Another 2nd Generation Mission Leader Speaks

This blog was written by Stefan Balcer.  Stefan graduated from Helias in 2011 and is a veteran mission tripper.  He was also one of the members of the Helias football team who made it to the Dome twice.  Stefan has also been active with Life Teen.  At the beginning of his senior year, he and Alex Eickhoff were the leaders of the Frosh Camp.  Stefan is a sophomore at Mississippi State University where he is studying to become an architect.

Stefan is on the far right.  This is on the 2011 Memphis Mission where he served as a chaperon.

Missions have become a big part of life. I went on my first mission trip in December of my junior year. I had spent the prior summer with the group that had gone on the Springfield, IL mission trip. I saw how close this group had become over the trip, no matter if they were a freshman or a senior. I can still remember standing in Mr. Aur’s kitchen and telling him that I WAS GOING on the next mission trip, no matter what. I signed up for the Memphis mission trip, and was selected to go. I was nervous going on the trip, because I didn’t really know what to expect and there weren’t many of my friends going. I now realize that it doesn’t matter who you’re with because you are all there for the same reason, to serve. The motto for this trip was “Do something bigger than yourself”. I thought that I had accomplished this by just going on the trip, but I was wrong. Taking this statement to the fullest was being completely selfless and to do everything for others that you could. This trip was the beginning of my service journey. After the completion of trip I was instantly hooked.

Stefan working on a Habitat Home in Springfield, IL

I then went on to participate in the St. Louis trip that coming January. That trip will always be one of my favorites. Working in the sheltered workshops on long side the workers is a true reality check. We always complain how bad our life is or what we might be going through, and never take the time to “stop and smell the roses”. These people are full of love and joy that I have never seen in anyone else in my life. It was amazing to me how these people could be so open and so loving to strangers and not think anything of it. They taught me that no matter your situation, you should take the time and enjoy life. 

Group from Helias & O'Hara who helped rebuild the church in the background.

The next trip was Mexico, which I never would have gone if Jonathan Aur would have not encouraged me to do so. And I’m so glad he was so persistent in getting me to go. Mexico is by far my most memorable mission trip, and most humbling. It was not until I went to Mexico and served in the slums of Hermosillo, or the surrounding villages that I understood what poverty really was. These people had next to nothing and would give anything they could to you; to make sure you were comfortable. I also learned a lot about true faith on this trip. Even though these people lived in such horrible conditions they had a faith stronger than anything I could imagine. In a letter that a friend wrote to me on the trip she said, “It isn’t all about your “religion” but more about your “relationship” with God”. This really hit me and still sticks with me to this day.

Stefan on the 2010 Mexico Mission

In June, I participated on the Springfield mission trip. It was the true definition of “serving others”. Building a home for someone is something I think everyone should help do. Helping out someone in your community is truly giving of yourself. The gratification you get from seeing someone so thankful for you helping to provide them with a home might be one of the greatest experiences ever. I then went on to serve on the St. Louis and Springfield mission trips my senior year. I went off to college in Mississippi and volunteered with the Oktibbeha County Habitat for Humanity to help build a house. This experience was more of a “real life mission” for me because it was me going out on my own to help others.

Stefan working at WORTH Industries in St. Louis

I then chaperoned the Memphis mission trip. This trip was very special to me because it was where I had begun my mission journey. It all became very clear to me that these missions have a special place in my heart, since I was returning as an alumnus to help. My mission experience came full circle in Memphis. I was able to stand back and look at the high school kids and think how things have changed. It made me wish that they knew how much these missions not only effected who we helped, but also changed us as well. It made me proud to see these kids give up their time to help others. I am looking forward to returning to Springfield in June, this time as a chaperon. I hope to come out with the same thoughts as I did from Memphis. I don’t think I have to worry about that too much though. Helias is full of special kids who are willing to help, and the mission trips really help to show that. In short, the mission trips have changed my life, for the better. I really want to thank Mr. Aur for the endless hours he spends to make sure these trips happen. His dedication is inspirational. Go out and “Do something bigger than yourself”!

