Notre Dame in Lima, Peru

"...have the courage to go against the tide of this culture...the culture of exclusion, of rejection, is spreading...There is no place for the elderly or for the unwanted child; there is no time for that poor person in the street. Be servants of communion and of the culture of encounter!" – Pope Francis 

   Our mission at Notre Dame High School, where I teach theology, is to be imitators of Christ. As a school, we try our hardest to imitate our Lord through acts of mercy and service. While service as taken us to other cities and states, this year I will be taking 10 students to serve our brothers and sisters in need in Lima, Peru. 
     Over the course of nearly two weeks in July, our students will spend time with families in one of Lima’s shanty towns (“Laderas de Chillon”) by ministering to them spiritually and physically, performing tasks like building staircases, homes, classrooms, chapels, day care centers, or painting, while also praying with them and entering into their lives.  This is an opportunity for service and growth in faith. Our mission will be to create an environment of encounter - with God, creation, others, and one’s self.
 This mission trip will be organized through Cruz Blanca Missions, a Catholic non-profit organization in Lima, Peru. 

     What I love about the Notre Dame community is that it is extremely diverse, and while many of my students' families struggle to make ends meet, they never cease to give to those in need not only materially but with their own time and talents. My students remind me each day why I fell in love with service when I was in college - it is powerful encounter with God to meet him in the face of those he loves, often the most needy. Those who receive this service often appreciate the love received, the unique attention and care, even more than the goods we provide. This is a true experience of love and vulnerability on both ends.

Please consider helping my students see their brothers and sisters in Peru, and the reality of the world around them - the reality that goes beyond anything I can teach them in my classroom. Help us be imitators of Christ - join our mission!