Mi Universo - Jesus Adrian Romero

A year and a half later, it's time to end this wonderful experience. Right now I am on the plane on my way to California to meet up with JC and debrief a dew days before making my way home to Montreal.

I feel blessed to have spent my last weeks in ciudad juarez in the Christmas season. I ended Brigadas and the work I was directly doing with the street kids the week before Christmas and spent the following weeks visiting families and the oratories to spend time with the people and enjoy the season with them. This consisted of a lotttttt of food ( tamales, tamales... More tamales), piñatas, champurrado, Christmas songs and fireworks! A lot of togetherness over all and smiles and joy. The way heist mas is supposed to be celebrated you know? 



thinking about a career in piñata making and decorating!

I also spent my birthday with most of the young people of the three oratories. I went to mass in two oratories and in the evening we went ice skating! There is one skating ring in the entire city and ofcourse the Canadian would organize a birthday get together skating with a bunch of Mexicans who do not know how to skate. It was hilarious, entertaining and a lot of fun to be honest. Something new for many of them and something that made me feel at home for myself. 

 

My last dew days consisted of a lot of crying and hugging. Realizing I have spent a year and a half, almost 600 days living in this city and getting to know these wonderful people - saying goodbye and not knowing when I'll be back to see them is really hard. But in my goodbyes, Irealized  how many people I really got know. Personally knowing about their past, their story, why they are here. And how much I have learnt from every single one of them. I care for these young people and have dedicated all this time to serving them through different projects and trying to bring them and unite them to their oratory. 

The way they say I have left a big mark in this community, I know and testify to the fact that their humility and gentleness has touched my heart in a way I never thought possible. I feel so loved by them and it is perfect because it's a strong as the love I have come to find in myself for them. I wish they weren't mexicans, I really so wish they all lived really close to me but I also know that I will be back. These oratorianos who are now my best friends have opened my eyes to what our mission on this earth is. 

To love one another and care for eachother. To lead a life of bringing people together and being joyful because there is nothing greater than having a good friend by your side. There is beauty in the broken - I don't think I can express that enough. 

 

 

Padre Riccardo and Chilly Willy at the airport dropping me off

 

I'd sacrifice it all for the young people - just to be able to bring their souls closer to God. 

Ciudad Juarez - I'll be seeing you. 

Just Be Held - Casting Crowns

In the month of November, I got to witness the making of the Alters that is a tradition in Mexico in order to honor those who are already in heaven. For All Souls Day, mexicans create an alter and share the biography of a loved one that has passed away. These alters have a format to follow and seems a little weird but once you see it and really live it you can see that it is such a beautiful tradition.

Another really important project that the young people of Juarez took part in was our day of the Missions. The local volunteers spent about a month collecting food and clothes for this one day of missions. We began this weekend with a retreat to get the three oratories to know eahother and plan out together how we would be going about this day. We all decided to serve to the community of Don Bosco. On Sunday morning, we began our day with a mass and then 27 young people went to knock on the doors of families living close to the oratory and took the time to sit and get to know them. Sharing stories of their past and present and inviting them to different groups and projects of the oratory. (look at where your beautiful crosses ended up Alex!) 

We invited these families to come visit the oratory in the afternoon for a good basket and to choose from the clothes that had been collected. And we ended our mission with a movie in Cine Bosco watchin the Ultimate Gift. This experience really was a beautiul one. Seeing the union of the young people of the three oraories, begining with a retreat remembering how we are all missionaries on this world and later realizing the importance of knowing. It wasn't just about going and leaving a big of non perishable items with a family that may need it, it was about sitting and listening to te people of Juarez. We saw and heard some very meaningful and powerful stories that changed the heart of many young people. That in itself was the objective and God certainly provided. 

I present to you all the Salesian Volunteers of Mexico! 

Another beautiful experience that I am very grateful for this month was the way we lived National Volunteer Day. We spent this day in Guadalajara with 40 other Salesian volunteers of Mexico. This volunteer encounter was to celebrate Don Boscos up coming birthday by gather the volunteers from the North and South - all those a par of the Salesians and te FMAs. I met wonderful people from around the world all dedicating their lives to this beautiful country for a year or more. 

