From the Mountains to the Streets.

We ended training by going on a camping trip in the Rockies. I can just see that some of you think this is an amazing opportunity and would love to have been able to have such an experience. I have come to realize that I do not like "relaxing" weekends where in all actuality I am more tired and in lots of pain. I will say that I love the sitting around the campfire aspect of camping, but not so much the hiking.

The view was beautiful, but I don't think I would do it again just for the view. I realized I am much more of an ocean person. Overall, the weekend was not meant to be just about the view and relaxing, but about community bonding. It was a very fruitful weekend.

Hitting the streets...well kind of. We each were assigned different jobs for this next year. I was assigned to Annunciation parish. It is a primarily Latino community and I will be working with the youth and heading up an initiative called Migrant Ministry. What does Migrant Ministry consist of you might ask? (cause I asked that too) Father has a heart for immigrants and there is a lot people don't know or even understand when it comes to Latino immigrants. Well, here is the reality some immigrants are brought here to work fields. The main contractor goes down to some poor little town in Central America and hire these workers brings them over legally (work permit), but then never allows them to leave the premises. It is contracted slave work. These men leave their families and everything behind to be housed in shabby trailers out in the middle of nowhere. You can say well at least that have a job, but if you could see how lost and alone these men are. How much fear is put into them by their boss it is unjust, but such is life. Here is the worst part. The owners then the following year don't bring contracted workers because it cost to much. He just then waits for them to somehow get here...which isn't always legal, or just hires people who are already here and doesn't have to pay them as much, but they are all still confined to the same premises.

Well, it is hard to go out into the fields to talk to these men, but today we did. We went to ask them if they would be open to having a mass and dinner. Father just wants to offer them any community they will receive. We were successful. They said yes even though they hesitated for fear of their boss not letting them, but please keep this particular mission in your prayers. One man asked if there is someway he could do his first communion...it broke my heart, but hopefully something will be done for him.

Another aspect of my job is called Homeless Taskforce. We are trying to create a model that Christ in the City will hopefully eventually be, but in the meantime we are working with homeless shelters and food banks to get a feel for things. Tomorrow we are doing street ministry, which entails just building relationship with the homeless. They are human and deserve to be listened to just like anyone else.

All in all, things have been really intense. A lot of things going on inside me that I have not yet really had time to process, but the Lord truly provides the graces.

I miss you all.  I really do. But the Lord has us each exactly where He can love us best, so let us embrace that love even when we feel we don't deserve it.

It is also my brother, Luis' and my uncle Gus' birthday today if you could say a prayer for them I would really appreciate that. Thank you.

I beginning to understand why the Lord in all of His ministry needed to retreat and have His alone time. Please pray that I may find that balance in serving Him and still serving my own needs.

In His grip,
Irms