I’m looking forward to this event. Whether or not you’ve traveled on a mission trip, please consider joining Victoria, Beth, and me. It’s not too late.

Please join us for a morning of conversation with Archbishop Hebda to explore how cross-cultural and international parish relationships deepen our faith and commitment. This exchange of ideas includes dialogue around your own experience with global mission relationships, how your faith has been increased by your participation, and how these relationships reflect Pope Francis’ call to “go to the peripheries.”

The morning includes a special Eucharist celebrating the diversity of our one global church.

WHEN: 8:00AM-1:00PM Saturday, October 20, 2018 (includes continental breakfast and lunch)

WHERE: Our Lady of Grace Parish, 5071 Eden Ave., Edina

COST: $10/person or $40/parish, payable by cash or check at the door

Registration at Registration Link

Teresa Toda Home and Church of Saint Edward, 16th Camp, 21st Year Together

“You are not visitors. You are not strangers. You are family.” Sister Fifi, Director of the Home, to the travelers

 Dates July 7-22, 2018

Travelers

Debbie Gibbs, Victoria Gregus, Hannah Heitzman, Abby Konkoly, Jane Konkoly, Karen Konkoly, Ella Marzolf, Ann McGuire, Emma Nelson, Stacia Nelson, Ann Nusbaum, Barbara Owens, Joan Pare, Jeane Peters, Abby Rinowski, Mai Ah Sani, and Mary Beth Schleif.

Week 1 Girls and Travelers – on our way to Mass

Week 2 Sisters, girls, and travelers at the Botanical Garden

 Donations

Thank you to parishioners and friends for the donations. The shoes are most appreciated!

Parishioners and friends donated over 33 pairs of shoes needed for school. They also donated OTC medicines, vitamins, and other requested donations.

Overview of Campamento

We structure Campamento like a Vacation Bible School, customized to the girls’ needs. Our theme was and will continue to be “Women of Faith”. We chose this theme because the Sisters who run the home are women of faith. The travelers and girls continue to grow in faith. Studying women of faith from the Bible, the Saints, or other faithful women provide relatable lessons for the girls.

Each day we study one (or sometimes two) women of faith. At opening ritual, one of the girls reads a Bible passage or a passage related to the woman of faith. We then discuss what happened in the story.

Girls volunteer to read the Bible story for our daily opening ritual

Next, we break into age based groups, who then rotate through stations. At one station, the girls reflect on the characters they share with the woman, and what they’d like to develop and explore other lessons related to the Bible story. The other two stations are English and math. When the stations are done, we all get together again to do a craft that relates to the woman we studied.

Instead of stations, the oldest girls work on life skills that can help them now and in the future. This year, the program was based on “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens”.

Formal camp activities are about half the day. The other half of the day, we take an excursion to girls’ home neighborhoods, go to the beach or pool, or do other unstructured fun activities.

Background

The Church of Saint Edward has had a relationship with Hogar Teresa Toda, a girls’ home run by Carmelite nuns, since 1998.

The relationship began when Bloomington Rotarians dug a well for the home. The Rotarians had only planned to dig another well in the region, but the Sisters convinced them to dig a well for the new home. After digging and digging, the crew was not hitting water. The prospects were looking grim until the Sisters gathered the girls in a circle around the hole. In the limited Rotarian Spanish and Carmelite English, the Rotarians asked “What’s going on?” The head Sister said “You dig, we pray.” Within minutes, the crew hit water, enough water for years and years to come. After that success, the Sisters expressed interest in maintaining a relationship with an American organization. This was not in the scope of the Bloomington Rotary, but someone there knew a Saint Edward’s parishioner.

Sue Kellett and Vi Lee headed down on cheap ($98 each!) tickets the following winter to see the place first hand. They saw the good work that the sisters and girls were doing at the home. They asked what the Sisters would want from a relationship with the Church of Saint Edward – money, supplies, clothing? No, they wanted to build a personal and spiritual relationship with parishioners through a summer camp, or “Campamento.”

