Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist

On Sunday I went to a Dominican convent in Ann Arbor. The Convent is for the Dominican Sisters of Mary Mother of the Eucharist. Me and a couple friends sat in and prayed the evening prayer (vespers) and rosary with them. The convents chapel was beautiful and pictures will follow soon. Evening prayer was chanted by the Sisters, with organ music, and than they lead the rosary and the Angelus. The experience was very eye opening to how universal and unified we are in our prayers, and how beautiful a gift Sisters are through there service and Love for the Lord.

God Bless

Tomato Wars

TOMATO WARS! This is an event that brings together the UCO's in Michigan. Ann Arbor, Lansing, Grandrapids, and Detroit takes part in this State wide event. This event includes games of capture the flag, and last man standing. The goal of the game is to complete diffrent objectives while using tomato's to hit eachother. It is a very messy but satisfying game. This is an annual event and is one of few competitions between the diffrent UCO chapters.

God Bless

Random Goodness

During a sushi lunch with my pastoral leader Miguel, who is an affiliate with Servants of the Word. We were talking about prayer time, and when we were finished our meal two women who were sitting behind us said that they overheard us talking about prayer. We told them that we were indeed and introduced ourselves. They than said that they were here from Dallas for a prayer event that was taking place on the University of Michigan campus, they than asked if we could pray together. So we brought forth intentions surround the events that were both going on for us in UCO, for there event and for the gift of unity God has given us. We prayed for about 5 mins standing in the sushi resturant and it was so good.

This awesome experience gave me a a better understanding of the vastness of unity we have with other people through God and the power of prayer. The genuiness of asking others to pray with yourself brings prayer to a very real level.

 "For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them" (Mathew 18:20)

God Bless

Day: 28 - 38 Past Couple of Days

The past couple fo days have been a series of diffrent events and growing opportunities. During daily mass Friday morning, which wast the only day of the week where I won the struggle against sleeping in. I was sitting waiting for mass to start, one parishinor who needs aid in getting up and sitting down during the mass parts was sitting by himself. I knew fully that a diffrent parishoner always sits near him to help him, although there was no one near him today. I was going through the decision in my head, than something came over me and I just sat closer to this parishoner, aiding him throughout the Mass whenever he needed it. That was one of the most peacful and heart warming Masses i've ever attended. This mas when helped would always thankyou after each time he was helped for every little thing.

One the same day that evenign we played a game called ultimate cabbage, which is like ultimate frisbee but with a cabbage. It is a very intresting game as the cabbage slowly decreses in size and becomes more wet and slippery, until it reaches the stock. After this game, the some of the guys came back to our house and we had pizza and wayched Goodwill Hunting, which was an awesome movie. hortly after that we were talking about builiding climbing as two of the guys with us had never been building climbing before, which led to us climbing one of the libraries on campus and then entering the library from the roof and leaving it like we've been in it the whole time.

Today we had our first youth group event which took place around a Lord's Day which is a gathering for Christians of any denomination, it involves some prayers and a formal dinner where we enoy eachothers company and the time for fellowhsip. The event went really well and the youth are very involved and cool.

God Bless

Day: 25 - 27 The River

Part of living in a UCO men's household includes morning prayer for 4 mornings every week (Mon - Thur).  Usually we have a diffrent person lead a meditation, sing 3 - 4 songs, and have a time of intercession and thanksgiving. Today we went outside for prayer on a whim, and we had it beside this river. It was colder as it was 8am in the morning, but what was cool was just being on this cold park bench with 8 other guys near a river with the sole purpose of saying prayer. It was inspirational to my thought of prayer only when it is comfortable to myself, as there is nothing comfortable about being outside at 8 in the colder weather, but it was one of the more fruitful and peaceful prayer times i've had. You're in my prayers

God Bless

Aaron

Day: 23 - 24 Brotherly Bonding

Today was just a normal day in the life of a Gapper, I went to the office and helped out with some financials, went home made some bacon sandwiches, then went back to the office helped with some grocery shopping then had dinner at a men's house in Ypsilanti. Overall the day was busy with obviously more details involve. Although one detail resonated more through my mind. The living room in our house of 9 guys is this room with four couches and a t.v, and every night the majority of us who were available would just hang out in this room. By the end of the night it would usually end with someone saying that they should have gone to sleep earlier, and this is something that has and is still going through my mind every night since I have arrived. So I thought it was this nice living room that we had that attracts us all there to spend the last hour of the night where we could be getting early rest, although the room has nothing to do with it.... The people inside the room is what makes it worth the sacrifice of rest, and creates an enjoyable and relaxing atmosphere. This kinda of brotherly bonding is something that I thought I would be used to, considering I have 3 brothers, but the feeling is brand new to me. one of the reasons I think the Lord has brought me here is to experience this community life, and I hope to indulge in this experience as the days go on. You're in my prayers.

God Bless

Day: 20 - 22 Some Building Climbing

Part of the night entertainment that takes place here in Ann Arbor is some late night building climbing. So Thursday night we found an abonded construction site near our house and climbed it.  Here are some pictures from the top of the construction site.

God Bless

St. Thomas the Apostle Parish

This is the parish I  regularly attend every Sunday, it provides 24 hr adoration on Fridya's, daily mass at 7 am  and confession alot :) Here are some pictures...

