Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 7

Today our group was tested physically and emotionally. We traveled to the Zona Sur, a barrio in southern Cochabamba. We scaled the slopes of the Andean Mountains--a journey the school children of the barrio travel everyday--to visit these children and their families. After nearly an hour of hiking unpaved roads, cliffs, and gorges in the blazing desert sun, we arrived at our first family's casa. We were greeted with great hospitality from the mother of the household; this struggling family went out of their way to purchase refrescas for us. After assisting the children with their homework, we left for another family's home at the peak of the mountain. Upon our arrival we were greeted by four young children, between the ages of one and ten, who we learned looked after themselves. Heartbroken, we took the four children to a dilapidated playground on the slope of the mountain and stayed with them until their oldest brother arrived to watch them for the remainder of the evening. After having such an intense experience and reaction it was hard not to feel hopeless as we returned to the comfort of the Brother's home and the children remained in their dismal situation on the slope of the unforgiving mountain.

-Ryan Bacci '14 and Joanna Ziegelbauer '14

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Iona in Mission (IIM): New Orleans Day 5

Today, the NOLA team finished the brick walkway into Trinity Lutheran Church. This project took three days to complete and everyone on the team was able to help out a bit. It is because of this walkway and our fine painting job that we were asked to return for a third day. We were all divided into sub groups with mini projects and we were able to see them through to completion.

At the end of the day we all sat in the grass to absorb some sun and the realization that we weren't returning to Trinity to help Steve and Erik. Our hard work paid off and they really appreciated it. It is a great feeling to know that this walkway will be one of the first things the New Orleans Community sees!

Afterwards, we went to a festival in Lafayette Square in the middle of the city. This festival is held every week by the Young Leadership Council. We were able to fully immerse ourselves into New Orleans culture! There was a live band playing great music and food, crafts, and people all around. Matt was lucky enough to meet one of the New Orleans Saints, Malcolm Jenkins, which is his favorite team. We ended the festival by dancing with two amazing locals--everyone really stepped out of their comfort zone and embraced the atmosphere.

As we walked back, in our matching purple NOLA t-shirts, a woman asked where we were from. We explained who we were and our reason for being here and she, very proudly and joyfully, thanked us for volunteering to restore her beloved city. Every bug bite, sun burn, cut, and achy muscle was worth it in that moment. All of us can't believe we only have three more days before we have to leave. NOLA has definitely left us smitten!

-Erika Enlund, '13

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Zone Azur Bolivia Day 6

 


Sandy, Bianca and Jacqui take in Zone Azur

 


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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 6

Jaqui Keeley '12, Sandy Hunter '13 and Bianca Diaz '13 in the Zone Azur.

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Iona in Mission Bolivia: Day 6

Bianca with a student at the daycare in Zona Azur

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 6 Centro Hogar

Katie Herman '12

Sarah Lonergan-Rothschild '13

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 6

Enjoying recess at Colegio San Francisco Sandy Hunter '12

Entrance to School 

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Another successful day for the NOLA team!

Tyler Conroy and Jessica Morales

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Iona in Mission (IIM): New Orleans Day 4

Today the team returned to the historical and newly renovated Trinity Church. The NOLA team returned with excitement, as their tasks from the day before had been completed and new ones were to be assigned!

Once again the team was separated into smaller groups scattered throughout the church to help get it finished by Friday. Some of the team was inside doing tasks like: painting, priming, grouting... more grouting, installing door handles and stoppers, and cutting wood for different projects. The tasks inside were excellent ways for us to continue to bond as a team, whether it was by painting someone’s arm or singing that awfully catchy tune ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic&ob=av2n ).  

While some of the team was inside, a lot of the group had ventured outside for the long task of making a brick walkway. This walk way is extremely important and significant to the re-opening of the church; it will serve as a walkway for the new congregation as well as a sign that life is continuing to burst not just in New Orleans, but in the Lower 9th Ward as well. The brick laying took longer than expected, but one of the most amazing parts of the day was when all 16 of us helped move the pile, brick by brick, to help finish a project that we had all started together. The day may have been long, and the sun may have been hot, but looking back and seeing what we did for the community and for the people of New Orleans is something that we will all remember for ever. Just the weight of one brick can be the pathway to a better future.

-PJ Kokias ‘13

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Getting ready to head back to Camp Restore

Jaime Marroquin '14, PJ Kokias '13 and Jessica Velasco '13

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NOLA team and the Brothers getting ready for the game-Go Gaels!

