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| Connor and Bernie sharing a moment |
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| The St. Patrick's Group enjoying a parade |
Finally, after being away from the monastery for almost a non-stop month, I was back to enjoy my last few weeks at Resurrection Priory. In this instance, these were not easy work weeks. During May 23 - May 29, Saint Patrick's Youth group would be lodging at Resurrection Priory. The stay included a lot of preparation work for Justin and I, and with Justin's departure from Resurrection and the BVC coming up on May 28, we also had plenty of "wrap-up" work with concerns to the website and the loose ends of Bernie's computer donation project. Thankfully, we were able to accomplish all our tasks (including prepping a dormitory, purchasing food, painting a few walls, etc.) with the help of our good friend Connor Biskamp from the HELPS trips. Connor arrived on May 20 at the monastery and remained in Resurrection's guest house during the St. Patrick Youth group stay. Just as we had helped Connor during the medical missions, so too did he assist with several of our miscellaneous projects, including the organizing of the Youth group's stay. After the big Cobán Marathon weekend and Justin's departure for Antigua and his future job with Habitat for Humanity, Connor even helped deliver and set-up the last of our computer project in the aldea next to Alan Kress's Farm. We are forever thankful for Connor's friendship and involvement. Below are a few pictures from our last encounter with the kids at the aldea's school. Another fun, unforgettable experience…
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| St. Patrick's Candid picture |
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| Found a guy with SJU b-ball jersey |
The Saint Patrick's Youth group was an absolute pleasure to host and serve. Hearing Minnesotanism's around the monastery like "Oooh sure!" or "Yeah you betcha!" , not to mention any English phrases, made both Justin and I fondly reminisce about home. While we choose to leave the group to their own devices in regards to organized reflection on their service mission, we were kindly invited and obliged to attend dinner and some group outings. It was strange to be getting to know college-age Edina kids while eating in a restaurant thousands of miles away from Minnesota, yet still a pleasure to meet people that Connor described as, "Ugh… they're all waaay too nice!"
By June 1, Connor was heading to Belize for a five day trip with his Dad, the Saint Patrick's group had returned to Minnesota, and Justin was working as project coordinator on his first Habitat for Humanity team in Xela. This left Father Bernie and I to our own devices at the monastery. Because Connor and I were planning on hiking a volcano by the end of the week and Fr. Bernie was leaving for Huehuetenango and eventually the States on June 8, I set my departure date for June 6. For the rest of the month and my stay in Guatemala, I will be staying at Cecilia Weller's house in Guatemala City (please see "My Home in Guatemala City"). I had quite the list to complete before leaving the monastery for the last time. Packing, last minute goodbyes, room cleaning, and several old Alfred Hitchcock movies brought me quickly to Wednesday, June 6. Prior to leaving Resurrection Priory, I left each community member (monks and lay workers alike) with a framed picture of themselves with others (all photos that I had collected throughout the year). While I didn't have enough money to give them true departing gifts, I theorized that a picture is worth a thousand words. Few photos of community members can be found around the monastery, so I strategically placed several around the place before I left. I wish Resurrection Priory all the best, and I look forward to seeing how the community develops into the future!
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| Last picture with Julio! |
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