The girls live in the home because their families cannot take care of them. Many mothers have died in childbirth or due to malnutrition or other poverty related complications. Other mothers work long hours for very little pay and cannot supervise the girls while they are working. Many of the girls do have extended family. They are not “up for adoption”. The girls are healthy, well behaved girls with capacity to succeed in school.

The girls live in the home during the school year. They attend the Catholic school in Azua. Two times per month the girls return to their families. In this way the girls maintain a connection to their roots and the girls provide a positive influence in the community. Many of the girls return from these home visits hungry and dirty, but they are maintaining these important bonds. In the summer, the girls return to their families except for two weeks when they go back to the home for Campamento. Before our relationship the Sisters ran a camp. In 2002, we started by running one week of two weeks. This year, we had enough travelers to lead a two week camp.

Goals

These are the five top goals we have for the Church of St. Edward/Hogar Teresa Toda relationship.

Goal #1 Enjoy a balanced relationship where we all benefit.

For Campamento this year, we gave our time, our talents, and treasure, and we received much more in return.  The Sisters’ hospitality is very generous. They make sure we are well fed (delicious mangoes!), hydrated, and safe. They run a generator to make sure we have electricity. The girls make sure we eat first at the family style meals. This is embarrassing to some of us, but we respect the honor. We received a spiritual lift, a cultural exchange, their love, mind and heart expanding experiences. After a break from our normal lives, we returned energized and excited to be back home. We appreciate the material wealth we take for granted every day.

We get to witness the goodness in the simple life that they live. The kids make up their own games, know what fruit to pick and eat off the trees, and share with each other. These girls do chores with minimal complaints. Compared to some children here, they are very resourceful and responsible. I (Ann) came home with a renewed idea of what kids 6-18 years old are capable of (to the chagrin of my 14 and 17-year-old sons).

Girls peeling homegrown yucca for dinner

The girls and the Sisters benefit from the Campamento experience. The girls get a lot of attention from us. They get the comfort that we return each year to be with them. The girls get English practice and math tutoring. The Sisters get a break in their routine! We hope that camp is a small incentive for the girls to work hard, follow the rules, and stay at the home for another year. Sister Fifi enjoyed her third camp this year. In the past, she told us that the girls talk about camp all year long. That is high praise which inspires us to return year after year.

Goal #2 Make many connections with Saint Edward’s parishioners and the Hogar Teresa Toda so that more benefit from the relationship.

Each year we make many connections between the Saint Edwards community and the Hogar Teresa Toda. This year was no different.

• The entire Parish contributes through the Social Justice budget. The parish donated $2,000 to offset camp costs. In this way, every parishioner is a part of the trip, even if they cannot travel themselves or help out in other ways.
• Some parishioners, past travelers, and friends made cash donations as well. This went toward new security lights, school uniforms and other items needed for the girls.
• More than 25 parishioners, travelers, and past travelers help at the annual “Cutting and Kitting Night” where we prepare the crafts. Doing this helps make the craft part of camp run smoothly. Michelle Berndt designed, purchased the materials, and prepared the crafts for cutting and kitting night for this year.

A St. Ed’s Tradition- Parishioners Enjoy Kitting and Cutting Night

• Many parishioners gave requested donations including shoes and medicines. We had so many travelers from Minnesota this year that everything fit easily!
• Our spouses, families, and friends all help out when needed, keeping our families running smoothly when we prepare for the trip and are away on the trip.
• The Church provides storage for supplies and donations throughout the year.
• We use the Parish copier for Travelers’ guides and Girls’ journals.
• Many pray for us, especially when we are mentioned in the Prayers of the Faithful at the Masses.

The Sisters, the girls, and everyone involved with Campamento very much appreciate all these ways that Saint Edwards Parishioners and friends support Campamento. We hope everyone feels they contributed and enjoyed doing it.