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Iona Basketball Game

"When the Gaels make the tournament you call the Christian Brothers and they set you up in local parish center to watch it while you are in New Orleans!"
-Luke Gregory, IIM Moderator, Residential Hall Director

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 6

Colegio San Francisco 

Today the first and sixth graders became our newest amigas today! We spent time assisting the young children of Cochabamba with their math homework, spelling and writing assignments.  We assisted the overworked profesoras with all that we possibly could.  We simultaneously learned Quechua and taught English to a packed classroom of sixth graders who were eager to learn everything they possibly could about Los Estados Unidos. We crossed new barriers today and completely stepped outside of our comfort zone to educate the bright eyed children of this magnificent city. We feel so blessed to have our education from Iona and walk onto a 35 acre, meticulous campus everyday. We hope that the students of this colegio will be able to attend a school like Iona someday.   

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Recess at Colegio San Francisco

Bianca is flooded with children looking for help with their math homework! She was incredibly popular with the students!

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 6

Later on we made dinner for the team and had a fantastic time shopping and cooking for a group of 20! We made a delicious stir fry with fresh vegetables and meat from the market. Bianca shared her expertise and made fried plantains (platanos), which were delicious!   A desert of fresh mango and pineapple rounded out the meal. The experience of shopping for ingredients and preparing the meal was amazing, as Jackie says ‘The meat market was quite the experience!’ The woman handling the meat had no problem grabbing it with her bare hands and tossing it around from person to person. At first the meat did not look very appetizing at the market, but we must say, the dinner was so delicious--everyone went back for seconds and some for thirds!

-Bianca Diaz ’13, Jacquie ‘12 and Sandy ‘13

Today, Group B:  Bianca, Jacquie and Sandy, went to the Brothers’ office in the middle of the 'Cancha' the local market. The Brothers’ mission in the market is focused on providing a secure location for working children to do their homework and escape from the chaos of the street. We spent the morning working with those children, helping with Math, Biology, and English.

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Preparing dinner for 20 Bolivia style!

Bianca Diaz '14, Jacqui Keeley '12 and Sandy Hunter '13

Brother Juan Casey, Sandy Hunter '12 and Jaqui Keeley '12

Today, Group B,Bianca, Jacquie and Sandy, went to the Brothers' office in the middle of the 'Cancha' the local market. The Brothers' mission in the market is focused on providing a secure location for working children to do their homework and escape from the chaos of the street. We spent the morning working with those children, helping with Math, Biology, and English. We were also responsible for providing dinner for the team today, and had a fantastic time shopping and cooking for a group of 20! We made a delicious stirfry with fresh vegetables and meat from the market. Bianca made fried plantains, or platanos, they were amazing. A desert of fresh mango and pineapple rounded out the meal. The experience of shopping for the ingredients and preparing the meal was great!  As Jackie says 'The meat market was quite the experience! The woman handling the meat had no problem grabbing it with her bare hands and tossing it around from person to person. Although the meat did not look very appetizing at first at the market, the dinner was so delicious! Everyone went back for seconds and some even thirds!

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Marykate, Devon and Sara with their new amigas!

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 6

In the morning we went to a day care center for young children ages 2-8 years old. We were able to spend time with several of the children. As we began to learn more about the children we are working with, we learned the hardships that the students endure. It brought to life the vicious cycle that poverty provokes and the ways in which everyone suffers whether through neglect or abuse. This heartbreaking reality brought tears to ours because of the way children are exposed to difficulties that we have never had to endure. It made us reflect a lot on our lives and how fortunate we are to have had the childhood that we did.

Following lunch, we unexpectedly climbed a mountain to a Center of Support for Children and Health owned by sisters of the community. As we climbed the mountain, children began to walk with us towards the top calling us ¨hermanitas¨. They were all very happy to see us! We finally reached the top of the mountain with 60 children at this point! We played games with them including: four corners, futbol, Simon Says, jump rope, to name a few. Today we truly connected with the children of Cochabamba.

-Sara Gonzalez '13, Marykate Karnes '12 and Devon Clifford '12

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Sara, Marykate and Devon at the center

 All smiles!  

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Working hard to rebuild Trinity Lutheran Church

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The whole team at Trinity Lutheran Church

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Iona in Mission (IIM) New Orleans Day 3

Today was our official first day at work on our mission. We had the gratifying opportunity to help restore The Trinity Lutheran Church located in the Lower 9th Ward which was destroyed in Hurricane Katrina. Camp Restore set us up with Steve and his team to work this project that his team has been working on for two years. What is truly significant about our experience is that this is the final week that Steve and his team will be working on the church because it is opening on Easter for all the community to see.   How special that Iona's NOLA team gets to be a part of that!!!

