I wrote this blog entry for our house, but I really wanted to share it with you all my family and friends..ENJOY.
One day during spiritual direction, I mentioned that I felt that I wanted to do more with youth because that what I love to do. I was active back in my home parish, St. Joseph the Worker, with confirmation class/retreats, ACTS retreats, and active with campus ministry at UTPA. I was also a leader in Diocesan Youth Retreat Team(DRYT), where we provide retreats/rallies for youth around the Rio Grande Valley.
Needless to say my director, Bro. Pat (Bro), meets with the boys individually at the Juvenile Detention Center (JDC) every week and thought this would be a great experience for me. After much delegating which day would be good for us to go ( Neil does a group with the boys as well, it would be easier we go at the same time) and filling out ridiculous amount of paperwork to volunteer at JDC—we got our time, every Friday at 3-4pm. The JDC is actually pretty cool and very disciplined as well! The girls and boys have classes during the day but the great thing that I love is that they incorporate Lakota culture during instruction. The kids get Lakota language and make a lot of traditional things like: bead work, drums, star quilts, and supper neat accessories. These girls and boys range from 13-17. The guards keep them in check but also are respected as their role models. Most are in for charges like; breaking parole, stealing, drugs/alcohol, and beating up someone. The class I will be doing is a faith-sharing group and not strickly talking about Catholicism but about God and the lessons and morals he shows us.
I was nervous about my first day there, I really didn’t know what to expect and was thinking of ways how I can show them who God is in a fun manner. I quickly reverted to all the ice breakers through out the years I have done with retreats, with my confirmation student and through my communication classes. I got the perfect ice breaker—the name game!!! Who doesn’t love/hate the name game?!? Haha :) I also wanted to keep the first day simple. I gave the girls a simple story about a bike ride with God (you can go to our spirituality night/reflection section of the blog to see the story). I prepared ahead time for this class, I called ahead to see how girls there are to make enough copies everyone. I ran my idea with Bro, he will be my right hand person to go to since he is a licensed counselor and has been with kids/adults in the prison systems for years, he reassured me that things will be fine and loved my idea.
The day came……we drove Friday afternoon to the JDC and I had butterflies in my stomach and just hoped the girls would like me. We signed in and were escorted to our room where we would be teaching our class. I said a quick prayer to myself to calm my nerves and let God work through me as His instrument. The girls come in and sit down and I introduce myself, where I’m from, what I do, and why I’m there. They were interested on why I chose South Dakota ( I laughed to myself because I didn’t, it chose me…God really knew what he was doing when he gave me this opportunity). They loved that I knew Spanish, so I gave them some basic lessons. Next, I started the name game. The game was they chose their favorite food with the first letter of their first name, for example, mine was Monica muffins. Now that was the only thing, we go in a circle and try to remember everyone else’s name and favorite food before them. It was a hit!! The girls like it and they started speaking out more. Then came the story, things were a bit silent and I asked some probing questions which got them talking. One thing about this story is that, I was able to ask who was God to them or if they even believe in a higher power. Some knew God as their friend and many prayed to the “higher power” who they refer to Tunkashila, God as a grandfather, and active in Lakota traditions such as sun dances and sweats. It was good to be able to base myself where to start the next week on their knowledge on who God is to them. I ended the class with a prayer….we held hands in a circle and I prayed for them and opened it up to prayer intentions, some were chuckling through the prayer but everyone prayed for at least one person.
It was a great start!! I have been going to the JDC since February and has been a great experience so far. I usually start with an ice breaker, talk, activity, then discussion. I have met some great girls who really want to make a difference in their lives. So far 6 girls have left the JDC since I’ve been there and girls keep coming in and out. I always look forward to Fridays at 3 o’clock; the girls just make my day and I keep thanking God for giving me this great opportunity to minister to these girls. As much as I am teaching them, they are teaching me.
Monica
P.S Keep the girls and boys in and the ones leaving the JDC in your prayers. Gracias.
