Browning, Day 5, De La Salle, March 13, 2026

This week serving at De La Salle was a reminder of something I often forget. Too often, as I move further into adult life, I am confronted with the seriousness, suffering, and weight of life. Especially in college, I can get so caught up in studying and responsibilities that I end up setting aside my faith, my relationships, and even my own heart. Everything began to feel like work, pressure, and expectations.

But being here at the school and working with these students reminded me of the joy that can still be found in life. Even in the midst of suffering, seriousness, and hardship—things that many of these students have endured far more than I ever will—there was still so much joy present. These students still made time to laugh, joke around, play games, and simply enjoy each other’s company.

At first, all of the playfulness confused me. After all, we were in a school—they were supposed to be learning, and the teachers didn’t often correct the behavior unless it truly became distracting or prevented them from completing their work. But after sitting with this experience and praying in gratitude for the joy that suddenly surrounded me, I began to realize something.

Even in the seriousness of life, in our suffering and in the things that weigh us down, the Lord provides countless opportunities for joy in the simplest moments. The problem is not that joy isn’t there—it’s that we often lose the childlike heart required to receive it. The stress and pressure of adult life slowly pull us away from that openness.

Once I realized this, I began to embrace that childlike joy and wonder. I played volleyball with some girls at recess, joked around in class when it was appropriate, and simply allowed myself to be fully present and authentic with the students. In doing so, I found that I began receiving far more joy than I expected.

One of the greatest sources of joy this week was the group of Carroll students I encountered on this trip. We were a random assortment of completely different “characters”—people I never would have imagined spending so much unstructured time with. Yet together we shared so many hilarious, faithful, honest, and vulnerable moments. My heart began to feel lighter, filled with joy and hope. I realized that I hadn’t laughed that much in a long time.

This trip reminded me of something simple but profound: the Lord calls us to have childlike hearts. Life is not meant to be lived under constant pressure and seriousness. Even in the midst of responsibilities, struggles, and suffering, God places moments of joy all around us.

This experience will remain a constant reminder to me of the child still present in my own heart. It reminded me that joy is not something reserved for the past—it is something we are all meant to live in, even now. If we are willing to slow down, open our hearts, and receive life with childlike wonder, we will find that the joy God offers has been there all along.

Brooke Vandehey, Carroll Alumni, FOCUS Missionary

When I first signed up for this trip, I didn’t have many expectations. I knew that we would be serving in a school with children between 4th through 7th grade, but I didn’t really know what a day in the classroom would look like. Like many service trips I have gone on before, I entered with the quiet assumption that I would be a great help to the community we were serving. Yet, as is often the case, I left realizing something different: I was the one who had been served. Our group intentionally chose to spend our spring break serving at a school in an impoverished community in Montana, hoping to give our time and energy to support the students and teachers there. But once we entered the classrooms and began working with the students, it quickly became clear that these children had just as much—if not more—to offer us. While we helped with schoolwork and spent time supporting them throughout the day, their joy, curiosity, honesty, and openness began to teach us something in return. Through them, I started to see more clearly what Jesus meant when He called us to become like children. To be childlike is to live with a certain freedom—to be ourselves, to receive each moment as a gift, and to genuinely enjoy the people God has placed in our lives. These students embodied that freedom in a beautiful way.

One of the greatest lessons I received during the week was learning to surrender. I quickly realized that my ability to teach these students was limited, and I found myself humbled at times when things did not go the way I expected. Yet as the week continued, I began to notice something important: the more I stepped back and let go of my need to control every moment, the more the Lord began to work. I didn’t have to be the perfect teacher or have all the right answers. I simply had to be present and entrust the rest to Him. In that surrender, I experienced a new kind of freedom. When I allowed myself to laugh with the students, learn alongside them, and simply meet them where they were, the Lord worked in ways I could never have orchestrated myself. What began as an opportunity to serve became an invitation to trust God more deeply and rediscover the beauty of living with a childlike heart. I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been part of this trip, and especially grateful for the group I was able to share it with. Please continue to keep De LaSalle School and the Blackfeet community in your prayers. I will certainly be praying for them, and I ask that you join me in asking the Lord to continue blessing the students, teachers, and families who welcomed us so generously.

Noah Hitchcock, FOCUS Missionary

Browning, Day 4, De La Salle, March 12, 2026

On this trip in particular there was a real temptation to think that we drew the short straw in one way or another. We had planned to spend four days in the classroom with the students of De La salle, and instead we only got two. Monday we were cooped up inside then hiked and, and today we did a deep clean of various parts of the school, hardly the fun and engaging work I expected to have with the students. In reality, however, God gave me just what I needed. I’m used to the idea of feeling good and fulfilled after giving of myself in some capacity, but I’m far less familiar with serving without any reward, emotional or otherwise. On the days I worked with the students I was made to remember that I was in the presence of God because I was constantly asking for the grace to serve these kids for whom I felt so much love for. Today I was forced to remember that I’m in the presence of God because I didn’t feel much. There was no emotional reward for organizing a closet or deep cleaning a couch. Instead there was the deep spiritual grace of a seed planted within my own heart. God had begun to move me on from service which feels good in the moment to service with no noticeable emotional reward here on earth.

