17 to 18

17 to 18

Monday, November 5, 2007

Looking back and Forward

Last year, I went with Mr. Magee and I believe it was 41 (?) of my classmates to Biloxi, Mississippi. I can honestly say I have never had such a great time doing service. Because there is still so much to do down there because of Hurricane Katrina, Back Bay Mission provided us with different tasks throughout the week which kept us busy and entertained.

The first day we were there I worked with about eight or nine other girls at the Commuinity Center parking lot. I was definitely not expecting to be powerwashing an entire parking lot and using a pick ax to break ground for a patio, I am not the strongest person. I was frustrated at first because I had no idea how helping seal this parking lot was so helpful to the community. Someone later explained to me that it's just the finishing touches on these projects that make them so much better. At the end of the week I saw the gorgeous patio some of the girls built all by themselves and the nicely sealed parking lot.

The rest of the week I spent one day in a soup kitchen, a few days scraping and painting a porch (as well as meeting many homeless who were living in cars in the backyard), and scraping and caulking a whole house. I learned quickly that all of these jobs took patience and a LOT of time.

The last night we were there, all of the students and adults that were on the trip got together in one big circle and shared what we learned and our experiences that touched us and that we would keep with us in our hearts from that day on. I didn't see one person in that room that wasn't crying. Biloxi was such a valuable journey for so many of us that went.

This year, I am going back to Biloxi more excited and nervous that I went last year. I hope all that are going this year will have as good as an experience as my classmates and I had last year and I know it will be wonderful. I look forward to this year and all of the new seniors coming with us!
Peace.
Annie Gerker (Senior 2008)

I Miss Biloxi

When signing up for the Biloxi experience I never could have guessed the impact that the trip would have on my life. It was only a week long, but the things that I saw and learned were lifelong lessons. I was given the opportunity to work at a place where we became very close with the owner of the house. He had little to give us, but he always greeted us with a smile, entertained us with some dancing, or encouraged our work. The work was so fun and rewarding that I never wanted to leave. Not only did we grow as individuals on this trip, but we also grew as a community. The bonds that I created with all of the girls on the trip will last me for the rest of my life and it is great to know that our hardwork has left an imprint on the people of Biloxi.

~Kung Fu Fighting~

My Biloxi Experience

Going to Biloxi was one of those experiences I have had with Nerinx that I look back on and say that it has shaped who I am and who I am becoming. A service trip like this one is something that every Nerinx girl and every girl in general should experience. Because we are so detached from the great devastation around the world and even in our own country, this trip lets us know that we are not immortal and that life is precious. It also shows the power and strength of the human spirit that emerges even in times of hardship. The smiles we saw from all the people in Biloxi who had nothing, who lost families, friends, houses, jobs; they are the images that will stick with me the longest from this trip. I want every girl at Nerinx to experience what I did in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Hannah "Boots" McHenry

Biloxi=THE GREATEST!!!

My work cites were the blue house, the parking lot, and the Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen. The Biloxi service trip was an experience that I can never get back, and it was one of the most rewarding acts of service I have ever done.

Kelsey Finnegan '08

My Experience At Back Bay Mission

My experience at Back Bay Mission was very moving for me. Before going on the trip I never thought that I could truly make someone cry from happiness at something I did for them. After I saw Sharon cry when we presented her the porch I now want to make more people cry out of happiness. This experience has showed me my true potential for what I can do in the world. I used to think that I would have to go down in the history books or do something great, but after this trip I now know that when I affect someone’s life or just their day by helping them out I will go down in their heart and they will hopefully rub off on other people. I have also noticed how I am more willing to help out people I care for or just need help.

And we begin again...

If you are reading this, you probably attended our first meeting tonight.
I think a good way to start is to remember ArchBishop Romero's prayer.

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.

The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts,
it is even beyond our vision.

We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction
of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying
that the kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the church's mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.

This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted,
knowing that they hold future promise.

We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.

We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation
in realizing that. This enables us to do something,
and to do it very well. It may be incomplete,
but it is a beginning, a step along the way,
an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest.

We may never see the end results, but that is the difference
between the master builder and the worker.

We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.
Amen.

As we start to begin our process, I hope that you keep our 2008 group
in our prayers. I have already asked those students who were part of our group in 2006 and 2007 to pray for this group.

They agreed enthusiastically, they all know what is in store for this group and enjoy thinking about where your daughter will be going.

Mr. Magee