It's a pretty cool thing to be able to say I was one of the 500(ish) people at the last national School of the New Evangelization; especially considering I would have never planned to have been there while I was in college. I remember the first time I went to SNE in 2012. I was going into my junior year at Texas State, I was going into my first year of living in Household as a student (and it would turn out to be my only), and I had just finished my third summer as a camp counselor at The Pines Catholic Camp. I was really tan (those were the days), really happy to be back with all of my college friends on a crazy road trip from Texas to Minnesota, but really really wiped out. Long story short: I came, I saw, anddddddd I didn't really have the best time. In fact, I have distinct memories of coming back from SNE that year and telling people, "Yeah, it was really cool and I learned a lot, but I just don't think that I'm called to be a missionary."
God has a sense of humor and I was lying to myself. Looking back, I think that week is when the Lord first invited me to a life on mission with Him. But I wasn't open, or ready, or confident; I was terrified. I didn't believe in a good and merciful Father back then; I believed in an angry and disappointed Father whose love was conditional and merit-based - and that I'd never be able to 'earn' it. So the thought of following a Father like that, what I falsely thought He was, was terrifying. Therefore I shut the thought out and away and tried not to think about it, and I think that had an effect on how the rest of SNE went for me. I could have had a better time, I think, had I been more open to the Lord and to what He wanted for me. But the Lord is good and He redeems all. Here I am, four years later, still going to SNE's, living a life that is way more exciting, joyful, and richer than I ever could have planned out for myself. As a missionary - the very thing I said I never wanted to be! Because He isn't limited by my weaknesses and He isn't satisfied by the mediocre plans I have for my own life. THANK GOODNESS. All of this to say that I am so grateful that the School of the New Evangelization is still in my life, and that I now get to watch lives change from the other side of things, as a staff member. I remember telling my best friend four years ago that after college I'd hoped to be a photographer, and maybe a missionary, too. This year at SNE, the Lord let me do both at once! What a gift. Photographing an entire week-long conference by yourself (minus all of the men's sessions #thankgoodness) is no easy task; but I really enjoyed taking on this challenge that was unlike any photography job I'd ever had before. I was pushed creatively (and physically, let's be real, I was on my feet a lot and I am not a very strong gal) each day, figuring out new ways to capture old moments over and over again. I'm pretty proud of the final products. With the start of two SNE's a year happening next summer (you can read more about that here), it was truly an honor to get to capture all of the moments of this final SNE of its kind. All of the photos I took can be found on SPO's Flickr page, but in the gallery below you can find some of my favorite shots. Another year of mission kicks into high gear this week, with Newman Center Leadership Day tomorrow and our Household move-in/retreat starting on Wednesday and extending into the weekend. Please pray for all of us, as the adventure of this year begins! To Jesus Through Mary, Rebecca
0 Comments
What do you get when you take 3 first-year Mission Leaders and 16 college students, put them on a plane to Anchorage, Alaska, and have them serve the poor in a city and culture that is completely unknown to them?
You get a lot of grace is what happens, because that is a crazy idea, Rebecca, goodness gracious. Well, that's exactly what we did. And it was crazy. But there was a lot of grace, and the trip was definitely a game-changer. I mean, there's no way you can go on a trip like this and not have your life changed in some way. When you step 3,161 miles out of your comfort zone, life-changing things are bound to happen. I've spent a majority of the past month recounting this trip to people, sharing so many different stories about our adventures, the poor we encountered, and how the Lord so very clearly had His hand on us the entire time. I've done a lot of talking and I truthfully don't know what to say anymore. If you'd like to know more about the trip, I'd be happy to share in person. For now, however, please enjoy my feeble attempts at capturing the Lord's beauty that surrounded us throughout the week. If you're itching for more words, check out this awesome student post on the SPO Minnesota blog that highlights a lot of the trip! I hope y'all enjoy this little gallery I've put together of my first couple of months on mission! Some images are better quality than others, because I don't always have my camera on me but I always have my phone (and this probably doesn't bother anyone else, but whatever). Please continue to pray for my team and I, as well as the students at the U of M! The Holy Spirit is doing incredible things!
To Jesus Through Mary, Rebecca Here it is, folks: my final senior shoot of the season. And what a great finale this one is! Allison and I have known each other for about four years, but have only been friends for almost two. We met on Tumblr. Yep, we were Internet friends first. Oh, technology! We added each other on Facebook after discovering that we both went to Texas State in a group for Catholics on Tumblr. I reached out to her and invited her to praise and worship at Our Lady of Wisdom (then just the Catholic Student Center), met her in person, excitedly and loudly told her about all of the ways to get involved - specifically, my sorority, Mu Epsilon Theta - andddddddd I never heard from her again. I remember thinking to myself, "Well, at least I tried to reach out to her," convinced we would never cross paths again. Lo and behold, two years later, she signs up for the Bobcat Awakening retreat I am giving a talk at and rushes Mu Ep the year that I was president. The rest, as they say, is history.
Now, I literally don't know what I ever did without Allison's friendship. Sometimes we are complete opposites, but when we get each other, we get each other. She's one of the reasons leaving for missionary life is going to be so hard...but we made a pact not to talk about that for like three more weeks, so forget I said anything! Allison is technically graduating in December, but is walking this May. She is receiving an English degree (hence the books) with a teaching certification and a minor in Art, and will start her student teaching in the fall. Enjoy these pictures of this beautiful, creative, joyful soul that I am so blessed to be friends with! -Rebecca Here's a background story for you all: I have known Kayla since the summer of 2010 when we began working out at The Pines Catholic Camp together. Our work that first summer consisted of deep cleaning the dining hall, filling countless water balloons, doing all of the dishes, and getting elbow-deep in trash juice. It was way more beautiful than it sounds, trust me. Two summers later we were still out at camp and working as counselors. That summer was Seth's first summer out at camp. The two of them hit it off right away and have been together ever since. I love the both of them a whole lot - they are incredible people and their friendship is such a blessing to me.
Fast-forward to February 2015 when I get a text from Seth, asking for my availability the first weekend of April. He didn't even have to say why: I accepted right away, and had a little freakout in my apartment when he told me he was going to propose!!! Needless to say, this secret has been hard to keep in since then, but I did it! And boy, was it worth it! Seth proposed at a beautiful park overlooking the Dallas skyline near sunset, made sure her best friends were there to watch, and planned a huge celebration with all of their families and surprise visits from good friends afterwards! It was an honor to be a part of and I hope you all enjoy these pictures. Kayla and Seth, I love you both so much. I'll be praying for the two of you as you begin preparing to enter into this sacrament together! Seth - you did good (with the proposal, the ring, and the lady, amiright?!). Thanks for asking me to be a part of it! Love, Rebecca |
WELCOME!My name is Rebecca. This blog is a documentation of my life as a missionary with Saint Paul's Outreach - in Minnesota, Florida, and everywhere in-between. Thanks for stopping by! Categories
All
|