Well into the spring semester, I've now started the next big project through Campus Ministry - planning the spring break immersion trip!  Tentatively, I will be leading a group of 10 students with 2 other chaperones to Navajo Nation in southeastern Utah.  I was put into contact with the office of service at USC, and they have been making a trip like this for years.  Needless to say, I've crafted quite a few emails asking for their contacts and itineraries so I can work off of their format.  While this is all good, I can't tell you how many times I've tried calling contacts, and numbers don't have answering machines or are disconnected!  Emails?  naw..... they use P.O. Boxes......  Regardless, since USC has done this trip for years for a much larger group, I know that our school will be able to handle it as well.

This past week the LA JVs have been offered so much free food and of course, we graciously accepted!  For one of the events, the Jesuits in East LA invited about 15 of us JVs over for dinner.  In my mind, I had envisioned a quiet dinner around a giant table in their house as they asked us about our work.  Instead, we had brats, beers, watched football, and had a lot of laughs!  Fr. Greg Boyle (of Homeboy Industires and author of Tattoos on the Heart) made a mean orange chicken dish and some of the best chocolate chip cookies too.  Of many conversation topics, one was how celebrating the sacraments doesn't always go as expected.  I realized I had the perfect example and I shared (at my baptism I believe I've been told?) how upon hearing the priest say "Do you reject Satan? and all his evil works?," Uncle Casey responded with, "YEP!  I HATE THE GUY!" or something of the sort.  As usual, Casey always knows how to draw a big laugh!

So starting this upcoming weekend is ReO, or reorientation, for JVC and we get to head all the way upstate to San Jose for the 5 day retreat.  It will be a time to reflect at the halfway point of my experience, reconnect with others in the JV southwest region, and enjoy the fresh air and freetime outside of LA!