11.28.09
Posted in AV Alumni at 8:09 pm by osavolor
As we all know, Advent is a time of waiting and preparation. Preparation, but for what? When I think of preparation, I generally think of studying for a test, training for a race, or getting ready for a big Christmas dinner. We take certain steps so that when whatever it is that we are waiting for arrives, we will be ready for it. But how do you prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ? How do you prepare for something when no matter what you do, you will never really be ready for it?
Advent marks the start of the Church year. It is a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus, and understand the importance of this event to you and your faith as an Augustinian volunteer, this Advent is really special for you. You get to share it (just like you currently share almost everything else) with your community. I could sit hear and preach to you about what Advent means to me and what I think you should do to prepare, but who am I? By now, you have already figured out that every member of community comes with differing beliefs, ideas, and values. In community, we differ in our views towards things ranging from expressing our faith to what temperature the heat should be set on. These differences are both a blessing and a curse. They cause tensions and stress sometimes, but they are also the best opportunities we have to learn from each other and grow.
With the business of the Christmas season, it is very easy for people to look at Advent as nothing more than a countdown to Christmas. The thing that I don’t like about countdowns is that they keep you focused so much on the future that you might lose sight of the present. The great thing about your volunteer year is that you have the opportunity to truly live in the now, perhaps more than you ever will again. During Advent (and for the rest of your year) I challenge you to do just that. Take the time to figure out what this season means to your roommates and to you. There is a reason that Advent lasts 4 weeks. We need that much time, so use it. Reflect, pray, and above all appreciate each day and what it means as you look forward (but don’t count down) to the celebration of the birth of Christ and to the rest of your AV year.
Dan Roderick
San Diego ‘07-08
Dan is currently still living in San Diego and is working at Hogar Infantil la Glora, the orphanage in Tijuana where he spent part of his time serving during his AV year. He is the General Director and Development Director of the orphanage.
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11.23.09
Posted in AV 2009 International at 1:12 pm by Christina Mechler
We only have 2 weeks left here in Peru. It is a sad, scary and exciting time. I won’t try to summarize 11 months of life in Chulucanas, because that is just not possible. Probably the most important part of life here; however, has been the community. Our community of Augustinian Volunteers is really just incredible. It is hard to form a home and create a community out of a group of 4 strangers, which is what we were a year ago. But we now have a home, where we are all comfortable living and have a great time. In my volunteer experience the community has been everything and I love each one of them. Here is my tribute to community:
Kevin has been my rock of understanding. He and I both spent the months of August and September working hard on grad-school applications. I was so grateful to be able to share and exchange comments on essays, cover letters and CVs. I was often completely overwhelmed (and still am) thinking about my future, but Kevin is calm and logical. He can talk me down from a moment of crisis and doubt, reminding me of where I am now, in Chulu, and everything else can wait. He listens to me complain and list my worries for hours with extreme patience. After reading his personal statements for law school I was even more impressed and sure that he will do amazing things in his life.
Dan, also known as Danielito, goes running every morning between 5:15AM and 6AM. I attempted to join him a few times, but that is just so early! The truly amazing part of Dan’s mornings, though, is that he routinely brings fresh bread for Liz and me to eat for breakfast. On his way in from his run he goes out of his way to go to the panadería and get fresh, still hot, bread to deliver to our kitchen by 6:15 so that Liz and I can have our lazy morning sipping coffee and eating bread and jam before Liz heads to work at 7AM. Dan does not eat bread in the morning (he and Kevin eat oatmeal). Getting bread for us a selfless act, for which I am extremely grateful.
Liz = my sock. This is actually not an insult. In Spanish media naranja literally means ‘half an orange” but is also the term used for ‘soul mate.’ Media, however, has a double meaning, in addition to meaning ‘half,’ it also means ‘sock.’ So really, what I’m trying to say is that Liz is my soul mate! She and I are the perfect roommate situation. We took the sense a community to a new extreme and have a completely community closet (which works because we are the same size), where we share everything with no rules. We also enjoy waiting hours to watch the same silly television shows streaming online (Grey’s, Vampire Diaries, Buffy, Roswell, Glee – a strange but fantastic mix!). And next July I will willingly wear an orange dress as a bridesmaid in the wedding of my media to her true soul mate.
I ‘heart’ Peru Avs (this blog keeps eating my heart)
Christie Mechler
Chulucanas 2009
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11.18.09
Posted in AV 2009-10 Domestic at 8:23 pm by ASlike
I have been living in Lawrence, Massachusetts for three months and time has been moving so quickly that I feel as if it were yesterday that I was being dropped off at the Courtyard Marriott for AV orientation. In the short time that I have been in the area I have had so many memorable adventures that it is a difficult task to select only one.