Goal #3 Organize so that the Campamento does not rely on one parishioner

We get closer to this goal each year. The good news is that we have many travelers who want to return. Also many travelers know of others who are good candidates for the future. We always have to work to find Spanish speakers who could travel. We rely heavily on the few who can speak well. One speaker this year was a surprise – she was a Spanish-certified flight attendant for international flights! We also have local help from Sister Stephanie and (layperson) Elizabeth. Both of these women have helped with camp in the past, and we hope to see them again in the future.

We are getting return travelers and also are finding Spanish students. This is a win-win for everyone involved because the students get to practice what they learn at school.

We used the “Travelers’ Preparation Guide” on the blog campamento.blog again this year. It’s a compilation of wisdom from past travelers and other sources. This was useful for this trip and will be useful into the future. We continue to update it with new insights from recent travelers.

For the curriculum, Abby Rinowski and Victoria Gregus planned the math station. Joan Pare and Mary Beth planned the English station. Michelle Berndt planned the crafts. Heidi Busse helped choose the “Women of Faith” and the lessons to learn from them.

Many parishioners have personally come to the Campamento or visited the Hogar. This helps to maintain momentum. Over the course of our 15 years of camp we have had 63 Saint Edwards parishioners visit the Hogar. They are: Michelle Brooks, Kim Brunner, Samantha Brunner, Katelynne Delfs, Kristine Delfs, Jana Duggan, Sue Griffin, Lizanne Ham, Hannah Heitzman, Sue Kellett, Mike Kellett, Pam Kennedy, Kelly Kennedy, Maureen Kent, Kathleen Kent, Karen Kinsella, Stacey Kinsella , Michelle Koster, Lindsey Kreye, Mary Kurth, Vi Lee, Ella Marzolf, Moe McCullough, Kate McCullough, Kris McCullough, Ann McGuire, John McGuire, Jack McGuire, Michael McGuire, Emma Nelson, Stacia Nelson, Ann Nusbaum, Carolyn O’Donnell, Corinne O’Donnell, Laura O’Donnell, Chris Ohotto, Deborah Paone, Jackie Peters, Jeane Peters, Marilyn Peterson, Shelly Pomonis, Mary Pat Potts, Michaela Potts, Abby Rinowski, Diane Ross, Mia Ah Sani, Alexa Schirber, Carly Schirber, Carol Schirber, Haley Schirber,  Jill Schreiber-Smith,  Jackie Sias, Stephanie Sias, Anna Smith, Mary Snydle, Kate Soderlund, Hannah Szfraniec, Katrina Viegas, Diana Villella, Annie Weatherhead, Joni Weatherhead, Liz Weatherhead, and Jenny Webster.

Additionally, we’ve had 42 friends and family travel who are not parishioners. They are: Lindsey Allais, Ashley Andres, Amanda Berndt, Michelle Berndt, Samantha Black, Abby Burgason, Emily Carr, Julie Carr, Laura Dallmann,  Marilyn Fox, Charlotte Freschi, Sarah Freschi, Debbie Gibbs, Victoria Gregus, Deb Hohenstein,  Meghan Hohenstein,  Susan Hulbert, Sydney Hulbert, Abby Konkoly, Jane Konkoly, Karen Konkoly, Michelle Koster, Sharon Marini, Isabel Mendoza, Jean Nightingale, Leah Nightingale, Cheryl Noyes, Barbara Owens, Joan Pare, Emily Peters, Fatima Pimento, Heather Rowe, Georgina Santos, Amber Scaletta, Julie Seguin, Mary Beth Schleif, Forrest Schrader, Susie Schrader,  Claire Skach, Cheryl Tombarge, Melissa Trujillo, and Haley Wayt.

This totals 105 travelers, just 33 more than the 72 missionaries mentioned in Luke 10:1-9.