 

After arriving on the work site at 8:00am our group was divided into teams to do various jobs including putting tape around the molding, painting, tiling, grouting, spackling, and cleaning. Our group all came together to help transport bricks from a truck to the front entrance which some of us had fun with it trying to make it a competition of who could carry the most bricks. I worked with Tyler and Jaclyn on painting  about 10 doors throughout the day which we also made fun by listening and singing to music and getting to know each other more. Sarah and Rina had fun painting the molding throughout the entire building and kept the entire teams spirits high with their jokes and laughter. Travis, Jaime, and PJ worked with one of Steve;s men  on grouting and tiling the kitchen area.

 

Moderators Jess and Luke worked together spackling the wood that will be used for the church aisle columns. Whether we were painting, moving bricks, or cleaning we knew that we were overall making a difference to restore this church for the Lower 9th Ward community. The fact that the building is not only used as a church but also as a food pantry for motivated us to work even harder!  We are looking forward to returning tomorrow! Tyler Conroy said “After only three days, the team already feels like a family.  I cannot wait to continue this week with them serving and working with the community of New Orleans”.


-Merissa Doyle ‘12

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Trinity Lutheran Church

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Iona in Mission (IIM): New Orleans Day 2

Today was a more relaxing day in New Orleans. This morning, we all gathered in the dining hall for breakfast, cereal was the top (and only) choice for all. At 12:30am we visited the large campus of Xavier University for mass. We were pretty much the first ones there, but once the crowds came in the church filled with life and culture. The priest gave mass and introduced our Iona in Mission team to all who attended. Our entire team is really into music so it was no surprise when many of us were clapping along to the chorus. When we ventured back to Camp Restore we were more relaxed.  We played card games, and basketball,. Speaking of basketball, the NCAA conference selection show was on ESPN. We were anxious to see if Iona would be chosen and to our surprise they were! As Gaels we were so proud to see our fellow classmates succeed!!!

 

Then we gathered together for reflection. This reflection was truly special for all of us because we bonded over connections we had and got to know each other more than we did before the trip.

-Laura Furlipa ‘14

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 5

Today we separated into our groups at 6:30am in the morning! Our group went to Centro de Hermano Manolo which is an office that the Brothers started up two years ago for young boys who are in school and need help with homework and a support group. We assisted a few students with their homework, in particular one boy named Raul who was very vigilant and excited about school, considering he works as a construction worker. We helped him with some homework and memorizing the Our Father in English. We also were able to learn a lot about his life. It was a very rewarding experience.

Every night for dinner a person or group is in charge of cooking dinner. Tonight was our groups night and we spent time together in the kitchen which was such a great memory and a genuine bonding experience. We shared laughter as we created our own new dish which turned out to be very delicious and approved by all. The whole experience was amazing because what is normally seen as a chore for some was a fun upbeat experience for the three of us. It is hard to believe that three strangers are able to become so close in a matter of a few days.

During the reflection we heard about everyone's day and their experiences at the places they volunteered at. It was so inspiring to hear the stories of the way their interactions today touched their hearts! We are so excited to see what happens tomorrow!!!

-Sara Gonzalez '13, Marykate Karnes '12 and Devon Clifford '12

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Iona in Mission: Bolivia Day 5

Today we spent our morning at Colegio San Francisco; this is a local school in the Southern part of Cochabamba which is also the poorer end of the city. The morning session is from 8am to 1130am for children in grades kindergarten-fifth. We first arrived and the whole school was in a formation outside in the recess yard. The teachers began the day talking to all of them in a big group along with making announcements, singing songs and sayingthe national anthem while raising the flag. My self, Sandy and Bianca then split up into three separate classrooms of first graders.

During the first period we were all surprised to see the lack of hands-on involvement between the teachers and students. It was simply involving teaching them numbers and writing them over again on the board and then tranferring it to their notebook. Then came recess, this was our favorite part and a huge shock to us! All three of us exited our classrooms and were immediately trampled with dozens of kids just wanting to hug us, hold our hands, and have their picture taken. Through that 20 minute recess I lost a lot of hair because of the children constantly playing with it and pulling at me. Sandy lost a lot of arm hair, while Bianca almost fell over because of the huge crowd attached to her legs--they were so excited to have us there!

Then we started second period where we were all amazed to see that the teachers gave an assignment then left the classroom with just us to control 35 first graders. We learned from Javier that it is very common for the teachers to leave all age groups alone in the classroom for extended amount of periods. At this point chaos broke loose we had children climbing in and out of the windows of the classroom, along with wrestling one another on the floor and desks, they stretched Sandy's t-shirt (which is now too big!) Clearly, a rambunctious group! They put us to the test!