I work as a Teacher’s Aide at the Blessed Stephen Bellesini Academy, a tuition-free middle school for disadvantaged young men. The students have twelve hour days that are comprised of in class education, after school activities that range from the MSPCA to the music clubhouse at the local YMCA, and evening study sessions for the students to have a chance to get additional help with their homework. This elaborate schedule keeps the students motivated and away from possible distractions in their neighborhoods. Classes are held in four classrooms in the basement of an old church and two auxiliary trailers that are located in the parking lot. I get an opportunity each and every day to help my students with their school work, extracurricular activities, and at times just be there to listen.
Last Thursday I had the pleasure of attending an open house to support the final push for the school’s “Capital Campaign” to expand the school and create two additional floors upstairs containing a science lab, gymnasium, library, cafeteria with a full kitchen, and an alumni support center. At the open house a seventh grade student was asked to speak about his experiences in school and spoke with the drive and clarity of a seasoned orator. I have never seen anyone of that age speak with such eloquence, it made me forget that I worked for the school and wasn’t one of the prospective donors. He gave a synopsis of their classes, extra-curricular activities, and evening study events.
Next on the agenda was a recent graduate of Bellesini Academy who is currently enrolled in a Community College and excited to excel to the extent that he will be able to receive his Bachelors in Management and an Associates in Communications. When he was about to come to his conclusion he was practically in tears and it reinforced in me WHY I AM HERE… I could not ask for anything more and I feel as if I am learning so much from these young men and this experience that I am the student and they are my teachers.
Since August my life has been completely been illuminated by my work and the lives and generosity of those around me. I live in community with three other Augustinian Volunteers, Erika works at the Bellesini Academy with me, Charlie works in pre-K at St. Mary’s of the Assumption, and Alex works in the Campus Ministry office at Merrimack College. I haven’t lived with roommates in about three years so it has been a completely different experience to adjust to. Living with individuals who have similar experiences each day has been a blessing. We are able to bounce ideas off of one another about our upcoming activities at work, we have ventured out into our new surroundings and shared some amazing experiences, and we are there for each other when days we just need someone to talk to. Having these individuals in my life has helped me to grow as an individual and spiritually through our need to coordinate our schedules and accommodate each other’s needs, as well as in our weekly prayer when we have the opportunity to share our thoughts and personal styles of prayer. We are all here to support each other through whatever trials and tribulations that may arise and though we have only been here a short while we have bonded and become a community that I would never trade for anything.
I am eternally grateful to be given the privilege of working for the Augustinian Volunteers and doing what I am today. This is where I need and want to be.
Andrew B. Slike
Lawrence, MA ‘09-’10
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11.01.09
Posted in AV 2009-10 Domestic at 2:48 pm by lauren.vetter
I strongly believe that more often than not, the giver quickly becomes the receiver. What I mean by this is the act of giving soon becomes a gift in itself. In every experience I’ve had in volunteering, I’ve always come away with the distinct feeling of receiving so much more than what I gave because of the warmth and kindness shown to me by those I work for. This year thus far has been no exception to this observation. Though my community and I strive to serve those around us, I cannot help but to acknowledge and be grateful for the many gifts bestowed upon us during our time here. To elaborate on all would produce a book, so I will describe three.
Community. Mondays and Tuesdays I work with Natalie at Siena House- a shelter for women who are either pregnant or have an infant, and over these past few months I have come to hold great respect for these women. There are 29 women who live in the house, and although some grew up similarly in the Bronx, all the women have very different stories, personalities, likes and dislikes. No one woman is the same; however, all the women are united by one factor: the love they have for their children. They adore their babies, work to give their children a future, and everyday, unite as a community because of this common thread. I have seen these women care for their children, care for each other’s children, and comfort, push, and care for each other, all striving for one common goal. Their care, self-sacrifice, and sense of community have helped me to understand how to turn “me” into “we” and grow within my own gift of community.
Acceptance. Wednesday through Friday I am blessed to work in a daycare/preschool with children three and four years old. Needless to say, everyday is an adventure, but I have never worked a day there without feeling accepted and welcomed into their lives. I feel as though the older we get, the more we expect from people, and I know I, at least, forget to appreciate the mere presence of those around me. These kids have reminded me of what I should be thankful for. They don’t care what you look like or what you own. They accept you for who you are, and appreciate the time you spend with them. They love you just for being a part of their lives. I honestly believe, like the giver becomes the receiver, the teacher is really the student, and I have a lot to learn from these children.
Compassion. Not a day has gone by in the Bronx that I have not seen this blessing. The women show it to each other at Siena House by listening to a new resident’s struggles. The kids show it through their heartfelt concern if someone is crying on the playground. One day, a woman who had next to nothing showed it by donating what she could because she “never knew when life may take a turn and she could use some help too.” Compassion, I have learned, is what keeps us human in the society we live in today, and my daily experiences serve to remind my why I am here.
My work here has been my greatest joy. I love the sense of community, the open acceptance, and compassion for others- and those are only a few of the many graces brought into my life. I only hope within this year, I am able to give back a portion of what has graciously been bestowed upon me and remember to pass these gifts on wherever I may go.
Lauren Vetter
Bronx, NY
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