Ciudad Juarez wishing Don Bosco a happy birthday :)

I have about one month left in this city, then its back to Montreal life. Its a sad and happy thought - a weird mixture of feelings. But this week of evaluating and looking back on this year and a half of being in Ciudad Juarez - i want to finish with joy. The way i want to remembered is joyful. Entonces, lo que vamos hacer.... make the best of these last days, eat as much Mexican food, spend this Christmas remembering that people is what makes Christmas the best part and I am beyond blessed to be spending another Christmas and birthday with my Mexican family and this beautiful city I call my home. 

One Thing Remains - Kristian Stanfill

To be known is to be loved. That's the secret. Knowing is loving and in order to love you need to know - or be known.

 

My most favorite part of this missionary experience has been exactly this. Getting to personally know the people I work with, the kids and their situations and the young people. And it is so amazing and insane how every single person has a story to tell. What defines them, what created and molded them into the person they are at that very second. And I love what I do here because I get to be more than an outsider coming to work for their oratory or just give - I get to be their friend. And to many I can say best friend. I've gotten to know so many different types of people. The gangsters, the poorest of the poor, the pregnant at 16, the drug addict, the foster child, the cancer patient - every single type you can think of. And it's sad that we categorize people if you really think about it. 

But what I love is that I have gotten to know their stories and I get to be the testimony for them. I can speak up for the people of this city and show the world that the beauty still lays here. There's still hard times, and I've heard and lived through a lot of sad, hurtful and tragic stories with them but I've also seen so much hope. And strength that doesn't come from drowning yourself in material things. I have seen strength in just the simple things like being a part of the oratory and being surrounded by a multitude of people who just spend time with eachother face to face; the real definition of a community. But all of their hope comes from their faith. Because there really is no reason to be afraid if you got he big almighty, powerful man on your side. And this is something beauiful let me tell you. 

 

So here's me speaking up for them. And this doesn't just go for Juarez, this is international. Stop stereotyping because of what you hear. I've met grandmothers, brothers, godfathers, teachers, doctors, lawyers and kids. Everything and everyone we could some how relate to because we know these are people who have affected our lives. That all goes for Juarez too, because these are people just like you. A bit darker, speak a different language and may not have the same education or up bringing but I promise - if you would get to know them and just devote some time to really knowing their story - you'd fall in love with this city as much as I do every day. 

 

 

¨My greatest sastisfaction is to see you happy. ¨ - Don Bosco

 

 

Don Bosco, Friend of the young and the poor.

With one Hail Mary and Gods blessing. Oh Father look what you have done. 

August 16, 2015 is St John Boscos 200th birthday! This whole year is a year of preperation for this day which is going to be a great celebration. These past 3 years have been a preparation for the day that is to come by sharing and learning about Don Boscos work and spirituality.

The Vicario of the northern Mexican Salesian Proince recently came to visit our community. During a morning mass with the Salesian priests and the volunteers, he spoke about the excitement of the bicentenario that is coming up and why this preperation and this day of August 16, 2015 is so important. It isn't because we are celebrating the birthday of a saint that passed away 200 years ago. We are celebrating th Don Bosco that lives within all of the Salesian communities to this day. I think this is a powerful and beautiful thought if you really think about it.

Don Bosco Oratory in Ciudad Juarez

200 years ago ( thats 73 000 days!) a man came to be an example of how to serve and how to help. By being a friend to the young and the poor. That was 73 000 daysago. And today, in 131 countries of the entire planet earth, there are Salesian communities continuing and imitating the great work that this one man started. When he decided to love and care for the most needy, the outcasts, the prisoners and the poor.

But over all - he dedicated his entire life to the young. He believed that they were important when the rest of the world just saw them as kids. He knew they needed to feel loved. And needed to be joyful and needed a place to come to. A positve place - that would be the oratory. Don Bosco went against everything a priest should have been doing in his time and because of this, Salesians are located around the world in order to help the youth be the leaders of the future.

I have had this great privilege of spending this past year (and the next few months) in a Salesian community with 5 Salesian priests and a great number of volunteers that come from Salesian communities around the world. I have learnt so much not only by living in this house and being a part of this community but really through the work in the 3 oratories that are located in Juarez.

