Welcome to the Alpha Omega Mission Trip 2011 Blog!

Dear Parish Friends,

It has been a long day of driving. The day started with a group meeting at the parish before many of you were awake. Everyone departed in pods and left for our destination.  Stops were made including a quick stop in Bloomington to pick up the last of the crew. After many long hours in the car we finally made it to the Hampton Inn in Columbia, MO. We swam and had much fun. Lots of pizza was eaten, stories were told, and birthdays were celebrated. Happy Birthday Katherine S. and Jack R! It was a long day and everyone is tired. We'll all be getting a good nights rest to get us started with Day 2!

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 1!

Dear Parish Friends, 

Despite the obvious expectations of serving others and getting closer to God we believe that the CHWC will be a place to meet new people and enjoy a fun work environment. We also look forward to music and programs each night. Although, we do have the 115 degree weather here in Kansas City. We prefer to see the glass as half full and are excited for the opportunity to have a nice experience. Although communal showers, rampant wildlife, mosquitos, and lack of sleep leave us less than delighted. We still feel safe and we trust our safety on the road with our drives. 

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 2!

Dear Parish Friends,

Today was our first work day at camp. We woke up extremely early and had a great breakfast followed by program. We left that morning in our groups to our worksites in the city. Everyone went separate ways. Some were at daycares, some tutoring, and others helping to fix up houses. We all had a long days work. By the time everyone returned we were all very tired. As St. Mary of Vernon's tradition today we had a great dress up day. Nerd Day. Many of the campers got into the spirit and enjoyed their fabulous looks. Oh yes, other churches were jealous. We finished off the night with program again. It was another prayerful time spent together here at Catholic Heart. Now we all rest in our rooms looking forward to another great day!

-on a side note today's filming was done by Sean. He has wonderful footage of interviews we are hoping to get in somewhere, but are unable to at the moment due to technical difficulties! However, some footage was used and thanks Sean for all the help!

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 3!

Dear Parish Friends,

Today was another great day at CHWC. We were all set at our worksites and starting to get to know our fellow work team better. We were all looking forward to our second day now that we had time to adjust the day before. The second day is always  better because we actually know what to do. We woke up early in the morning and set off to our worksites once again. Some went painting, others went to help install things, some gardening, others tutoring, and some watching kids. Everyone was finally getting comfortable with where they were and they had more fun then the day before! When everyone got back the spirits were high and people were already hanging out with each other playing games of spoons. Then it was time for end of the day program...and well you'll just have to watch the video to see how that turned out. We all loved it and it was a blast! The day concluded with a great dance party and we were off to bed to rest for another days work!

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 4!

Dear Parish Friends,

Day 5 was even better then Day 4! We all feel even more comfortable in our groups and worksites. All the bonding from the week has helped all of us. We've all met new friends and people along the way. Of course it was another early morning and then once again off to our worksites. We all love going to our worksites even though we hate the heat and work at times. All the residents are so kind and we all love the people we're helping. When we all got back we had an early night for program because we were in for a special treat that Jim will tell you all about as you scroll down. But, until then the rest of the night was another great one from all the campers and we're excited for the next!

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 5!

Dear Parish Friends,

Four corners is a sacred, special, life giving, anointed, and for some campers, an emotional, moving experience. Campers are given an opportunity to receive individual prayer/attention and a "listening ear." It is an opportunity for campers to experience the sacrament of Reconciliation, prayer, and writing. It is a safe environment and atmosphere filled with trust, acceptance and the Holy Spirit in which campers can experience the love of Jesus Christ through one another and the sacraments.

Scroll down for a video of the 4 Corners experience!

Dear Parish Friends,

We finally made it to our last work day at camp! It was our last night there, last day at our worksites, and last nightly program. We were all happy and sad at the knowledge of our farewells later to come that day. We all left to our worksites for one final trip. We finished all of the jobs we had started and said good-bye to the residents we were helping. It was a sad departure from them because over the week we had grown so close together. However, we knew this day would come. Once back we still had one last night program to attend. It was packed with activities. Some of the residents attended and gave wonderful speeches of how much they enjoyed the help and company from the campers. We all sat with our teams for the final time we had together. It was very bitter-sweet as they all left and we split back up into our churches for the remaining program. Everything then was back to normal we had a great time, sang many songs, and saw the Carpenter Cammandos (becoming full-fledged carpenter cammandos in training!). We also had a few surprises such as gloves with lit-up fingertips and a flash-mob! It was a great way to end the last full day of camp and we left to return to our rooms that night with a heavy heart!

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 6!

 Dear Parish Friends,

Today we packed up our bags and got ready to depart from the school. We all said our final good-byes to everyone and loaded up the cars. We were all very anxious to get to the Worlds of Fun/ Oceans of Fun parks! Kids and adults were both looking forward to a day of fun after all the days of work. As soon as we got there we received our tickets and departed in groups. We all rode as many rides as we could and for some as many times in a row as we could. It was a great day of fun and it was over way to soon. We then left the park and headed for the hotel we would be staying at. It was a long car ride, but we made it safely. We then had a fun night at the hotel before going to bed for our final night together!

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 7!

Dear Parish Friends,

We were all set to depart for the final time of this trip. It was a sad time for everyone as we said some hard good-byes to new friends that were made. When asked how they felt Shawn said he was excited to get back home and plans on coming back. Mike was exhausted and also planning on coming back. Raelio was happy to get home and hopefully coming back. Jack was tired and grateful for the great opportunity. And Ryan was happy, he was more connected with God and friends and is considering staff for next year! Most of the kids felt the same way as this. Everyone happy, tired, ad sad. But there is still next year and always more opportunities such as this. We are blessed with so many privileges. So I'll be signing off for awhile now for this is my last post. I hope you all enjoyed the site and it was an honor to do :) 

Scroll down for photos and videos from Day 8!