Goal #4 Continue running a two week Campamento each year at the home

This year was our second two-week camp in a row! We’re so happy we got the travelers this year. The girls really benefit from the second week. We have recruiting plans to be able to continue with a two-week Campamento again next year. Each traveler is encouraged to share their experiences with friends and invite good candidates to consider joining us.

Goal #5 Adhere to the Principles of all our Sister Parish Relationships

1. Emphasize relationship over resources

Abby and friend

Sister Fifi and Victoria

Mary Beth and friends

2. Practice mutuality and equality

First time traveler and parishioner Stacia enjoying the Zoo with everyone

3. Seek to give and receive, learn and teach

Debbie and Girls with Dominican Republic Map, Diane enjoying a manicure, Jeane, Campamento co-leader enjoying a pedicure , Victoria leading the math station

4. Work to change unjust systems and structures

Sister Fifi, Director of the Home, and Sister Stephanie who lives and works there.

When we support the home, we are supporting a just program

5. Deepen our faith by experiencing the universal, Catholic Church

Mass at Buen Pastor (The Good Shepard) Church

The Chapel in the Cloistered Carmelite Sisters Monastery. The flowers  from their garden smelled fabulous!

This Mass, which started with the praying the Rosary, began the celebration of the Feast of Our Lady of Carmen. Sister Fifi and the girls provided the music. The priest was a seminarian when Sister Pillar was a teacher there. He shared fond memories of that time. It was also his birthday, and he said he’d remember this one. He was the only male in the chapel! Coincidentally, it was also Father Mike Tegedar’s birthday.

Visiting with the Cloistered Carmelites after Mass at their chapel – they are so friendly and happy to see us. They told us they pray for us. Four of them live in the Monastery and only speak a limited time each day.

More about Camp Activities

We held two programs this year, 4 days each. One was for the girls ages 5-12, and another new program, a “retreat” for the girls ages 13-18. This is consistent with VBS in the US where the regular VBS becomes somewhat juvenile for the older girls. We developed the VBS curriculum this year “Women of Faith”. This worked so well at Camp. We will use this theme for years to come.

Each day we opened with a ceremony where we sang the theme song “Take the World by Storm” by Lukas Graham, read a Bible passage, and read a psalm. Then, we lead a discussion on what happened, then how the woman and her story relate to the girls’ lives.

Then the older girls went to retreat, and the younger girls did Camp activities.

The younger girls broke into their age-based groups. The three groups were: the youngest (5-6), middle-younger (7-9), and middle and oldest(10-14). The groups rotated through three “stations”:  Math Games, English, and Journal. After that, we all do the craft together. Then we conclude for lunch.

Crafts

Burp Clothes for Elizabeth Day 2 – they will be given to Azua babies in need

Beading – another favorite craft

Henna hands to celebrate Malala

Popular Flower Crowns for Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Making Craft Stick People for Lydia

Skits

Each evening a different group performed a skit of the story we read in the morning. Once again, Stephanie did a great job getting everyone speaking lines and coaching them on dramatic motions during the skit.

The Retreat

The older girls (14-18 years) begin and end each day with all of us. While the younger girls do Campamento “stations”, they learned the 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. A habit it an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary. Habits can be effective or ineffective. If we want a balanced, fruitful life, we need effective habits.  The habits are:

• Be proactive
• Begin with the end in mind
• Put first things first
• Think win-win
• Seek to understand, then to be understood
• Synergize
• Sharpen your saw (which we localized to “Sharpen your machete”)

These are the same habits taught in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People”, delivered in a way interesting to teens. We call this a “retreat” where they worked on skills they can use now and in their future.

Because you learn things well when you teach them, we had the girls teach. Each night they presented a children’s story featuring a main character that embodies the lesson. For example, “The Little Engine Who Thought He Could” illustrated “Be Proactive”.