Helias Grad Volunteering In Liverpool

     Adam Frazier graduated from Helias in 2007.  From there, he attended Xavier University earning a bachelor's degree.  Here is where his narrative begins.

Adam playing soccer for Helias during his senior year.

     In September of 2011, I flew to Liverpool to begin my Vincentian Volunteer year.  I have spent the last 8 months living in community with two other volunteers, Patrick from North Carolina and Lisa from Indonesia. My two placements are at St. Vincent’s School for Sensory Impairment and Other Needs where I spend 3 days a week and the other placement has me spending 2 days a week in the Visual Rehabilitation Center at Christopher Grange.
      I choose to spend a year with the Vincentian Volunteers after a long, hard look at my claim to be a Roman Catholic. I am a product of Catholic schools, and without them I would not be here right now. Helias and Xavier taught me what it meant to be a Roman Catholic and how to practice my faith – not just say I am a Catholic or occupy a pew on Sundays. In May of 2011, I was accepted into the Vincentian Volunteers program. I was excited to embark upon this journey to live in a different country and serve the poor. Serve the poor. What does that mean?
     St. Vincent de Paul says, “You will find out that Charity is a heavy burden to carry, heavier than the kettle of soup and the full basket. But you will keep your gentleness and your smile. It is not enough to give soup and bread. This the rich can do. You are the servant of the poor, always smiling and good-humored. They are your masters, terribly sensitive and exacting master you will see. And the uglier and the dirtier they will be, the more unjust and insulting, the more love you must give them. It is only for your love alone that the poor will forgive you the bread you give to them.” Boy was he right.
      

     At St. Vincents, I work with the ‘post 16’ form. These 7 students each have a visual impairment of some degree and most have an additional impairment (physical, behavioral, or both). I work as a learning support assistant during the lessons. The school is residential and so two nights a week I accompany some of the students and residential care staff to off campus activities. The two activities I go to are Daisy Club which is a youth club put on by Daisy UK which offers youth clubs for disabled children. The other activity is horse riding at a local stable.
The other activities offered to the children include dance class, football training, and rock climbing. It is important to not provide the children with an accessible education but also to provide age appropriate recreational activities.
       At Christopher Grange I am an extra set of hands to help out the rehabilitation officers. At Christopher Grange, service users are taught living, cooking, mobility, and computer skills for their new lifestyle. Recently, the rehab center has secured a contract with the largest taxi firm in Merseyside to provide Visual Impairment Awareness Training to the drivers of the entire fleet. This came after receiving complaints from our service users about the problems they face
using taxis. I play a major role in this training and it has received positive remarks from all those who have taken the course.
      The love I have for the children and service users grows with each day. They can be difficult at times, and it is in times I remember this quote. The best I can do is simply be there for the children and service users – to offer my hand of friendship to those society would wish to ignore or discard. There is a lot of bitterness and anger when it comes to those who have had sight and lost it. I simply can be there for them – the gift of myself and my time is all I have to offer, but it is a treasured gift.

Final Letter from Heart's Home Mission

Jonathan’s Letter # 4 - May 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

As month nine is coming to an end, we are starting to prepare for my return to the United States. Things have been going hard here and I don’t see it letting up any time soon. As I said in my last letter, Mayra and Yesse finished their missions and went home. There are now four of us here. I currently live with three Argentinians named Guilhermina, Nicolas, and Nany. It has been a big transition period since their departures but things are slowly getting back to normal.

A Different Kind of Mission

On March 18^th, I went with Fr. Arnaud and the new head of Heart’s Home, Fr. Guilherme, to Rio de Janeiro for ten days to work. It was an incredible experience. We worked like crazy with our talks on the radio, lectures, and testimonies in front of large groups, etc. The purpose of our time in Rio was to spread the word about Heart’s Home and that we did. It was an honor to get chosen to represent Heart’s Home in such a way.