Mission trip to Haiti with the students of the Salesian School

Many people, including other parts of Mexico, see Ciudad Juarez as a place of violence and 'exreme scary-ness oh my goodness cat come home.' But the Salesians are located here because the truth is we have a mission, to conintue Don Boscos work. Yes, there are many things I have lived and seen throughout my mission trip that would surprise a lot of you but - it is part of the package of working and dedicating part of my life to the most needy, the poor and the outcasts. Don Bosco said it and I live by this " if i do not take the time to care for them, who will?" I had the oppertunity of literally growing up and being apart of the Salesian community in Montreal through the parish and YLC. I can say I have known the Salesians my whole life and it is thanks to the community in Montreal that I am here on my mission today. Being apart of the Salesian family, growing up in youth groups and taking part in retreats and catechism and getting to know about the mission Don Bosco had - now I can help share it and pass it on.

The best part about the Salesians is really the family feeling they give. You can go anywhere in the world and feel like you are a part of the same family because of the same values you were taught through the Salesians. Don Boscos plan then, and our plan now is to help create good Christians and honest citizens of the world. The point is to make this world a better place, to get down to the core of teaching good values and educating the young in becoming soldiers of God and good people that live on this planet. For youth to serve the youth, to be a part of a bigger picture.

Mission trip to Domingo Savio Oratory in Tijuana, Mexico

Don Bosco is celebrating his 200th birthday in heaven but I know he is looking down at all the work that is continuing on this earth where we live. I can imagine the smile on his face knowing that 200 years later, a dream he had at 9 years old is still a reality and continuing around the world. Being Salesian is contagious, if you do not know about the life of Don Bosco - I highly recomend reading up on the life story of the saint. Let us all try and live with even the smallest amount of his spirit and I can promise you this world will be better. I see it everyday, and I am just one young person in this world speaking up for the Salesians. 

LIKE DON BOSCO

WITH THE YOUNG, FOR THE YOUNG! 

- strenna 2015 

Niña de tus ojos - Jesus Adrian Romero

July was summer camp time in the oratories! Camp here is called VAFEJE ( vacaciones felizes con Jesús - happy vacations with Jesus). This is afour week program that begins with the animators at 9 am with formation and prepping our day, Children arrive at 10 and stay in the oratory in two different classes ( such as social circus, computors, guitar, arts and crafts, cooking...). At 2 the children and animators go home for lunch and come back at 430 for the afternoon of games and sports until 8 pm. Personally, I really enjoyed VAFEJE because you can see how many young people dedicate their entire day to these children who just want to play and have a positive place to be during their summer. 

At the end of July, I went to San Fransisco for a one week retreat with Salesian Volunteers. I got to meet all the new volunteers who will be dedicating he next year of their lives to see in The Lord in seaian schools and oraories in te USA and in Mexico. I also got to see all te volunteers who have finished their year and will be continuing their journey at home. I ask that you do send out a prayer for these wonderful missionaries 

After the retreat, I made my way to Montreal. I spent the whole month of August at home with my family and friends. I also took advantage of this time to rest before coming back to Juarez in September. I tried my best to visit and spend time with friends and family members and try and share my experience with as many souls as I could.  It was a good month but I was really missing my Mexican family and the new friends I know I have a limited amount of time seeing. 

Highlights of my month: 

- Best friend time. 

- Walking into CRLT again ( although Marc was never there!) 

- My day with Alex

- Zia Maria's cinnamon buns

- Re celebrating Christmas at Nonna Cathy's

- visiting godmoma in Ottawa 

- Emily driving 😳 

- pregnant lady :) 

I am now back in Juarez and ready to continue my missionary journey until MIS January. I ask that you keep my community in your prayer, keep the children and all the members of this Salesian family close to your hearts. Know I will be praying for you. 

Don't be sad - I'll be back soon :) 

Hello, My Name Is - Matthew West

I got to spend all of the month of June traveling Mexico! One whole week by myself and the other two with the community I am living with. 

Santisimo en la Basilica

Mexico City

  I took one week to visit Mexico City which is the capital of Mexico. Nallely (my dearest hermana grande) moved to Mexico City in the month of May and I missed her a lot a lot a lot a lot. Since she is living there alone, I decided to take a week to travel alone to visit and get to know the city.  I got to know her work, her new home and took the time to travel and get to know the biggest city of Mexico. My favorite part was Villa Basilica. This was the basilica where the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared in 1531 in Mexico and asked Juan Diego to have the bishop build a basilica on that very mountain. There is a new basilica that had been built that is bigger for the millions of people that pass by every single day. It was beautiful and up to now my most favorite place to have visited in all of Mexico.  

