Nerves!

Well...

In less than three hours I will be packing into our car and heading down to O'Hare. From there I will be taking a 5:40 am flight to Alanta, followed by a plane switch that will take me to St. Lucia. My friend Magnus will be picking me up and taking me to the place I am staying! I have started to get nervous as this is my first time ever traveling alone. My friend Caitlin reminded me that I managed to survive four months in a country where I spoke none of the language, so I should be fine flying down by myself. Well that helped, until I started thinking of all the things that could go wrong on my trip!

For now though...I am just praying that I make it to the plane switch and that Magnus will be there when I get to the air port so that I don't have to find my own way around the island.

This will be my last post from America, the next time you hear from me I will be on the beautiful island of St. Lucia. Please keep me in your prayers, as well as the kids and workers at the orphanage, and my sister and cousin for when they join me in a few weeks!

Love to you all

Amy

St. Lucia-Island of Love

In January of 2008, I traveled to the beautiful island of St. Lucia, located in the West Indies. The two weeks I spend on the island changed my life dramatically. I would like to share a tiny bit about my experience there, as well as tell you about my upcoming mission back to St. Lucia.

After fifteen hours of traveling, I stepped off of a small plane into a beautiful, breath-taking land. I knew immediately why people fell in love with this country. On Sunday morning, we awoke bright and early to go to Mass. St. Lucian's run on their own time, and the priest, Paba, started a half hour late. But it was well worth the wait. It was everything a mass should be. The children go up in the front and answered questions about the Epiphany. The teens and children participated as lectors and choir members. The music they sang and the way they sang was what I have always longed for in a Mass. It was uplifting and joyful-they were on fire for God. At the sign of peace, people literally got up and walked across the entire Church hugging one another. I felt God's presence at that Mass like I had never felt before.

In St. Lucia, I had the chance to work with a mixture of different people in diverse places. I got spent a few days working at Upton Gardens, a center for abused girls. I was blessed to work with the Mother Theresa sisters in their nursing home that they ran. I spent a few days at the boys training caility (mch like and American Rawhide), where I got to work with young boys who were struggling to become better men. I got the chance to work at Corpus Christis, a nursery and daycare. I was privileged to paint one of the three houses that we built while in St. Lucia. I spent the day with cognitevely delyaed children of all ages, learning fom and with them. I had the opportuniyt to work at a traingin shchool for teens decided what trade they would go tinto for their futures. I got to visit the St. Lucia prison, where I spent time with women who were incarcerated. I was honoerred to help serve schildren at a soup kithcen with the Mother Theresa sisters. I learned worship songs form the beautiful elderly ladies at the nursing home. I danced with the St. Lucian's to their local music and steel bands. I ate fresh fruit and locial cuisine tha tmy friends in the kitchen made. And I made friendships with people I thought I might never get to see again, but who will always be in my heart; Unafa, Sextist, Magnus, Lydia, St. Omar, Hilary, Herman, Keisha and many more.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to travel to the place where I left a piece of my heart, and be reunited with these wonderful people once again. On June 30th, I will be boarding a plane and heading down to the island that I have come to love so much. I will be traveling alone, and have the opportunity to work at St. Lucia's orphanage, The Holy Family Children's Home.

The Holy Family Children's Home was founded in 1997 by the Archdiocese of Castries in collaboration with the Good News Project, Inc. from Wisconsin (the group I originally went down with), and the Dominican Sisters of Our Lady of Delivrande. The Home is a charitable organization managed by the Dominican Sisters with the help of a Board and administrative staff. The rapid growth of the Home over the last ten years is illustrated:

*In its present capacity to accommodate 21 children in two houses.

*In the progress of the children's psycho-social and educational development.

*Most of the children are at primary and secondary schools. Some have completed their secondary education and one is now at a tertiary institution.

Their mission is to provide a loving and secure temporary home for children who are abandoned, orphaned, neglected or abused in their living environments, with a view to making long term provisions for their care within a family atmosphere which is stable as well as socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually enriching.

On the 18th of July, my younger sister Bailey, and my cousin Lauren will be joining me in St. Lucia to work there with me. We will all be flying back together on the 30th of July. Please keep their travels in your prayers!

Tonight I will be leaving to O'Hare to fly out to st. Lucia. I will try to blog as much as I can. Please keep me in your prayers as I am on this journey! Feel free to comment on my blogs as well!

Love

Amy