Preparing “The Little Red Hen” to teach “Put First Things First”

Notice the board: Like last year’s book “The Power of a Positive No”, the 7 Habits explained the habits using a tree. The first 3 are “private victories”. Like roots, you cannot see them, but the rest of the tree depends on them. The next four are “public victories.”

A 7 Habits skit

Home Visits

On Friday afternoon week 1, we visited 5 homes. Many of us have heard the statistic that 1.2 billion people live on less than $1/day, 1 billion are illiterate, and 1 billion do not have access to water. We witnessed how hard it is for people facing this kind of life. It really makes us thankful we happened to be born where we did.

Family visit – this girl will be old enough to come to the home with her older sister in September. Both their parents have left, so the grandmother takes care of them.

Family Visit – the mother was randomly killed in her neighborhood, leaving the father very sad. We’ve visited this family many times. Today was the best we’ve seen them. The son, in red, will start school in September. The father hopes his daughter will have a better future by living at the home and getting an education.

Excursion

Each girls the girls go on an excursion with the travelers. It’s a great opportunity for both the girls and the travelers to see other parts of the country. This year they visited the National  Botanical Garden and the Zoo.

More Pictures of the Girls and Travelers

Some week 1 travelers with friends

Barbara Owens, second-time traveler from Washington DC, with Alex, our newest high school graduate. Alex graduated with academic honors and plans to be a doctor. She starts university in Santo Domingo in September. We pray that twelve years of camp prepared her well!

Sometimes family members visit Campamento. This is Lucy, these girls’ loving mom. She is blind and lives independently. She takes care of the girls during breaks. We’ve known her for many years and visited her home this year.

Betania, with Debbie from Washington DC. Betania has attended all 16 Campamentos. A high school graduate, she’s going to college in Azua, and helping with the little girls in the home in exchange for room and board. She is a very hard worker. It’s so fun to see her all grown up. Debbie is our fabulous week 1 Zumba instructor!

Dominicans love dominoes – and these girls are no exception!

This playground was built with funds from Father Mike Tegedar’s 25^th Anniversary.

Simply spending time together is the most important part of camp. These books, in both English and Spanish, help make a shared experience.

These two joined the Hogar last September. This is their first camp. They had a great time!

This was a fun mini-excursion. We visited this hotel in Azua. The owner graduated from the Carmelite high school in town, so we were his guests.

Zumba! This was fun for everyone, including the Sister and the travelers. Debbie, first time traveler from Washington DC is a licensed Zumba instructor. She made every day feel like a party!! She even choreographed a dance to our theme song “Take the World by Storm” by Lukas Graham. Interestingly, the title phrase translates into “Take the bull by the horns” in Spanish, which was fun to dance to.

On week 2, Abby, at her 5^th camp, learning the dance from the girls

Frequently asked question: What do we eat at camp? Delicious, often homegrown, all locally grown,(plantains, yucca, and bananasa grown on the property) organic, free range food. Two standout ingredients: succulent, flavorful chicken, and mangoes picked that day. These tropical treats are just not possible in Minnesota.

These six girls got the best GPA last school year. A community physician, whose wife is a tutor at the home, awarded them a generous cash prize.

We are so proud of Alex, who graduated with academic honors and is planning to pursue a career in medicine.

What makes Campamento special? It’s the special relationships we form over the years. St. Edward’s parishioner and second time traveler Ella enjoys spending time with the girls. These two even got matching braids!

Sisters, girls, travelers all thank the Church of Saint Edward for your continued support!

If you have questions on how to support campamento or would like to travel, please contact Ann through this blog.

Peace,

Ann McGuire

Hello to any potential “first time travelers”!

Sister Fifi and Victoria

I have just returned from my week at the Campamento at Hogar Teresa Toda in the Dominican Republic! It was a life-changing experience for me, which is exactly what I wanted. Now my intention is to use what I have seen, heard, felt, tasted and touched back in my own home experience in Minnesota. I don’t know what God has in store for me next, but I could definitely feel his love and protection throughout the whole trip.