That being said, God will not be outdone in generosity. It was so incredibly fulfilling to see how quickly you can make a strong connection with these kids in the span of just two days. By the end of the day in Tuesday (the first day we spent in the classroom) I felt that I had just survived a day in a warzone, but by the end of the day on Wednesday I had earned the nickname ‘Uncle Papi’ from a student who wouldn’t even talk to me the day before. Having only had two days in the classroom, and five altogether I’m left wanting more, but that itself is a blessing. I can put that desire to good use by taking it home with me, along with all the lessons I’ve learned, and applying it to whatever opportunities I find to make a gift of myself back home. So I’ll go back to campus prayer for an open heart to receive opportunities to serve and to remember that I am always in the holy presence of God.

Isaac Papineau, Freshman, Catholic Studies Major

Browning, Day 3, De La Salle, March 11, 2026

Today we went back to De La Salle for the second day there. It has been a wonderful time getting to know each of the students and just be able to interact with them within the day. It has been truly amazing to get to see how they interact with one another and their joyful, yet chaotic, in a good way, nature. Each and every child so far has been friendly and welcoming to each of their classmates and is willing to be there for their friends and classmates. I’ve noticed and admired the way almost all of the kid’s hands shoot up during prayer intentions and they pray for their classmates. Their willingness to pray and show that they care for the people around them just is an amazing thing to witness. Another thing that is a great thing to witness is how almost half the class was wanting me to sit by them or help them. They were willing to let me help them and be there as a person who sees them as another human, not some idea of what they should or shouldn’t do as a kid. It just made me really happy to know that we don’t know each other that well and yet they wanted to trust and let me help them with whatever they wanted help with, whether it was math or some other subject.

Regarding God and when I’ve personally seen him, I would simply say that the kids are where I see a symbol of God. How each child isn’t afraid to let others know they are praying for them or their loved ones just makes me happy. The children there aren’t worried and willing to trust God and that he’ll help guide and walk them through whatever struggles they are experiencing. I would say that these kids have helped me open my eyes and see that praying isn’t just because we need help with something, it is way more than thinking of ourselves. To think about others during prayer and being grateful for what we have and for God himself. Another thing I think a lot of people don’t do is just be vulnerable and able to be there for those in need and look to God to help guide who they care about to see the good in the situation. I think overall, I’ve felt God the most with these children I have worked with and gotten the pleasure to be around. They are able to be carefree and show compassion to one another and God, which in my opinion is a great quality to be around and think about.

Caitlin Moss, Freshman, Biology Major, Anthrozoology Minor.

Today was a terrific experience for me. I was really hoping going into this immersion trip that Christ would stretch my heart and make me more receptive to receiving His grace, love, and wisdom so that I would be better able to see Him reflected in people who I encounter in my daily life. Entering into this day with a heart open to experiencing the infectious joy of these children helped me share in their little victories, and be more aware of the Lord working in the De La Salle school. Having the opportunity to be surrounded by children uncovered my eyes and allowed me to learn from these children more than they will ever know. Christ tells us that we are to be dependent like children if we are intent on truly receiving Him and sharing in his joy in Heaven. Witnessing these children at different points during their otherwise ordinary day, whether they were engaged in learning about animals in our created world or the significance of the sacrament of Confession, afforded me the privilege of seeing the world through the eyes of a child and being able to experience that for the first time in a long time. More important than phonics and multiplication tables is forming relationships, and my day abounded with friendly conversations with these kids that allowed me to truly recognize their humanity in a deep, new way. Even if these children don’t know it, they have already taught me more about life than I could ever help them to understand. In the classroom, we are continuously reminded that we are in the holy presence of God. How easy it is in the hustle and bustle of life to forget that simple yet powerful truth.

Experiencing Christ’s love through these children and trying to allow the Holy Spirit to work through me for their benefit is only part of the story. I have been amazed throughout my time at De La Salle to witness the patience, passion, and authentic love that the teachers have for the students. Yes, the teachers instruct them academically, and yes, they bring these children joy through engaging their young minds and playing games with them. Most beautiful for me, however, is to see Christ reflected in these teachers who truly care for the souls of their students. Even after the school day ended, the graces didn’t stop pouring in. The immersion students were afforded the opportunity to hear from a speaker who gave a truly authentic personal witness that was very moving. It just so happened that it was exactly what I needed to hear, spiritually speaking. In essence, words will never be able to capture what I experienced today. A good life is one that is punctuated with many beautiful moments. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, I was fortunate enough to receive more than I could have ever expected today.

Michael Faccenda, Sophomore, Political Science/International Relations Major