Jonathan, Gabby & Kaka

Some More Friends

Ninha - I know I already told you all about Ninha but I just wanted to let you all know that João Guilherme is due June 10. Also, Gabby now can say my name.

W. - When I arrived last July, W. was at our house almost every day. His relationship with our house was as strong, if not stronger than any. He was also a great friend of mine. W. was a great person with only one defect. He was the head drug trafficker of the area. W. didn’t let his work life and his personal life get mixed up too much until one day he killed a co-worker of his. After that day, W.’s life turned upside down. Things just went from bad to worse. We did everything we could to try and get him to leave the drugs and get out the city. A lot of time passed without hearing from W. until one day I received a phone call. It was W.. He told me that he had left the drug industry completely and was living in a city a few hours outside of Simões Filho. It was a miracle. W. was able to do the impossible. I was very happy about what he had done until a few weeks ago I had an encounter with W. again but it was different than our normal encounters. He was runni ng away from the police after robbing a school and was trying to break into our house. It was a very difficult thing that happened, not because he was trying to rob us, but because the life he has reentered will only end in death.

L. - L. is our 17-year-old next door neighbor. She is someone to be looked at as an inspiration to all of us. Lau has 4 sisters who all got pregnant when they were sixteen or younger. She lives in a two room house with her mother. She is surrounded by a world of sex, drugs, and alcohol. But, thankfully, L. has spent every afternoon at our house since the day it opened. She knows our daily prayers better than we do. She goes to church at least 4 times a week. And on top of all this, L. has dreams. This may sound silly to many of us Americans who live in a country filled with dreams but remember, this neighborhood doesn’t exactly produce dreams. L. wants to be a doctor. She says she doesn’t want a boyfriend because that only will distract her. This girl came from nothing but she wants everything. We have already made a promise within our house that we will do anything it takes to make her dreams come true. We have already taken her to the Medical University in Sa lvador and that is just the start of it. L. is truly an example of why we continue when things get tough.

Donha N. - Donha N. is another inspiring woman in our lives. She calls us her white children and she treats us like it, too. Donha N. is a proud mother of nine, is seventy-eight, and lives with her daughter and three sisters. At the age of seventy-eight, Donha N. has still not taken a single day in her life for just her. She passes most of her time taking care of her sisters and daughter. M. , her daughter, has the mental capacity of a toddler due to drugs. B., her sister, has breast cancer. M., her other sister, suffers from a rare skin disease that slowly eats away at her skin. D. N. is never down in the dumps, sad, or without hope. Every time she tells us about something wrong in her life she ends the story with a big smile and the words, “It’s okay because I am in God’s hands and if I stay there, I’ll be good.”

Donha M. - Eighteen years ago, D. M. took in the daughter of a friend who didn’t have the means to take care of her. A few years ago, the daughter became very involved in drugs and prostitution. She ended up getting pregnant. Her son, D., is one of the cutest babies I have ever seen. D. stayed with D. M. every day, all day. The daughter managed to get out of the drugs and prostitution but went straight to the police to clear her name. When her “ex co-workers” found out, they kidnapped, raped, and killed her. Since D. M. is not D.’s real grandmother, she lost custody. She has now lost her daughter and grandson.

Work On Top of Work

A few months ago, four young boys playing soccer at the bottom of the favela were killed by stray bullets. We immediately decided we needed to do something. We now have a project in progress to build a small soccer field in our back yard. This area will also be used for Mass, Permanences, Gatherings, etc. It is a project that will also ensure the safety of our house. It has been a great experience for me to have started this project and carried it to the point I have for the next head of the household and community to continue. It has also worn me out. Our days don’t leave much time for ourselves but the project is all in order. We have also asked for local help on this project. Just this morning I met with the mayor and a city council member to see about receiving help from the city. This is work I never imagined I would be doing throughout my mission but it is more rewarding than I ever could have imagined.

