July 20th, 2003

For the youth delegates from Guatemala, the morning was welcomed as part of the night before as they enjoyed an overnight stay at the Parish Center with members of the SJA youth group who had visited Guatemala last summer. Five youth from St. Joan of Arc along with the youth from Tierra Nueva II brought in their sleeping bags, music and food to the parish center for an overnight and for time to share stories, get to know each other better and have fun.  This all started after spending a few hours at Grand Slam in Eagan.  Earlier in the day the youth took a city bus to the University of Minnesota for a tour of the campus.

At the overnight the youth played games, listened to music, sang songs, played the guitar and ate a lot of chips and cookies. They enjoyed having time together and learning more about each other.  The youth from Tierra Nueva Dos were tired from their long flights and late arrival the evening before, but they managed to keep up with the youth from St. Joans.  At 2:00 a.m. you could still hear the sound of guitars along with plenty of laughter.  They all managed to get up to attend the 9:00 mass.

Delegates shared in the Mass today with their host families.  You may not have even noticed them blended into the crowd.  However, they were the ones who recited the Our Father in Spanish without reading the screen.  Because of the rain this morning, we held our Welcome Reception in Hospitality Hall rather than on the plaza between masses.  The delegates were greeted by many parishioners in English and Spanish.  It was moving to see the many parishioners who didn't speak Spanish come to welcome the delegates and struggle through the language barrier to help make them feel welcome.

We held a sister parish meeting in the afternoon and I asked the delegates to share some of their impressions of the Mass and their time here so far. All of them are very grateful for the warm welcome and hospitality they have received.  They acknowledge the difficulty and frustration of not speaking the same language, but Alba said she understood the welcome and love expressed by many smiles and greetings.  Dorotea said she enjoyed the music and the wonderful spirit that reminds her of their charismatic services in Tierra Nueva II.  Mari said she could feel God's spirit among us even though she could not understand the words in English.  Some of the delegates were sitting with interpreters and they expressed their appreciation for the messages from the homilist and the way that we express ourselves as being part of the global community, one family around the world.  I was grateful to hear the delegates feel as welcome here as I have always felt as a visitor in Tierra Nueva Dos.  The greatest gift we can share as sister parishes is our hospitality and the love between us as brothers and sisters in Christ.

Molly Quinn, Marlen, and Alba

After our meeting, the delegates departed to spend the rest of the afternoon and evening with their host families. Our Tierra Nueva Dos friends had a long day traveling on Friday and a full day of events on Saturday they were ready for some time to rest and relax with their host families. Mark and Molly Quinn along with their children Marcos and Conner had the good fortune to have Marlen and Alba stay with them in their home. After returning from the Sister Parish meeting at 3:00, the delegates took the opportunity to take some time to rest. After their rest they were ready to go with renewed energy. They enjoyed helping prepare the dinner, looking at photographs and playing with our two children. After dinner we went to a park by Medicine Lake where they had the opportunity to walk on the beach, watch people fish and water ski and swing on the swings.

This down time allows delegates time to share about their culture and families along with learning about ours. Of course it also lets them to get some rest and energy for the next full day of events.

Thank you to the many parishioners who came to offer greetings and welcome to the delegates.  Thank you to the Spanish speakers who assisted in communication across the language barrier.  Thank you to the staff of SJA who have been so supportive already this week.

and Mindy Ahler Olmstead is the chair of the Sister Parish Committee at St. Joan of Arc. She and her husband Kraig live in South Minneapolis.

and Mark Quinn is a member of SJA's Sister Parish Committee and a Spanish teacher.

It has been a wonderful experience so far and we still have a full week ahead together.

Molly, Marcos and Conner Quinn with Alba and Marlen.