Well, I have now been with the sisters for exactly one week. I have gotten to know several of the parishioners pretty well over the past week, including two of the cutest little all-American boys you will ever see. **** and **** are 5 and 7 respectively. **** in particular is darling; he has blonde hair, bright blue eyes and freckles and is missing his two front teeth. His Kentucky accent is made even cuter by his inability to pronounce "l"s (he calls me Caity to avoid saying "Caitwin").
In an attempt keep this email brief, I will just tell you all about a couple of the highlights of the week and about the new ideas that Sister Kathy and I have come up with. If you don't plan on reading this whole email, skip to ideas part, please!
We have spent a lot of time with the Mexican immigrant family that I mentioned in my last email. On Wednesday evening we had a little barbecue to celebrate the straight As that little **** (age 8) got in school this year. His mother does not speak English well, and so I hope to be able to improve my Spanish a bit as the summer goes on. His little brother, *****, is just 2, but watches a lot of rasslin' (wrestling) and so he loves to make an angry face and show off his muscles! Since the mother cannot get a driver's license, we are their only source of transportation while her husband is away (he drives trucks for a living, and is sometimes gone for weeks at a time, as he is now). Today, we took **** fishing, which is something I don't think I have ever done.
On Tuesday night I got to experience Mass in the little chapel next to the Sisters' house. The small chapel was jam-packed (mind you, this means about 12 people). Though the chapel and the Mass there are very simple, the joy and sense of community was palpable, though *****'s attempts to wash his hands in the holy water caused a little bit of a distraction!
Finally, I have been spending a portion of my time planning a twice-weekly catechism class for the few Catholic kids who live nearby. With the help of a number of coloring books and work books (Coloring the Rosary, Joy Joy the Mass!, etc.), a first-grade catechism workbook and a Bible study book for pre-schoolers, I have been making lesson plans and planning pertinent activities and art projects for each of the ten days we will hold class. If you have any suggestions, please feel free to send them to me! None of us really know what we are doing!
Sister and I also had a couple new ideas this week about ways to minister to children. For one thing, we are starting a sports fund for local kids. We plan to raise money to offer scholarships for kids to join sports teams and purchase uniforms. In addition, we are going to make a concerted effort to collect donated uniform pants and shorts, as well as cleats, shin guards and other sports equipment.
We are also starting a "Flat D***y" doll for a little boy named D***y. D***y, who prefers to be called "JJ Jetplane," is five years old and suffers from a rare form of cancer. Please pray for a miracle for him, as the doctors have given up on treatment. The "doll" will be sent via mail to different people, who will each take photos with the doll, which D***y colored himself, and send them back to him. Perhaps some of you will receive the doll!
I plan on going camping with friends who are working for Appalachia Service Project this weekend at the Breaks interstate park a couple hours away, and look forward to hosting 30 volunteers from Pennsylvania next week beginning Monday!
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