Adrian, Nany, myself, Guillermina

The Last Bit

I received my ticket for my flight back home already. I closed my eyes and just like that, almost ten months have gone by like nothing. My “despedida” (farewell) process has already started. It is my preparation to go back home. It normally takes about a month to say goodbye to everyone and invite them to my farewell mass. It is also a big preparation for the people of the neighborhood as well. It is never easy for any of us to say good bye... especially when we don’t know when the next time will be that we see that person. I am sure many tears will be shed but also many memories made. I will let you all know how it turns out when I have my feet back on American soil. It looks like I will be arriving at the Columbia Airport at 3:00 pm on June 15. Until then!

In Him,
Jonathan Aur

Easter From Friends

This is a letter my son, Jonathan, wrote while on mission with Heart's Home in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.  Jonathan spent a year doing mission work.

Dear Jefferson City Friends,

       This is a picture of the kids in Brazil with their Easter presents. On this day, every child in our neighborhood was at our house playing games and was surprised with a present. The presents might have been the best presents that the children had ever received in their entire lives. The presents consisted of coloring books, crayons, and plastic Easter eggs filled with candy. It was all made possible by Helias Catholic High School, St. Peter's Catholic School, and the Balcer Family. The support that Heart's Home received from my friends and family back home was more than ever repayable. Even now, while writing this thank you letter, I get teary eyed. The loving Jefferson City community made an impact on those children's lives that they will never forget. Those children now have the option to stay inside or at the Heart's Home and color their books or draw with their crayons instead of running around on the streets. Keeping those children off of the streets will keep them away from drugs, sex, alcohol, prostitution, and even death. In this picture, you will be able to see smiles unlike any smiles you will encounter in our day-to-day lives. They are smiles caused by such an incomprehensible simplicity that we can't help but take a moment to thank God. Those are the smiles that got me out of bed every day at all hours and all situations. I want to thank everyone for their support. Heart's Home mission cannot be made possible without the love and support from back home. Thanks again and God bless.

Love,
Jonathan Aur

P.S. Not all of the children that were there that day are in the picture.

P.P.S. The boy on my left (Enrique) asked if we could take this picture "to thank the people who love us and don't even know us."

Second Generation of Mission Trip Leadership

My latest blog is not mine but comes from Ian Thompson.  Ian is a Helias graduate from the Class of 2011.  Ian is a mission tripper having participated in a Memphis and Springfield mission.  On the 2011 Memphis Mission Trip, Ian served as a chaperon.  Ian, along with many other mission trippers, has served a leadership role on mission trips not just for Helias but at their college/universities and parishes as well.  This is a letter Ian sent to me.  Pictured below is Ian's group at Little Flower in Memphis.

Hey Mr. Aur,

I just wanted to take this time to thank you for the opportunity to be a chaperone and to continue doing service.  It meant a lot to me to go back to Memphis, which was my first trip.  The Memphis trip last year is a major reason as to why I love doing service today, it's kind of where it all started for me.  So it was great to have a chance to go back.  I really enjoyed working with you as a chaperone, it was a different perspective for me. Going on Memphis made me realize just how much our world needs help.  Our world is a place that is filled with poverty,violence, and hate. I believe the answer to these problems is simple. The answer is Love.  I hope we can continue to work together in the near future.  I will be available to help on the St. Louis trip if you need it, since I live here! However, I understand that you have a lot of alumni eager to chaperone, but if they can't make it you know where to find me! I wish you and your family a very merry Christmas! 

God bless you Mr. Aur, you are a real inspiration! 

