Inauguration Day Celebration!

I am hopeful, I am amazed that it happened; tears came to my eyes when I watched history being made.


Everyone celebrated, everyone toasted, some with Victoria Beer, to the Inauguration of Barack Obama!

Our group from Chicago was especially excited! They wanted to get their photo next to Obama on the TV, but we found it hard to all get to the TV when he was on the screen, so here are a few from the group.

Here are some ladies that were fortunate enough to have Obama shirts!

Meanwhile, the staff worked diligently in the office, making sure our work got done that day.

It was a fun week with the group from Chicago. They were interested, interesting, prayerful, fun, and open to the experience. They visited indigenous villages, met with community leaders, met local artisians, explored our city, and much more. On their last day, they gave a presentation, which summed up the experiences and information they learned while they were here. One group gave a moving performance of what it woud be like to be a farming family that was forced off their land due to the build up of effects from NAFTA.

Each group member brought something beautiful to the experience of being with them, I am so glad they came!

Our first group of 2009: Dominican University!

Finally, our first group arrived!! They are from Dominican University outside of Chicago. When they arrived, they were enthusiastic from the start. They had all sorts of questions, lots of great conversation, and plenty of good laughs. We had a wonderful time together. When we invited them to do service in a very poor area of the city; they jumped into the work with full force.

They enthusiastically worked, and enjoyed getting to know some of the children in the area. They all couldn´t help but fall in love with the children they met during their time here.

The last night was the final liturgy. Each one of us shared our thoughts and most meaningful memories from the week. It was amazing the insights that were shared, and to see the impact of the time we had spent together in Mexico. Most of us were moved to tears. We felt like we had found a new family with one another. It was an amazing experience. I am grateful to the Dominican University students and staff that made my first week with students a incredibly beautiful experience!