Settling back into life

Time can fly when you are having fun or maybe re-adjusting back into school life.
Seven days have past since we have returned from Montego Bay, Jamaica. And it doesn't seem like it has been a week since we last saw the children. Reality has begun to sink in as our semester winds down.

A few of our group members have caught up with each other this week in the halls of the STM or during informal conversations in our homes and apartments. The first 72 hours of life in Boston seemed to overwhelm some. It was hard not seeing the children and the beautiful faces of Mustard Seed Communities.

Our friends and classmates have bombarded us with questions and some of us have been curt with responses such as awesome, enriching or amazing. The word tiring has not come up yet although many of us are still trying to catch up on rest. It is hard to wrap our hands around the emotions that overwhelmed us and flooded our every being.

We've asked questions of each other such as, "So, what now?" and made statements such as, "I need help processing this."

Our team member, Jess, set up a photo sharing site where we have posted our photographs for our group to see. And looking back at the photographs of the Cathedral in Montego Bay, the cottages at Blessed Assurance and most importantly the children bring us back to a simpler place that didn't include homework demands, context text messages and adult realities of medical appointments and paying bills.

Currently we are planned to gather as a group in a week to help each other process and share a meal. We have been asked to think about our struggles this week and our high points.

We will report back and let you know how that process goes.

A deep breath and then a release

It will be a matter of days and hours before our plane touches down in Jamaica. Our last meeting before the trip was a mixture of prayer, smiles and laughs. Some of us are concerned about being open to being a vessel for the work of God. Others are trying not to have expectations. We're all excited that one week from today we'll be sitting in Mustard Seed Communities.

With semester break peeking around the corner we are now kicking into high gear for our academics as well as our trip. Two of our members are completing the first draft of their thesis and others of us are preparing papers that are due this week.

Tonight, we discussed what emotions, smells and sights we will encounter as we touchdown in Montego Bay. Words such as community, cacophony, release, interesting smells and excitement rose during our conversation.

Having only known each other for a short while it will be interesting to see how our relationships develop in the next two weeks.

Logistics are planned out with drivers to and from the airport assigned. We are packing our things and gathering items such as sunscreen, bug spray, medications and water bottles.

We have a sending forth liturgy planned for 12:15 p.m. Tues. at the Holy Spirit Chapel at the STM.

It is hard to believe our trip is here after months of planning, fundraising and raising awareness.

We are unsure how the blogging will work at Blessed Assurance if it will work at all.
A running notebook(s) will be kept from each day and perhaps posted once we return.

Thanks for all your prayers, thoughts and kind words thus far. The most exciting part of our journey awaits.