Oh my brother there's so much more, Outside this storm

It's sometimes hell, But this means war

Don't give up now, Just past a shroud

There's a light ahead, Go through the clouds

Just show me love

Would you be mad if the world were lies, And the only way to live was to love

Would you be mad if I was by your side, And I tried, I tried to help you up

And you said nothing's changed, I'm still the same

I just got confused for a while, But I still care

I still wanna share, All of our stories for a while'

Oh my brother

It's good to see you smile

-Joshua James-

Peace,

Ian Thompson

Helias Class of 2011

2011 Joplin Mission Trip

Another first time mission: Joplin.  Unlike the other first time missions, this was much better organized because of all the experience the chaperons brought to this one.  Between the chaperons on this trip, we have been on more than 25 mission trips.  Before I continue on this report on the Joplin Mission Trip, I want to commend the adults who make these trips possible.  Over the past five years, Helias has been on seventeen mission trips (Memphis-4, Springfield-4, St. Louis-3, Hermosillo-3, Ellington-2, and Joplin 1).  Just thinking back to the list of chaperons, if it weren’t for these wonderful folks volunteering their time to lead the missions, there wouldn’t be missions at Helias.  I made a list of all who have served as Helias chaperons.  The list is thirty-four people long.  Can’t thank these folks enough.

The Joplin mission started as a replacement for the Mexico mission.  Because of the violence in Mexico, the students at the Mexican schools aren’t going on missions or are turning their mission into smaller local ones.  The demand for missions at Helias keeps increasing.  We want to give our students the opportunity to go on these missions because for many of our students they are life-changing.

After the Joplin tornado, the city has been in great need of volunteers to help rebuild.  I contacted St. Mary’s parish in Joplin asking how we could help.  That’s the parish that was completely destroyed by the tornado.  They in turn put me in touch with the people at St. Peter who were coordinating the volunteer effort.  The people at St. Peter put me in touch with Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri.  So, between Catholic Charities and Helias, we were able to organize our mission.  

The first step was to find housing.  Marianne Mitts from St. Peter sent me a list of churches and agencies who would possibly house such a large group.  Catholic Charities told me that once we found housing to call them back to set up the work.  I started down their list of names.  Grace Pointe Assembly of God in Carthage was one of the churches on their list.  They said “yes” right away so we were set.  I traveled to Carthage and Joplin on October 27^th and 28^th to meet with both Grace Pointe Assembly and Catholic Charities to get an idea of the living arrangements and work we would be doing.

We could not have found better hosts than Grace Pointe.  My first contact with them was Sandy Copeland.  This wonderful lady put me in touch with their pastor, Larry Graham.  Pastor Larry said yes to Helias without batting an eye.  Next, I met Melissa Smith.  Ms. Melissa and her family treated us like royalty.  They cooked and served us breakfast and dinner every day!  We had a great place to sleep and friendly faces to greet us in the morning and as we came in from work every day.  Wow, couldn’t ask for more than that.

When I first met, Pastor Larry and Ms. Melissa on Thursday, October 27^th, it was 11:00 pm and we met at Grace Pointe.  This was the evening of the great Cardinals comeback against the Rangers and the Helias football victory over Bolivar.  I think we all remember that evening.  They gave me a tour of the church and facilities as we arranged for our arrival the following week.  They stayed there with me until well after midnight to make sure everything was in order.  I spent the night at the church and traveled to Joplin the next morning to meet with Amy Rogers and Catholic Charities.

Amy Rogers of Catholic Charities gave me a tour of Joplin and took me to the locations where we would be working.  CC and Grace Pointe really rolled out the red carpet for Helias.  We worked with some awesome people in Carthage and Joplin.  After touring Joplin, I realized that we were going to need more professional help.  As always, God provides.  Glen Bruemmer, Mark Gallatin, and Ron Vossen came to our rescue and volunteered to come help our students with the work we had before us.

Now, it is time to back track on this story and go back to the sign-up for Joplin.  We were hoping to have a maximum of forty students on this mission.  We ended up with fifty!  What do we do with fifty?  This is only one less than our biggest trip and that was to Springfield two years ago.  How do we manage fifty students when we planned on forty?  God took care of this issue because Grace Pointe and CC said bring them all.  In the end, two students couldn’t make the trip so we took 48 students.

