Easter

On Sunday morning, we met with our pre-teen group. They were excited about Easter and really happy not to have to practice for Stations of the Cross any more. So, we had a fun day. Coloring pictures, playing ping-pong and playing a life-sized board game called "The Great Holy Week Game" that we found on the internet. We all went to mass after the group. David and one of the older youth hid chocolate eggs outside for the kids to find. The tradition here is to hunt for small chocolate eggs instead of plastic or real ones. We had the youngest kids hunt for eggs in a separate area. Joshua was really good at finding eggs, stuffing them in his mouth and biting down (tin foil covering intact) before David could get it out of his hand. All of the kids had a great time.

We have been blessed to begin this year with great participation from the youth. Please pray especially for our teens who are newly entering the Christian world. It really is a tough time in their lives and living here in Alto Hospicio, they are up against a lot of scary temptations. It is not easy for them to live a Christian life here and they need all the support they can get.

Holy Saturday

After the two hour Stations of the cross on Friday afternoon, David ran the shared amplification system to another chapel and did another 2 hour Stations of the Cross. Then, he woke up at 6:30 am and took the youth group up the "hill" running from Iquique up to Alto Hospicio for a third Stations of the Cross. The man is dedicated. This "hill" is most definitely a mountain by Floridian definition. And it is composed of soft sand, causing feet to sink down deep with every step. Not an easy trek. Anna, while usually eager to suffer in the hot sun, stayed home with Joshua. Chilean youth in general love a good "caminata" (walk) and were thrilled to participate with the rest of the diocese in the climb. We were going to cancel the usual Saturday afternoon youth group meeting, but they asked us not to. Then, in order to blow us all away with their participation, they prepared the bonfire used in the Saturday night Easter Vigil and stayed for mass. We are still dazed from witnessing their Super Teen abilities.

Geering up with anticipation.

Fr. Mike Howe, a Columban who works with us in the parish, joined the kids. They really like the close relationship they have with the Columban priests. It makes a big difference!

We told you it wasn't a hill...

Sr. Leonor is a Mexican sister who works with us in the parish. She's here with the youth from her chapel.

A group shot near the top.

The kids insist on throwing up symbols with their hands in every photo, so David decided he would try to hang with the cool kids.

Getting down was apparently a lot of fun, including jumping, flipping and sliding down on their rears.

Good Friday

We decided to get the kids a little more involved in Holy Week this year. One way was to have our pre-teen group act out the Stations of the Cross. It was a crazy mess trying to get them organized. The night before the event, three kids backed out. So, we had to grab a couple of our "big" kids to help out... that's why Jesus is a few feet taller than the rest of them! In the end, it turned out well. Simple and humble, it reflected the community's best attributes.

Cardboard and Tin Foil at it's best.

The ever-present street dogs take on the Roman Army.

We were well accompanied by our newly ordained deacon and the Marist Brothers (with the guitar and microphone) who run an elementary school in our neighborhood.

Pilot interrogates Jesus.

Simon the Cyrean helps Jesus with the cross.

Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem (our girls cried really well).

A shot of Jesus on the cross. As you can see, we did not win the battle of getting him to take the tunic off in front of his friends and neighbors.

We ended in the chapel with Adoration of the Cross and a Communion Service.