If you think this is the right move for you, I would like to encourage you to pray about  joining the journey next year. You will get to meet the most fabulous, beautiful nuns you have ever known! You will get to share meals (including the absolute best mangoes ever) with fellow travelers and the girls at the camp. You will get to sing, play games, dance

Zumba on the Kiosko!

(maybe even Zumba if you are lucky) work and interact with the girls in smaller
groups at the daily camp stations. Local beaches and pools may also be a part of the trip, and you get to experience the joy of the girls as they participate in summer activites that are not in their normal lives. Mostly, you will be a loving presence to some girls who really need that! This is your opportunity to share the love of Christ in a very simple way with some sweet girls who really appreciate your presence.

Do you have to speak fluent Spanish? No (I didn’t) and you will still communicate your

Making Burp Clothes for Azua Babies

care by your presence while coloring, making beaded bracelets and other crafts, doing puzzles, playing cards, etc. Would it help to speak some Spanish? Definitely yes, just for the ability to communicate one-on-one with the girls. Don’t worry, though, some people on the trip will speak Spanish well enough to translate for you, and the girls are really accepting of our “deficiency”. Your best language tools are a smile and a hug, along with a listening ear and a caring heart. I got invited to share meal tables with the girls, and they totally knew that I didn’t speak Spanish well, but they wanted me there anyway. What an honor for me!

Here are a few suggestions for a first-time traveler (from me):
1) Follow the suggested packing list
2) Bring a personal fan to use under your own mosquito netting at night
3) Deep Woods Off (green can) worked great!
4) Bring a towel (they will give you one, but I was wishing for a second one some times)
5) Bring a light robe if you can
6) A mini book light is just as good (maybe better) than the suggested headlamp for nighttime reading, etc.
7) Bring a book (or two) for your personal reading
8) Sleeveless shirts are a must, even for pajama tops!
9) Don’t bring out your sunscreen in front of the girls, they all want to use it
10) There is a small chapel located in the nuns’ courtyard. I went their every day for a little talk with Jesus – He always wanted to hear about my experiences!

Again, please pray about whether or not you would like to join the experience. There are definitely challenges to a mission trip but the change of heart that you feel as you grow during the week is priceless.

Best wishes,

Victoria Gregus

Hola Amigas!

Today was our third day of camp. It started out sadly. Sister Pilar’s sister died. She was sick, but they didn’t think she’s would die from it. So, Sister Pilar left to the airport after morning Mass with Sister Stephanie. Everyone was sad.

For camp, our women were Lois and Eunice, theme “We teach faith.” Elizabeth worked with Debbie at reflection. All three stations went well. The craft – a bracelet with a cross and other charm – was a hit and quick, which was good timing. Sister Fifi organized an excursion to a newish hotel pool. So much fun!

A note about Sister Fifi – she’s amazing.

• the girls are calmer and more engaged than ever
• she showed us her complete and organized record keeping systems
• the meals are delicious, including vegetarian dishes and banana pudding.
• Everything is (pretty much) on schedule
• She expanded the gardens, so the plantains we eat grown on the property. Mangoes come from Job’s mango trees. They are delicious!
• The dogs are gone, but one cat has kittens. they now raise chicken, ducks, and turkeys.
• The playground have been redone. I’ll update with pictures.
• She plays the guitar and dances bachatta and Zumba with the girls.
• She’s almost always smiling.
• She’s very loving with the girls and us
• She told us..we’re not strangers, were not visitors, we’re family. and she treats us that way every day.
• She is an amazing person, resourceful, hardworking, inspiring, loving – one of a kind!

Tonight we will watch the Malala movie to introduce us to tomorrow’s woman of faith. Home visits are tomorrow as well.