The family

 Then we took a community vacation. The four salesian priests of the community and 8 volunteers. (NEW VOLUNTEERS! We have become a very international family. A couple from Spain, a Brazilian, a Colombian, two from the United States and the one and only Canadian :)) traveling across Mexico in our beautiful Brigada de la Alegria van. We drove to the state of Sinaloa to a beach house where we met up with two other Salesian communities and their volunteers. We were about 25 people sharing vacation time on a beautiful beach. 

This was the first time in my life I stayed on a beach and I enjoyed it. Waking up to the ocean and going asleep to a sky full of millions of stars was amazing. The heat was different ( don't think I'll ever get used to it) but being able to jump in the water at whatever time of the day or night was very helpful. I slept in until 1 pm FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE. 


And ofcourse, the second day there - cat gets sick. With a horrible cough and a cold in 50 degrees weather. Imagine how weird and uncomfortable that is? None the less, enjoying the days of resting. Oh super cool - priests or not; the World Cup is important everywhere in the world. They brought a projector and connected the tv in one of the rooms to watch alllllllllllll of the games. Boys will be boys. Young or old boys will be boys! 
We then drove to Mochis where we stayed at another Salesian oratory with the Salesian community. Met up with some friends that I met in FIO and got to know the city. We spent one day on boats AND I SAW DOLPHINS - also for the first time in my life. Seeing the sun set in the middle of water is really something. And watching star pop up one by one was a beautiful experience. We also celebrated the 15 year anniversary of the oratories Dominic Savio youth group with the young people and entire community. 
After spending three days in Mochis, we spent one other day driving to Guadalajara where all the Salesians of the province had an important three day meeting and where we volunteers were free to explore the city. Cho, Alejandra and myself stayed with dani! It was so nice to see and spend all this time with her again. I missed her sooooooo 
Selfie with former Rector Major! 
much, my little pony. 
Also, during out stay in Guadalajara, the new provincial of the Salesians of the Northern part of Mexico took his spot asn we got to attend that mass. I also got to take a picture and have a little chat with Father Pascal Chavez who is originally from this Salesian Province! 

These weeks were a great way to start the summer and really get to spend and share time with the ones who have become my family. We took advantage of this time to bond and enjoy some time and have fun before summer camp begins. 

I am thankful for my community, for the oppertunities I continue living every single day throughout this mission trip in Mexico. 

Sumergeme - Jesus Adrian Romero

This year, I had the privilage to live Holy week in a completely different way. The week started off with Pascua Infantil at Oratorio Don Bosco. The volunteers with some jovenes from the oratory developped a 3 day activity with the children of catechism in order for them to understand Easter and come together.

In the afternoons, we went to visit a foster home. 4 nuns own this home and run with lots of love for the 60 boys who presently are living 24 hours / 7 days a week in this home. This was a wonderful oppertunity because we literally just arrived with soccer balls, hoola hoops, one guitar and some milk and cookies and played all afternoon. These boys were very excited to have us around because they spent most of their free time playing outside with each other anyways. With fixed games and activities, the boys easily gained a lot of trust and shared many stories about their own lives and how much they now cared and loved us. We also wrote a song with them! Well, they wrote the song, and we are presently having it recorded and I pray you all get to hear it and understand it very soon. This is something that they did with our help and kind of counts as an anthem for these children who have eachother, and just want to be loved, with the favor of God. During my time with these kids, i saw a lot of very powerful things. It brought me back to

those days that I had the chance to experience in the orphanage of Tijuana. All these kids want is somebody to be their friend and not be dissappointed. Considering they come from messed up backrounds, all they want is for someone to show up and make them smile.This was exactly what we did and there really is not anything greater than just seeing a kid feel happy. Little but fierce boys, coming and hugging the volunteers and just holding hands and wanting to play. We will be keeping in touch with this Casa Hogar and hope to keep this bond for the future because just like the project of LaBrigada, it is very simple to see how present the Salesians can be wherever there are kids. And Don Bosco said over and over again ´´IT is not enough for them to be loved, they need to know that they are loved.´´ When we left, they did not think we would come back, and they expressed their feelings very clearly. So we will be bhack, once we figure out our schedules and we will be playing with these angels. 

I spent Holy Thursday at Don Bosco. Fun fact, you can bring any bread to be blessed on Holy Thursday and their is a time alotted during the mass where the priest walks around with the holy water, blessing the bread inside the bag you brought it in. SUPER COOL! The Ortegas gave me a piece of bread to be blessed, and once mass is over everyone just eats their bread! It tasted delicious, i think because it was holy :) Once mass was over, they used the Circus room as the adoration room.