Next, we had to find the chaperons.  I can pretty much count on Theresa Buhr if she is in the country.  Well, she was in the country.  I’ve lost track of how many missions Ms. Buhr has chaperoned.  Jacki Crider signed up for another mission.  She has been with us on a St. Louis and Memphis mission and you’ll never find a better person than Jacki Crider.  Fr. Mark Smith said yes.  This was Fr. Mark’s sixth mission I believe.  Chris Yarnell signed up as well.  Mr. Yarnell has chaperoned one of our Mexico missions so I knew how valuable he would be to this mission.  The last piece to our chaperon puzzle was Debbie Kolb.  Ms. Kolb’s son was on his second mission and she wanted to be a part of the Helias mission trips.  She has experience not in missions but in taking the youth from I.C. on NCYC and March for Life.  She was a fantastic addition to our trip and we hope to see her on future trips.  Art Davis, our bus driver, is fantastic!  Bob Vanderfeltz found Mr. Davis for us and what a find he is.  Thanks Mr. Art Davis for getting us to where we need to be and being a part of our missions.

So, we are set.  We got the bus, students, chaperons, housing, food, work assignments, supplies, and paperwork.  It is time for our mission to begin.  I almost forgot a couple of others; Mr. Veile let us use the music department Excursion and Bob Vanderfeltz located a trailer for us.  This made traveling so much easier and saved us a lot of money.

Another thank you goes out to all the parents who donated materials for us to use when rebuilding the houses.  Also, thanks to Scruggs Lumber for the donations.  Thanks to Chris Yarnell for taking his truck and all the equipment and tools.  Thanks Fr. Mark for the tools as well.  Everything was very much needed.

On Wednesday, November 2^nd, we are ready to load up the troops to head out to Joplin to start our mission and I was already exhausted.  I had already worn myself out organizing and setting up the trip and the trip hadn’t even started.  Oh God, please give me strength.  Not only was this a new trip, but we only had eleven returning mission trippers and of the eleven, five had only been on one mission trip.  On top of all that, we had a record number of freshmen going: fifteen!  What was I thinking?

Before I go any further, I want you to know that this was a fantastic mission trip and the students were excellent.  I could not have handpicked a better group of young people to have gone on this trip.  The chaperons were tops!  The students could not have been in better hands.  The leadership from this group looked as if they came right out of a Stephen Covey, John Maxwell, or Jim Collins book.  Tremendous!

We arrived at 8:30 pm Wednesday, November 2nd at Grace Pointe.  Ms. Melissa was there to greet us and the place was all set up for our group.  We had already eaten dinner just outside of Springfield so we were ready to get started on our evening prayer service and then it was bedtime.  The prayer service went well and the students spent the rest of the evening in small groups getting to know each other and making new friends.

Wake up call for Thursday was 6:45 am with 7:30 Mass followed by 8:00 breakfast.  We left Carthage at 8:40 to meet Amy Rogers at the Catholic Charities warehouse at 9:00.  The work was assigned. Chaperons decided on who would lead which project and teams were formed.  Everyone went to their location and started working.  The biggest crew went to work at the Monroe house.  Fr. Mark and Mrs. Crider led that painting project.  Mr. Yarnell and Mrs. Buhr were in charge of removing and replacing windows on Pennsylvania.

Mrs. Kolb and I were in charge of the special project house and was it ever a special project.  It was a special project because the owner kept going to the workers and changing their work orders.  We would work on one project a certain way when he would have us do it another way using other material.  Catholic Charities would hire the workers and the owner would call in some friends to do it instead which led to many problems.  We were told that once a group goes to work on the special project house, they never go back to work there again.  They were right.  We worked there one day and we did not return to work at that house again.  Mr. Gallatin and Mr. Bruemmer joined us at the special house.  They did more work than anyone there and they made no plans of returning to that house.

After working on the special house, that team went to work at the mobile home securing the foundation.  It was knocked off its foundation by the tornado and we laid a new foundation for the home to set on.  That project took parts of two days to accomplish.  The kids led by Mrs. Kolb did a fantastic job.

