I would to venture to say that for the past 4 weeks, I've got to experience a bit of heaven on earth.
Every morning, my alarm sounds at a not so heavenly 6:15. I roll out of bed and often waltz to my Holy Hour. I get to spend my early mornings sitting in front of Love itself. Camp has taught me a lot already. Here are a few highlights I think you'll enjoy from the past few weeks.
Training Week
Service Crew had the job of finishing camp set up after our official "Work Week" was complete. It feels like an eternity ago, but we did a lot of decorating and final cleanings. Fr. John Ignatius from the Servants of Christ Jesus was with us for the week! He led all the summer missionaries in some formation. We talked a lot about the Holy Spirit and really gained a better understanding of our mission for the summer.
The night before camp started, the summer missionaries climbed to the top of glassy mountain which overlooks Covecrest. From there, we prayed over our beautiful little camp, for the campers, the chaperons, the priests, the summer missionaries, our host and musicians. I got to help lead praise and worship for the community with my good friend, Thomas, ON TOP OF A MOUNTAIN.
I've really been blessed in the past couple weeks with the opportunity to lead my brothers and sisters in song both during mass and before sessions. And to think, last year I didn't even know how to play guitar very well.
Usually the last day before camp starts is something called "Desert Day" where as a community we enter into silence for the entirety of a day, but since there were a lot of things at camp that needed to be completed, the service crew was not able to take part in Desert Day. Instead, we worked hard all day and concluded our day with lots of DESSERTS! We may not have had a Desert Day, but we had Dessert Day, which was pretty awesome.
Week 1: Campers are here!
Oh the joy of having campers at camp! Week 1 was super awesome. Every Monday morning, the men of camp circle up and participate in what I like to call, "Man-chant Monday." These awesome men of God gather right after mass and make lots of noise. Check out the video here: http://instagram.com/p/oviVQaAIAo/
Joel Stepanick was our host and our musician was Emily Wilson, both awesome Life Teen peeps who really have a heart for youth ministry.
It was wonderful to finally have teens in the Outpost, buying things, talking with us! (US referes to my beautiful partner in crime, Anna. She loves Jesus, Bacon, and Naps. in that order.)
Although I don't have a day off during the week, I do get some free time on Wednesdays and Thursdays. This leaves plenty of time for runs to town, specifically ChickFilA. Us northerners are most certainly deprived creatures. ChickFilA should be everywhere. Just another reason why I love the south.
My favorite Puertorican priest, Fr. Jose (Don't worry Fr. Juan, you're still my favorite Colombian priest;)) was here this week too! On Friday evening, Fr Jose bought about 50 boxes of ChickFilA nuggets for the summer missionaries and threw us a dance party in Mike's Place. After all the campers left, our weekend was spent relaxing on the lake and taking some deep breaths after a crazy week!
Week 2: SO MUCH JOY
A new Monday morning brought new priests, new musicians, and of course, MORE CAMPERS! This week we had the pleasure of meeting Brennen Cull our host and Anthony Muhs our musician! Anthony is from New York so it was great to have another Northeastern up here. A highlight of the week was DEFINITELY mass with the Bishop of Haiti. Bishop Dumas was ORDAINED by the one and only St. John Paul II. That right, you read it correctly. ORDAINED by John Paul II.
I felt so blessed to get to be at mass with him! Another joyful moment was getting a care package from home.
(PS I love care packages and letters.
Life Teen Covecrest
Aimee St. Germain
25 Falls Drive
Tiger, GA 30576)
The summer missionaries all had a blast at the Tiger Drive-In movie theater this past Saturday. It was great to get some community time and really just enjoy each other's company.
This past Sunday was Father's Day. It was definitely a challenge to not be home with family, but my prayers were with all the father figures in my life, especially the one and only Guy St. Germain, (maaa daddddy)
Some other random pieces of excitement:
- According to my roommates, I sleep talk. A lot.
- This week we have Jackie Francois Angel, Bobby Angel, and Fr. Mike Schmitz with us! AHHH! and Hailee Palony, my good friend from last summer is visiting with her fiance Michael THIS FRIDAY!
- Since being here, I have become accustomed to being called ma'am and have been referring to groups of individuals as "y'all"
Please keep us all in your prayers! I promise I'll update weekly ;)
Be assured of my prayers!