It was beautifully decorated and the Blessed Sacrement was exposed for 3 hours after mass. Every hour, a group would come and take over the space and lead their own adoration ways. I went with the jovenes to finish off their Pascua Juvenil for the day and we played some games and about a half hour before it was our turn to be resent in adoration, we had a kareoke activity ... WORSHIP SONG KAREOKE! 50 young people, in one room with music and projecting the kareoke version of spanish worship songs was really something unbelievable and powerful. Call me a Jesus freak but I really enjoyed this moment, It was also a very deep and intense moment for the jovenes that were really living this Easter experience together. 

 Good Friday started off with a Via Crucis in the streets of Domingo Savio. This was one of the most beautiful traditions I have ever witnessed. Every year, a group from the oratory will put on the Via Crucis, and walk around the neighborhood. They did it so well, and it was the most perfect way to start off Good Friday - with the Passion of our Lord. Walking in the streets is what really made the difference for me. I got to experience the Passion in a real way. What also amazed me was the amount of people following this pilgramage, as if we were really walking with Jesus through his trial. AFter the Via Crucis, we spent some time with Nallely watching the passion, the way they do it in Mexico. Did you know, the biggest representation of the Passion and Via Crucis is in Mexico City and they make is so real. They actually walk 8 hours to a mountain while really beating and whipping him. They people really sacrifice a lot to feel what Jesus did. Also, there are still parts of the world, such as the Philipines, where some people really are crucified. To feel what Jesus felt, to have the same marks and be one with the Lord through his times of suffering! I didnt know that was possible. The celebration of Good Friday was a beautiful one -once it ended, there

was another walk. This one is called La Marcha en Silencio, The Silent Walk. We walk the streets with the cross and the statue of the Virgin of Sorrows. Literally, not one person peaks during this walk - it is a time to reflect and be with Mary grieving the death of her son. The only sounds you hear was the sound of 3 bass drums that were leading the walk. Everytuime they would beat the drum, you would feel this gut feeling in your chest. Anybody had the chance to carry the cross or the statue, alot of people would take turns. Alma, Nallely and myseklf walked a little

less than the last half with the statue of the Virgin and brought her into the church to end the procession. Once we placed Mother MAry with the cross, the entire congregation stayed present and we said the rosary together. This was a beautiful and powerful moment. The entire church filled with faithful members, praying the rosary. The night ended in silence, a real way to really feel that it was a day of grief. Nallely said something to the young people that really caught my attention, the feeling of the day of Good Friday is not supposed to be a joyful one.

Big sister Nallely 

She straight up just told them ´´ today your brother died, he was nailed to a cross - they killed him... why are you smiling.´´ When i heard that I kind of just stood there in awe for a second, and it is true. I feel like through these days and through these faithful people, I have learnt so much of what I thought I already knew. But it is true, it is a day of grieving for not only a King, but our own brother died for us. That is pretty intense.  The next day, bright and early, I went on another pilgramage. This time, longer and way more intense than the two from yesterday. We walked up tot he highest mountain where there is really big cross. It was literally walking in a dessert (i do live in a dessert but walking in a mountain that did not have trees or anything but the sun just hitting you really is walking through the real desert). Once we got up to the top, we spoke about Mother Mary and her role in Easter and we took the time to share our time and reflections with the others. I walked back with Nallely who had been living with us all weekto live out a week of service as well. If you haven´t heard me speak about Nallely yet, let me tell you how beautiful this person is. I am so blessed and grateful to have met her and gotten to know her. She has been my big sister here, taking care of me from the very begining and she is someone I will be keeping in my heart literally for the rest of time. You know how Don Bosco says ´ Give me souls, take away the rest.´ Well Nallely is a soul seeker and saver, shes saving mine. This walk was a good relaxing little trip (even though we walked for 3 hours).

Can almost touch heaven

 

Taking the time to reflect on the last few days, and how tongiht was going to be the biggest mass of all the masses in the whole entire world where Jesus resurrects for us. Overall, it was beyond amazing. I am really grateful to have lived this Holy Week in Juarez. The different culture made a big difference but what amazed me more was the willingness and faith of the people that were coing tot he services and activities. The oratory was full - there were more than 30 people in Adoration until 12 am. Theres are people of great faith, really living out their faith.