Brian Sholl is a young man of our parish who has been very involved over the years in our Youth Ministry. Brian approached Father Nick over a year ago when he was a student at Scranton University. The University sponsored a study-tour of Ecuador, a third world South American country. Participants were required to get sponsorship in order to go. Brian approached Fr. Nick and asked if we would give him a partial sponsorship. After consulting with staff and the Justice and Peace Committee we decided to fully sponsor Brian with the understanding that he would share his insights with us upon his return. Below are those insights.

About one year ago I had the opportunity to travel to Ecuador through the International Service Program (ISP) at the University of Scranton. I went with fifteen members from the University to Duran, Ecuador for ten days to experience the culture and live amongst the people of this impoverished community. Not knowing what to expect, we witnessed some very joyous and uplifting events one moment and heartbreaking experiences the next. I would like to take this opportunity to share some of these with you.

One of the most vivid memories is Duran itself. Our flight landed in Guayaquil, a large city much like Baltimore or Miami. We boarded a bus and watched the buildings and the big city disappear as we crossed a bridge, only to find dirt roads, boarded-up shops and houses built of sugar cane on the other side. We arrived at the Rostro de Cristo (Face of Christ) house that evening and reflected on what we just witnessed and where we were supposed to find God in all of this. As we met many of the people of Duran, we realized that money was not one of their priorities. Most of the families only made enough to pay for food and water day-to-day. But their faith, family values and spirit were in abundance. Our group of "gringos" was even invited to a wedding halfway through the trip, and we were treated as if we were family.

On the third day of our trip, we traveled to Isla Trinitaria (Trinity Island), the poorest region of this entire third-world country. As we walked around this community, we saw miles of shacks spreading off in all directions that were smaller than what we had seen in Duran. We were told that the police and the water trucks no longer came to this area. We learned that the river running through this region was not only the community's source for drinking water, but also where they bathed and toileted. And the only soup kitchen in Isla fed one meal a day to 150-200 people. We watched as children were turned away because there was not enough food or enough room for them to eat. There were children with blond streaks in their hair from malnutrition everywhere we looked. And it was very frustrating that there was nothing we could do to make the situation any better for the children and the families.

On day six, we had the opportunity to visit a hospital for patients with Hansen's Disease (aka. leprosy). This hospital, run by Sr. Annie, had been transformed from a rundown building infested with insects and rodents twelve years ago to a warm environment for these patients to call home. Many of the patients at the hospital had already recovered from their condition and were no longer being treated, but remained because they had been shunned by their families and home communities. They basically became a family for each other. As we visited, the patients told us that they would pray for us, and thanked God for having us share their day. With the debilitation and disfiguring conditions from which many of them suffered, we wondered how they maintained such strong faith and such high spirits. Sister Annie explained that they embrace their faith because it is basically all they have.

The final memory that I will share took place during our last day in Ecuador. We spent the day at the most prestigious school in the region, known as Nuevo Mundo. This school was very unique. It was a private school with facilities as modern as the University from which we came. The school was set up to eventually integrate the wealthy and the poor. For now, the school runs a morning and an afternoon session. Approximately 1300 wealthy children from Guyaquil attend in the morning, with their parents paying around $130 a month for this premium education. In the afternoon, about 800 kids from the poorer areas attend, with their families paying what they can afford ($1-2/month). The purpose of this is to let the Ecuadorians help themselves instead of taking handouts. That was a big theme, letting the people help themselves. Teach them and turn the responsibility over.

I guess the thing I most vividly took from this experience was that you need to help people to help themselves. In our own lives, we need to make sure we focus on what is truly important, like faith, friends and family, because too often the trivial things in our lives take precedent. And find the face of Christ in your everyday life. His face was very easy to see in the children of Duran and the patients at the Hansen's hospital, but you have to be ready to see it.