication and specific diet requirements. Daystar volunteeers attempt to mimick the care that the kids would be given at home from their parents. They spend all day singing, dancing, and showering their love on the kids. It is so inspiring! The children are not treated like patients of their care. They are given a completely normal daycare experience, playing with other children and enjoying the day. They just also happen to be given the medical attention they need throughout the day.
Another element of Daystar that I got to experience was the many types of therapy that the children receive, though their parents may not be able to pay for it. Physical therapists, speech therapists, occupational therapists, and even music therapists came in and out, all maintaining the same loving and optimistic attitude of the employees. I am studying pre-physical therapy and found it to be an amazing blessing to get to witness their work with the children. I have never considered pediatric care, but this trip forced me to reevaluate what I may want to do in the future.
Of course, another component of our trip was staying at a house with 4 of the Sisters of Saint Joseph. They have so much wisdom and have seen first-hand a lot of the need in their community and in this country. They are also extremely aware of the needs of other regions in the world, such as natural resources. Because of this, they live very conscientiously of their waste and their ability to recycle. They limit shower time and they wash and reuse everything! It was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be to be so conservative of resources. To avoid leaving lights on, I found myself walking around in the dark a lot! 🙂
Overall, I loved the week of service and believe I have grown a lot in my knowledge of the Catholic Social Teachings!
Natalie Stewart
Scary, Signs, Middle School
Dear Gentle Readers,
First…bear with me. I realize this is long, but it’s my moment! We’re Rochester. A place that, to be honest, I was a little apprehensive about coming to. In the past, the Rochester Headlights groups always come back seeming so together and whoo, the sisters are so awesome and crazy, and just sounded all so intense, and just made me a little nervous…for whatever reason. ALSO…I have a brother in middle school who is completely weird and nuts… So I had no idea what to expect. I might have been a little scared even!
And of course, now that I’m here, I’m having a wonderful time, learning lots, loving my service site, and even having a blast with the sisters…who of course say that they’re not the crazy ones…those ones moved out awhile back…wink wink. =) Anyways, this week, I’m at Nativity Prep: a middle school, grades 5-8, with only 44 students!
So yes…to be honest, the middle school age kinda scares me a little bit. It’s a weird growing-up age and just overall kinda awkward. Not to mention the fact that the kids that go to this school are all at or below the poverty line and are have sometimes very unstable home lives. They’re definitely little hard to relate to sometimes. Within the first couple days, Janessa and I had already fallen in love with fifth grade…most of them are just so cute and little…and maybe just a little less jaded. But we have also been informed that we are “inspirations”.
The kids’ school day starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 3 p.m. Following that, they go straight into a required after-school homework time! And THEN, they go into “Enrichment”, a time for extracurricular sports, art, music, magic tricks, cooking, and any other fun, learning activities that the staff comes up with. No child actually goes home until around 5:30 p.m.! Monday evening, we were helping with Enrichment for the sixth grade girls, which consisted of painting small flower pots for a donor gala later this spring. Two of them informed Janessa and I that we were their “inspirations”. Who actually knows what that meant, but to me, it meant that I got to touch their lives in a special way, even if it was just for a few minutes.
Before I sign off, I’d like to say a word about these “crazy” sisters. =) They are all absolutely incredible. I’m learning so much from them, from recycling anything and everything to meals at exactly 6 p.m. From their mad skills at the game Signs to their daily witness as women of God in everything that they do. Last night, our evening prayer was a bit of a lesson on Catholic social teaching, and I couldn’t believe how much we covered and how much I took away!
So tomorrow I will go to my last day of scary middle school and have to say goodbye to all of my little reading buddies, lunch buddies, language arts buddies, and tutoring buddies, but I’ll be walking away knowing how much I’ve learned from THEM and how I only hope that they learned maybe something from me.
I hope all is well on the homefronts of all of our readers and fellow bloggers and Headlighters in Cincinnati and Kansas City.
Love you all!
Kirsten
Math Unites
Phew! It’s been a long (but really rewarding) couple of days! Despite the 300 mph winds (okay so that might have been a bit of an exaggeration, but seriously the wind is killer) we are all loving Kansas City! For us Montana kids, the big city is a new and exciting experience! The four-lane merge we make every morning to get to Cristo Rey high school is even more exciting, especially when Colleen is behind the wheel. But if you were to ask any of us what the most exciting and most enjoyable part of our days here in Kansas City would be, we would all say without a doubt it is our time spent at Cristo Rey!
We have all created relationships with the students at Christo Rey and its pretty agreed throughout the group that we will be sad to leave. Some students have even made relationships that will extend beyond our week here in Kansas City. As a future math teacher, my favorite part of the day is getting to spend time with students one on one to work on their math skills. As Cristo Rey is a fairly new school in Kansas City (only 6 years old) many of the students have not received the basic math background they need to pass exams to graduate. Having the opportunity to work with these students individually and watch their math skills improve in even just the hour or two we get to spend with them really warms my heart.
Personally, I have a love for math because no matter where you are, no matter what your ethnic or socio-economic background you come from, and no matter what language you speak, math will always be the same. At Carroll College 6 X 8 will always be 48 and at Cristo Rey 6 X 8 will still always be 48. Math can be something that unites us all, no matter who we are. This is something I have really noticed during my time at Cristo Rey. No matter who we are and where we come from, there are a few things that still unite us all as human beings. It has been really amazing getting to make connections with students of different backgrounds and from different cultures. We are reminded everyday of the most important thing that unites us all as followers of Christ, our desire to love and serve the Lord.
Yesterday, Fred, Katie M., and I got to stay after school (while every one else went home to do yard work for the sisters ☺) and help with the “Geometry Recovery” Program. “Geometry Recover” is for seniors a Cristo Rey who have failed Geometry 2 times or more. We had the opportunity to sit down with a few of these seniors and help then to re-learn (and hopefully better understand) the concepts of geometry that they should have learned before. Even in the short amount of time we got to spend with these students, we saw their understanding of geometry improve tenfold. I think that is the most important thing that we can offer to any of the students at Cristo Rey, our time. What most of these students have lacked in their lives is positive role models taking the TIME to help them grow into responsible, intelligent and respectful adults. Giving the students this time is Cristo Rey’s number one mission and the good it has already done is clearly visible in the lives of the students. As much as we may feel that we served those seniors, I know Katie and Fred would agree with me that they served us even more.
Today, we had the opportunity to spend some time at the elementary school run by the sisters. When we first got there, the students were still at recess. We decided to go out to the playground and hang out with the kids. The 5th grade class asked us to play a harmless game of kickball. Being the college students, we decided that we should “take it easy on them”. Well I guess the joke was on us because those 5th graders…. SCHOOLED us in kickball! But we all had a blast regardless. We had the opportunity to spend the afternoon in the classroom with the kids. Being in the classroom with the elementary students was very different than our work at Christo Rey! But the students were just as inspiring! Elyse is an elementary education major and she was most definitely in her element. All the little girls loved her and were very sad to see her leave at the end of the day! Again I have to say, that while we were their to serve the students their enthusiasm and excitement for learning was even more inspiring to us!
It has been a very long couple of days and we are all very tired! However, I wouldn’t trade my experience here in Kansas City for anything! Thank you all for your love, support and prayers! We will continue to keep you updated until our arrival back to Helena on Saturday!
Peace,
Tessa
Carroll College Campus Ministry 