Right now we have arrived back at the house for lunch. at 130 we will head back to the school to meet and help with the highschool students. all three of us are very excited and looking forward to the rest of the day!

-Bianca Diaz 13'Jackie Keeley '12 and Sandy Hunter '13

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The Christian Brothers' House in Bolivia

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 5

Hogar Maria Auxiliadora

Today, our lives changed forever. We entered into a home where 45 abandoned and orphaned girls of the city of Cochabamba live together, have made a family out of strangers and finally have a safe place to come back to at the end of the day. We learned today that the mere presence of compassion, love and kindness do more for tortured souls than any amount of money or toys. We saw five year old children wash their own clothes with dirty water carried from the orphanage well. We saw precious children find joy in our smiles and hugs. We saw the sisters as the mothers to 45 girls whose parents left them on the street. We saw girls 5-18 years old use makeshift notebooks to educate themselves and come prepared to school with their homework. This experience opened our eyes: what can we do to take back that light from their beautiful brown eyes?  What can we do to continue to make a difference in their lives, what will we bring home with us to share with the Iona community to tell their story? 

-Christina DeCrescenzo, IIM Moderator, Admissions Counselor  ‘08

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Day 2 Xavier University Mass

This morning we went to mass at Xavier University. It was wonderful to celebrate mass with other college students!

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Iona in Mission (IIM): New Orleans trip day 1

We made our way to the French Quarter later that day. There, we got to walk around and explore one of the most beautiful and festive cities in the world with such famous restaurants and shops. Cafe Du Monde was one among those where we stopped to get a traditional New Orleans treat, beignets (fried dough with powdered sugar) and cafe au lait (famous french coffee with steamed milk)—yummy!   We watched an Italian parade go through the city's streets and saw the festivities that, what seemed like, the entire city was there to celebrate for. Before we went home, we stopped at the famous Momma's Kitchen for those who wanted to get their crawfish etoufe fix.
 

After a long, exhausting day of uncovering the beautiful and memorable streets of New Orleans, we headed back to the Camp Restore. We reflected on our feelings and thoughts about the day and how it affected us. We saw two very different sides of the same city today: the side that was destroyed the most from the natural disaster, that is continuing to strive for rehabilitation and construction. Then, there was the side that was full of life and celebration, that has overcome one of the worst disasters with hope and strength.

The first day of our trip has definitely set the precedent for what we expect to be an amazing and memorable time here. We are looking forward to getting our mission started!  NOLA 2012 IS THE BEST!!! :)

 

-Rina Colamarino ’13 and Sarah Lucas ‘13

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IIM NOLA Moderators Luke Gregory and Jessica Morales

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Hurricane Katrina Water Level Monument

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Iona in Mission (IIM): New Orleans Trip Day 1

Today was, to say the least, amazing! Our first stop in New Orleans was Parkway Bakery for Po' Boys, a delicious, well-known Po' Boy (sandwich) shop. This restaurant started in 1911 and is still serving delicious fried catfish and grilled chicken Po' Boys. Most of us tried to get sandwiches that were out of our comfort zone-alligator! Everyone enjoyed their sandwich!

The next stop was Camp Restore, the organization we are partnering with this week to volunteer at sites such as The ARC garden and bead recycling and a nearby church. We will stay at Camp and volunteer at the sites they send us to. We took a tour of the camp grounds and moved into our designated rooms. After settling in, we drove to the Lower 9th Ward. We were all amazed at what was there and what was no longer there. We saw driveways and stairs that once led to a house that had been destroyed and demolished. We saw completely new and modern houses that were part of Brad Pitt's Make it Right Project. We drove up to the levy that broke from the hurricane and in those moments, everything seemed so much more real and despairing.

We parked the cars to walk around and take pictures under the memorial. As we reminisced about the destruction and the events that occurred there only six years ago, to our very much surprise, Russell Brand (a British comedian and actor) passed by, greeted, and took pictures with the group. From then on, our spirits lifted and the IIM NOLA 2012 team officially had our first memory in NOLA together that we will never forget.

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What a beautiful view-que lindo!

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Ioan in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Day 4

Today we had the chance to sleep in since mass started at 10:30, and even that was on ¨Bolivian Time,¨ meaning anywhere from 20 minutes to a half hour after the stated time of commencement. As people straggled from bed, we enjoyed a breakfast of fresh fruit from the market, bread and avocado.   

 

We went to mass and as a large group of ¨gringos¨ we quickly became the center of attention!  Then, we returned for lunch—again delicious!   Shortly after our almuerzo Father Steve Judd, from Butte, Montana, who works with the Maryknoll Language School in Cochabamba presented on the history and culture of Bolivia.