We worked until after 6:00 pm before starting the drive back to Carthage.  We arrived back at Grace Pointe pretty tired.  Ms. Melissa had dinner waiting for us: dinner at 7:00 pm, followed by showers and clean up time, and then prayer service.

The prayer services are pretty neat.  The students work with Fr. Mark on setting up meaningful services.  The students decide on a theme and then work with Father to make sure that the bible verses, stories, and activities follow that theme.  Fr. Mark does a great job of working with the students on these services.

Friday’s routine was much like Thursday’s except we went straight to the job sites and started working.  We didn’t have to meet with Catholic Charities because we took care of all the assignments the night before.  Fr. Mark, Mr. Bruemmer, Mr. Gallatin, and their team worked on the Monroe house.  They added flooring to their painting assignment.  Mr. Yarnell and his team continued to work on windows on Pennsylvania.  Mrs. Kolb was in charge of the team doing cement work in another house on Pennsylvania.  Mrs. Buhr, Mrs. Crider, and their team painted the outside of a house on South Connor.  That’s the same street where Extreme Home Make Over built 7 houses in 7 days.  My team as usual had the worst job and that was removing insulation from a third house on Pennsylvania.  As you have probably guessed, Pennsylvania was a street pretty hard hit by the tornado.  I worked with a fantastic group mainly because they all volunteered for that nasty job and worked hard with no complaining (except for a little whining from Jenna Duncan).  As the work progressed, different groups moved around some between the houses on Pennsylvania.  Later that afternoon, my group delivered about fifteen cases of library books to Joplin High School.  Mrs. Shelley Swoyer, the Helias librarian, organized a book collection for Joplin HS.  We were honored to have delivered those books.

Work day two in Joplin came to an end.  We worked until after 6:00 pm just as we had the day before.  Since we are all on one bus, at about 5:30 pm, Mr. Davis starts making the rounds picking everybody up at the different job sites.  We arrived back at Grace Pointe just in time for dinner.  Once again, Ms. Melissa and her family were there waiting for us.  After another wonderful dinner and homemade desserts, it is back to showers, clean-up, and prayer service.

We had a special treat for the students after the prayer service.  Both Pastor Graham and Ms. Melissa were missionaries at one time in their lives.  When we first met, I learned of their missionary work.  I asked if they would give a presentation to our students on “Why Missions.”  They were happy to do so.  Both are very passionate about mission work and gave very emotional presentations on why missions are so important.  Pastor Larry’s example of the seven billion people has been very much on my mind.  When Ms. Melissa talked about the poverty she encountered, it reminded me of the mission work we did in the villages of the Sonora Desert.  I hope their presentations stick with the students and chaperons as well.

Saturday was the hardest work day.  The morning started the same way.  It is nice to start each morning with Mass.  I’m glad Fr. Mark was with us to celebrate Mass.  The only other mission where we attend Mass every morning is the Springfield mission.  We arrived a little later on the job site that morning but that was by design.  Because much of what we were doing was painting and/or outdoor work, we felt it best to let it warm up a little before starting.  Where we were working, there was no electricity and water.  So, we had no heat or bathrooms and we had to bring our own water.  Work started at 9:30 this morning.  The Monroe house no longer had Mr. Bruemmer and Mr. Gallatin.  They had to return to Jefferson City.  Instead, we had Mr. Ron Vossen lead the painting crew.  What a treat!  Mrs. Buhr was also at the Monroe house.  Mr. Yarnell continued with the window crew.  Mrs. Kolb and the cement crew finished the work at the mobile home.  Mrs. Crider and the painting crew finished the house on S. Connor.  My crew put a roof on a shed behind the house where we removed insulation.  All the crews had to finish before we could leave.  So, all the crews worked until pretty late.  When we left that day, all the concrete was poured, the shed was roofed, house on S. Connor painted, windows were installed, and the Monroe house was as complete as we could get it.  The special house is still there and is still special.  I hope to never see it again.

