TASC Youth Group!

Catholic HEART Workcamp this year had to be the best one I have ever been on.  We got a lot of work done during the trip and the atmosphere was a joyful one.  I was part of the fence team with some of my great friends and we replaced/fixed a wired fence and demolished a wooden fence.  I will never forget the wagon ride and hike we experienced and the fun times we shared in the gym and at evening program.  It was fun knowing that we were able to help another family need and use our gifts from God!

My first trip to Catholic HEART Workcamp was an amazing experience.  The relationships that were built, and the appreciation for our work was outstanding.  I was amazed at how mass each morning was so energizing.  This entire experience was an experience of a lifetime and I can't wait to go next year.  It was so much more than I ever thought it would be.  Each day was hard work but so much fun!

This was my first year at Catholic HEART Workcamp and I have to say this was really fun!  Helping the Bourne family is something that I will remember all my life.  I can't wait to go on another trip next year and repeat the joy we felt by helping another family.  What a blessing!

This year at CHWC we made a lot of memories, a lot of new friends and learned A LOT of new things!  But one of the most important things we learned was the true meaning of hard work.  Meeting the Bourne Family and getting a taste of their everyday life was a memorable experience.  One of the most impressive things was when we were hoeing potatos one afternoon with the daughters.  They had to teach us how to do it and when we tried, we were working so hard but they were able to go much faster than we were because they were used to this kind of work.  It was interesting to see how we were so much the same but still very different.  It was a fantastic experience. 

I had fun working and getting to know the kids in the youth group even better than I already did.  I had a great time dancing and singing with everyone.  Meeting the residents and being able to share time with them was a wonderful experience.  Being able to sit and talk with someone and share a kind word is just as important as the physical work we had to do!  I can't wait for next year!

One of my favorite memories was while hoeing potatoes, my small group sang Disney songs at the top of our lungs to help make the work easier!  Hoeing potatoes isn't the greatest job in the world but singing made it go fast and allowed us to have fun while working together!  We had a great time getting our job accomplished.

CHWC this year was a great experience!  I had a ton of fun and worked harder than I had ever before.  From tearing down the fence, to constructing a new one--I'm really going to miss CHWC!!  It has meant so much to me. 

This past trip was my favorite one so far.  I had a great experience, enjoyed working with everyone and I will always remember the special times we shared together.  Working, praying and getting the job done all with a great spirit.  I made so many wonderful friends!

After we were done with all of our work on the last day, Jim took us on the back of his tractor and gave us a tour of his 145 acre farm land.  Then we went for a hike and he showed us places near a river.  He told us all about the history behind it and what it meant to his family.  It was an experience I'll never forget. 

I wanted to thank you for welcoming me as a work camp participant and chaperone for the group this year. I mentioned during the work camp week that many of you have been a God send to our Religious Education Program in your service as catechists, catechist assistants and volunteers. Our program now relies on teens and young adults to make it an efficient and spiritually beneficial experience for our children in light of the difficulties of getting enough adult catechists each year.

 

          I also want to say that I was impressed by the Catholic work camp structure, its leadership, its host parish and staff that week. I thought that the whole experience was powerful and challenging to one’s faith and one’s perspective on life and people. Although the work camp’s primary group of participants are high school teens, I thought that the staff did an excellent job involving the adults and young adults in the entire experience. Which leads me to bring up the reason for this letter, which is to say that I was never more inspired and proud to be associated with any group of teens and young adults than I was to be with you the teens and young adults of TASC that week. Helping a wonderful family like Jim, Patrice Bourne and their daughters with many necessary chores in the midst of their struggles and difficulties also made the experience very special and rewarding to say the least. The fact that the Bourne family was deeply touched by our stewardship says a lot about the integrity of our group as a whole. Personally, I won’t forget the experience and the impact it had on all of us. It was a special week made even more so by a dedicated group of very special people.

 

God bless you!