Day: 13 - 19 Busy Bee

Over the last few days i've been un able to blog as much due to the fact that because the school year has started, so has the majority of my activities. I'm going to try and blog every day and try to put a bible verse or quote that really strikes me as important and relavent to this year. This last few days i've been forming my schedule. Some of the event that have been going on is the first UCO prayer meeting, the first meeting of our men's house, and house cleanup. There will be many pictures coming!!!!!

Day: 10 - 12 Office

The GAP year training has begun!!! This week has started of with training in the UCO/ Word of Life office. It is very similar to my job at the church with some big differences. My service at the office includes; cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, handling parts of the email, phone and mail systems, some financials and that's all I know for now.

Through this training I've learned that cleaning the floor on my hands and knees is much more humbling than using a mop, and I was humbled to learn from my supervisor Ermin that obeying for the sake of obeying though respectful can be improved by obeying in a way by learning the desire of a leader, supervisor, teacher, or parent's heart. Obeying while still keeping aware of one's desires for that command. Which can be taken to my own obedience to God therefore praying not only out of obedience but out of wanting to fulfill the desire of God's will in my life.

The verse this message came from is
2 Samuel 18.

Lastly happy St. Monica's feast day.

You're in my prayers.

God Bless

Aaron

Day 9: Church and a Picnic

Today it started of with mass at the church which will become my home parish for the next year, the church is St. Thomas the Apostale. I will soon be putting pctures of the chuch up, the church has 24 hour confessions on Friday's, daily mass at 7am and a very active youth group so I am very excited.

The second part of the day consisted of attending the Word of Life Community Picnic at a park area. The picnic was very similar to our community picnic's in Toronto and had a Hawaiian theme to it. There was volleyball and lawn chair volleyball (sit-down lazy volleyball, but much harder). We played soccer, had the best hawaiina shirt concert, tossed around the frisbie and foot ball and had a BBQ/ Potluck. Finally during lunch we took a walk near a creek and with a couple of the community boys, started jumping across this creek. Overall a very fun and full day. You're in my prayers

God Bless

Day: 5 - 8 Getting Settled

The transition from Lansing to Ann Arbor was a quick one. Throughout the past few days it has been moving in to the UCO household, where I will spend the next year, and getting accoustomed to the town. Instead of explaing what the house looks like, here is a video tour.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CoX7azRXXuU&feature=youtu.be

Day: 2 - 4 Opening Retreat

The Gap Opening retreat this year took place at a campsite near the pine river, we left in the evening on friday and arrived 2 hours later after getting lost. When we arrived we arrived we set up camp which was a 6 person tent even though there was only three of us, then got to work on the fire. For dinner we had steak and potatoes which we wrapped in tinfoil and roasted on the fire.

The next day we woke up early and were going to leave at 6am, but due to the rain we ended uo sleeping till 10am. Once it was all clear we rented a raft and setsail on the river. This river included alot of turns and rapids, and every so often there would be a very large sand hill that we would climb then jump down. After 4 hrs of climbing, rafting, and relaxing down the river we arrived back at the car then headed for camp. Due to the rain we were not able to start a fire and we came home to Lansing and ate the rest of the food.

The Gap retreat was very relaxing and unlike past years we only had two gappers, myself and Jeery who is actually gapping in Lansing. The retreat provided a time of bonding, and get to know a little about what to expect in the Gap program. It was an overall amazing experience, though very wet, it a glimpse on the flexibility needed to overcome the obstacles that would come throughout the year. You're in my prayers

God Bless

Aaron

Day 1: Lansing Adventures

As the GAP opening retreat starts on Monday (tomorrow)  today was more relaxing.

It started off with Mass at 9:00, at Ressurection of our Lord parish. The choir was amazing.

After church we had brunch at the Munk house, which was followed by watching a really bad re-make of the movie Cinderella. This was followed by a nap, and then a campfire in the backyard with mini weeners, and smores.

 "His love endures forever" You're in my prayers

God Bless

The Journey

The drive down took 6 hours and it was filled with sleeping, music and movies.

A small bump in the road when we got stuck at the border and I needed to get the VISA sorted out, which has given me until May 10th 2015 to live in the land of the free. So as of today my planned date of arrival will be as close to May 10th as possible the following year. Please pray for me.

God Bless

A Beginning to an End

As the adventure of Totus Tuus has ended, the journey of the GAP Program has begun.

Moving from missionary work to different missionary work has enabled me to learn from my mistakes. Instead of expecting certain things, and creating fictional fantasies of what this year will entail, I am more free due to the lessons learned in Totus Tuus. My expectations for this year are none, and I am open to whatever it brings.

Although my goals for this year have been developed and will continue to be refined. The end goals are also reasons for my desire to take part in the program, and by the grace of God they will come to completion.

Goals (in no particular order)

1. Discernment - that I man discern more clearly God's plan for my life in terms of a career and a vocation.

2. Training - that I may be trained/ formed to minister to youth and kids in high school, university and younger. Also to receive training in other new aspects of life.

3. Spirituality - grow closer to God through service, communal and personal prayer.

4. Service - to gain a love of service and a willingness to serve and sacrifice.

5. Perform - practice and apply what I have learned, bear fruit and bring others closer to God through my ministry.

I would like to thank all those who supported me in making this decision, all those who helped me when I had doubt's, and all those who have and are still supporting me as I embark on this adventure. You are all in my prayers.

God Bless