We arrived back at Grace Pointe well after 7:00.  As usual, Ms. Melissa was there to greet us with a smile and dinner was served.  Same routine as before followed by prayer service.  At the end of prayer service, we watched two short videos.  The first video was on the beatitudes.  The beatitudes were what we used for the second half of the prayer service which was reflection time for the students.  The second video was my son’s video about his year-long mission in Brazil.  This was followed by my presentation on “Why Mission.”  After my presentation, we moved to the reflection part of the evening.  We extended the lights out time to midnight so the kids could spend time together in a non-work setting.

Sunday morning started much the same way except that we had to pack everything up, clean up, and get ready to leave Grace Pointe.  We attended Mass at St. Ann Catholic Church with Fr. Bill Hodgson.  After Mass, we planned to return to Jefferson City and eat breakfast on the way home.  The parishioners invited us to participate in their pancake breakfast.  This was followed by a tour of the Stations of the Cross.  If you are ever in Carthage, take the time to drive through their Stations.  It is beautiful.

The ride home was pretty uneventful.  The bus was very quiet and sleep came easily to most of us.  I had looked at Joplin as a one-time mission but it will take many, many years for Joplin to recover.  I hope to take a group there again.  I wouldn’t mind trying to line up a mission to return to Joplin this spring.  I know the demand is there from the Helias students.

This was my fifteenth Helias mission.  I don’t go on the Ellington mission because that’s an all-girls mission sponsored by the School Sisters of Notre Dame.  Each mission we go on gets bigger every year.  I’m not sure what will happen with missions in the future because they are getting almost too big for one person to handle.  Thank God for the chaperons.  I just keep putting my trust in God and I know everything will work out.  There’s another very important factor which makes these missions such a success and that is that the students who go on these missions are absolutely wonderful.  They are a true blessing to serve with.  They are the face of Christ to those they serve.

Bold Leadership in Catholic Schools

For 2000 years, the Catholic Church has defined its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity.  It's the Catholic Church that gave us the word "school," and it's the Catholic Church that founded the very first universities.

What is the purpose of Catholic education? Its fundamental purpose is to tend to the whole person: body, mind and soul. To educate each child intellectually, spiritually, morally and physically. For us, that means an encounter with the message of Jesus Christ.

But today, Catholic schools around the country are in trouble. Catholic schools are in need of a bold new vision and that's what I hope we can bring to Helias Catholic High School. I came to this diocese from the Catholic Diocese of Memphis. Led by Bishop Terry Steib and Superintendent Dr. Mary McDonald, the Catholic Church began an incredible mission of developing the greatest faith-based schools where all are welcomed. They put their faith in God and gave Memphis the bold new vision of what being a Catholic school means.

In the Catholic Diocese of Memphis, the schools continue to grow having added ten new schools in the past fifteen years. And this is in an area that is only 5% Catholic! They have bucked the national trend of school closings. When others were consolidating and closing their doors, they were building. They built new schools and rehabilitated older schools. They wowed the people of Memphis by being bold, but most importantly, by showing their Catholic faith to all. They were my teachers and mentors. They expected me to be bold and demanded creativity by being creative themselves. They didn't pay me to be average. And, they taught me not to run in the same place for too long; meaning that we were always moving forward.

What has happened in the process? I saw students who had never been to church ask Jesus to come into their lives. I saw parents who never dreamed their children could ever attend a Catholic school walk through our school doors to register those children. And, I was a part of seeing all those students graduate from my school and my school was only one of many where the same stories were told.

Jefferson City is a much different city than Memphis and circumstances there are much different than they are here. But, I want to make Helias the strongest most advanced center of faith and education so that any thought of the demise of Catholic schools in this area will never occur. Stephen Covey taught me to be proactive. So, I want to be proactive and not reactive. Jim Collins taught me to build to last. So, I want to build and not consolidate. The Saints taught me to be a leader and to follow Christ. So, I want to lead and not follow except to follow in the footsteps of Christ.