Peace,

Ann

Hola from Azua! Happy 70th Birthday to Father Mike in Heaven who encouraged and supported campamento from the beginning. Happy 37th anniversary to first-time traveler Victoria and her husband Gary.

Today was our excursion. We went back to Barahona, the Larimar museum/shop/school, but chose the Larimar Costa hotel for lunch, pool, and beach. It was a beautiful and relaxing day. When we get home, I’ll post some pictures from others. I was so relaxed, I didn’t take any 😀

You may heard about flooding in southern Dominican Republic. We had rain yesterday, but we’re all fine. it’s rare to get rain here, so it did cause a crazy bug hatch, and the chickens and turkeys feasted on the surprise.

Zumba at night was fun. We have a surprise for the week 2 travelers! And, I’m getting better at bachatta, thanks to fab teacher Giselle.

I just want to again thank everyone who supports camp through travel, prayers, donations in kind (gym shoes!!), and monetary donations. It is all going directly to the hogar for the girls.

Sister Pilar, with Maryanny and Maylobi

See-saw fun!

Camp first-timers Yurkania and Aracelis

not sure why – but we were the first to down to dinner tonight (?)

playing scoop ball

pucas/beads: the classic campamento activity, and still a favorite!

pictures aren’t loading, I’ll update when I get home.

Hola from Azua! Thank you to everyone who support camp through kitting and cutting night, travel to past camps, sending your kids to camp, donations, and prayers. This post is to update you on campamento 2018.

Travel day: (-1) everyone arrived at about the same time – no delays. Sister Pilar and Job met the travelers at the airport. They came straight to the hogar so they were here by about 3:30. Sister Pilar met everyone because Sister Fifi brought Alex to her high school graduation. As an aside my son Jack escorted Alex at the graduation. Jack Michael, John and I all attended. It was a unique experience to be able to see the 20+ kids graduate from the Catholic High School that our girls attend. We are all so proud of Alex who has been at the home since she was 8 and has also attended camp since then. The girls have many obstacles to graduation and Alex is no exception, but she persevered.

The travelers this week are Jane with daughters Abby and Karen from Pennsylvania, Barbara with friend Debbie from Washington DC. Joan and Victoria from Pax Christi, and Ella, Hannah, Mia and me from the Church of St. Edwards.

Day 0

Sunday we had breakfast and went to Mass at Buen Pastor, then the beach.

Our Coast as well as much of a coast of Puerto Rico is having trouble with seaweed.. But it was no problem for us. The water was clean so we had a great time swimming plus it was a relief from the heat.

The overall feeling of camp this year is relaxed. the girls just aren’t as anxious. Sister Fifi teachers order and self-discipline in a nice, encouraging way.

Bags, nametags, photo ‘treasure’ hunt, etc went smoothly.

Day 1

Each traveler is sharing her love and gifts with the girls and the other travelers.

The older girls are learning the seven habits of highly effective teens. For the younger girls it’s a similar program as past years with math English, reflection and crafts. Sister Stephanie, who was a noviciate I think 4 years ago, is a Sister living and working at the home. She and Debbie are leading reflection. Debbie is also a Zumba instructor so after crafts and before lunch we dance Zumba. It is so much fun the girls loved it – and so do the travelers. Debbie is the real deal. We begin the day with opening ritual and close the day with circle time. At the circles the younger girls are taking turns presenting the Bible story dramas. Then, the older girls are presenting dramas of children’s books each book has been selected because it illustrates one of the seven habits. The medians (medium) girls did a drama based on Hagar and Ishmael – so cute!! Sister Pilar commented that the girls really learn and remember the Bible stories when they present dramas. The older girls didn’t do a drama because it was just an introduction day for them on Monday. After some down time in the afternoon we all went to the Bon shop for ice cream. And, a big group was dancing Zumba in the park!! So some of us joined in of course.