 

Following the presentation we went for a walk around Cochabamba’s central lake, a distance of around five miles. We have been doing a lot of walking and some of us are starting to get sore! After returning to the house we prepared for dinner at Dumbo’s, a traditional Bolivian restaurant. We sang happy birthday and smeared Christina’s face with cake since the Brothers and Sara decided to tell the wait staff that it was her birthday—feliz cumpleanos Christina!!

 

The walk home was fun, filled with interaction with each other and vendors. We’re fairly sure that Bianca was proposed to by a vendor, who presented her with a ring. Upon arriving back in the house, we had an intense and thoughtful reflection. We are all growing so close and having such a phenomenal time! We are so excited to begin working in the city tomorrow!

 

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Trip Day 3

Today was a day of complete cultural immersion—and a little culture shock too!

 

It was a long day full of surprises and incredible sights. We started the day off early, with morning prayers and traditional South American Mate tea, followed by a breakfast of bread with avocado—delicioso!

 

Our group went into the market in town and was captivated by the sights, smells and sounds of the market and all the unique vendors.  Brother Juan tasked each of us with buying an item needed in the house at the market - a particular adventure for those of us not comfortable in Espanol. Hunts through the market for such hard to find items as pineapple (pina), which seemed to be the only fruit not easily available this season had the group running back and forth.

 

After our trip through the market we had our first meeting with the street children.  Brothers Javier, Renato, and Eduardo had organized a game of soccer for the boys and we had the opportunity to participate and cheer them on! 

 

At the Brothers’ house we enjoyed “Dermott’s lamb stew”.  At this point in our Bolivian adventure we have had an Italian dinner and an Irish lunch, no one thought this would be the case! After a siesta, we took an adventurous taxi ride to the top of a nearby mountain where the Cristo de la Concordia is located. The enormous statue of Christ was awe inspiring.  The views of Cochabamba and the surrounding mountains took our breath away. Some of the group braved the climb within the statue to take in even more incredible views, while others opted to take a cable car down from the Cristo statue.  The bravest of the group walked down the 1,000 steps to the city level.

 

The day was rounded off by a visit from the Sisters of Maria, Mother of the Church, who led us in the K’oa ritual, a traditional Andean welcoming rite. We had Chaufa (fried rice) dinner, prepared by Saul, and followed by a marvelous dancing session with the Sisters. We all embarrassed ourselves in attempting to follow the moves they taught us.   

 

 

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Iona in Mission (IIM): Bolivia Trip Day 2

 

We have finally arrived in Cochabamba! Our trip ended up being an incredible journey spanning from New York to Bolivia a total of 27 hours, three flights and changes in elevation of 12,000 feet—a unique trip to say the least.  Now, that we are here the journey was worth every second!

 

It is amazing how the team has bonded during the time we spent traveling.  We are already great amigos!  Although we are just getting to know one another it is as if we have been together for months. We were so excited as we flew over the Andes Mountains, the views were spectacular! We could hardly contain our excitement as we disembarked from the plane.  The number of hugs and screaming must not be the norm.

 

We were warmly greeted by two of the Christian Brothers: Eduardo, and Steven (both proud Gaels). They accompanied us back to the Christian Brothers’ house where we were greeted with a traditional Bolivian meal—spaghetti!!  We have been welcomed with such generosity and feel so privileged to be here.  All the Brothers have been fantastico! We are so grateful to Juan, Eduardo, Steve, Renato, Javier, Saul, Francisco, Dermot and Elser—muchas gracias!!

 

-IIM co-student leaders Sara Gonzalez ’13 Sandy Hunter, ’13

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Bolivia Day 1

IIM Bolivia Team at the airport--just the ladies! 

We are all so excited to be on our way to Bolivia! Waiting in the airport seems like an eternity—as if Bolivia is incredibly close and yet so far away. No one really believes yet that we are finally on our way to our destination. We can’t contain our excitement!

-Sara Gonzalez, 13'

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IIM New Orleans 2012 at the airport!

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Llegamos a Cochambamba! We arrived to the Brother house! Will post more tomorrow-stay tuned!

Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

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37 Seconds of Silence for China

Thursday, March 8th the Iona in Mission committee held a 37 seconds prayer service.  

China's One-Child Policy is leading to the gendercide of girls.  37 million girls have been lost, but the policy continues...

Lead your school, church or other group in 37 Seconds of Silence to remember the girls who will never have a voice. Your silence promotes awareness and increases support for All Girls Allowed.

Read more: http://www.allgirlsallowed.org/37seconds#ixzz1oulnKfZn

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