Day 2

Elizabeth was the woman of the day. Our plans to return the beach were thwarted by strong rain. We continued with camp. For the older girls, Elizabeth from the same year Stephanie and Estafania, joined us and is now helping Barbara and me teach the 7 habits. She’s amazing and has a close relationship with the sisters, and decided to remain a layperson, a teacher.

A

fter camp we went to Mass at the cloistered nuns’ monastery, the same one we visited 2 years ago. the vey old bnun isn’t there any more, but 4 are. we prayed the today before mass. It was the priest’s birthday. He was the only man there. Hermana Pilar was warmly recognized because she helped the priest when he was a seminarian. She ran a program that included dramas of bible stories. Don’t tell the (now) priests, but she said our girls’ plays are better. lol. Like last time they invited us to meet the after mass. We even got pictures. It’s unreal that young women course this life, but their faith is inspiring. Back at camp, the younger girls presented Mary and Elizabeth, which was fabulous. And the mayores presented The Little Engine that Could to teach habit 1: be proactive.

Sister Fifi is amazing. The playground is complete (pictures coming). The vegetable gardens and fruit orchards are expanding. They have chicken, ducks, and turkeys. The meals are delicious, healthy and on time. and the girls are behaving well, cooperating, and everything.

Thank you for reading this draft.ill edit it next week. If you were at camp the week that Elizabeth, Stefanie, and Estafania came, pleaae tell me what year it was.

Ann

Some Donations from Last Year

People have been asking me about donations. Bring any donations to the foyer at St. Ed’s and put it in the marked bin from June 9 through 6 PM, Tuesday, June 26, which is our packing night. Here is the list from the Sisters. Thank you for your support!

Encourages a girls’ education, self-esteem, and health with the gift of gym shoes.

White, leather gym shoes sizes at Payless (Champion brand) for $24.99, and other places like Kohls, JC Penney, Dick’s Sporting Goods. You can find coupons or can signup for their e-mail list to get coupons : http://tinyurl.com/shoes4girls2018

Underwear – Sleeveless Undershirts (small kids’ size 6 or 8, 10, 12, S or M), Panties, White girls’ socks for girls from 6 to 18 years old.

Waterproof Mattress Pads – twin size

First Aid Medications and Vitamins No soft gel, liquid, or “gummy” form. It all melts in the Caribbean heat! Children’s and adults’ Advil, Tylenol, Aspirin Children’s Multivitamins, Adult Multivitamins, Advil Sinus (adults’), Children’s and adults’ Claritin, Anti-diarrhea medication, Over-the-counter oral antihistamine (Benadryl, others), Calamine lotion, Over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream, Burn Relief Gel, Omega-3 supplements

First Aid Supplies Bandages, including roll of elastic wrap 2”, 3”, and 4” (Ace, Coban, others) and bandage strips (Band-Aid, Curad, others) in assorted sizes, spray (Bactine) or lotion (Calamine, Campho-Phenique) Antiseptic solution

Our Old Testament Women this year are:

Hagar

Deborah

Our New Testament Women are:

Elizabeth

Lois and Eunice 

Lydia

Syrophoenician Woman

Our other women of faith are:

Malala

 Saint Therese of Lisieux

The Teresa Toda Sister Community Committee invites you to our annual “Cutting and Kitting Night” in the St. Ed’s Auditorium on Monday, May 21 from 6:30-8:30 PM (or until done). No need to commit to the whole time, come when you can! On this evening, we will “cut” the materials and package them into “kits” for the girls to do at camp. This preparation makes our time there more efficient and enjoyable. It’s a fun night out.

All are welcome to join the women who are going to the Teresa Toda Home for poor girls in July for an evening of sharing, cutting, and kitting. Whether your are considering joining us in the Dominican Republic or are not able to, this is a great way to contribute to this exciting mission. Several camp alumna will be there, too! Contact Ann through this blog.

Sewing “Women of Faith” place mats to celebrate Martha and Mary

The finished craft! Completing a craft supports the girls’ self-esteem.