ECUADOR: el parte de mi corazon

I had first heard of the Mission Santa Maria when I was about 14 years old. I was a sophomore in high school and my uncle Jim Campbell had decided to leave his job on Wall Street in New York City. Jim is more like a brother to me than an uncle, as there are 9 years between us. He was successful in school, graduating with an MBA from Georgetown and landing a job at BNP Paribas. Yet Jim was unlike your average Wall Street analyst. He felt to his core that there was more to life than spending weekend out on the Hamptons and the stock market index. He was planning on going to South America to learn Spanish and serve as a volunteer for 3 months. At first, I gave the mission little to no thought, as I had heard of many people go on mission trips for short periods of time. But after Jim began to go back to Ecuador several times over the next three years, my curiosity peaked. What was so important about Ecuador? Why did he keep going back? Who were these children? I had seen pictures and asked Jim questions about the mission, but I was still unsatisfied, I wanted to see this place with my own eyes. I had asked my parents to go to Ecuador before, but the timing was just never right. Before I knew it I was a sophomore in college and back from a semester abroad in Europe for Christmas break. I thought I had done just about all the traveling a 19 year old kid could do when my parents surprised my sister Kirsten and I on Christmas with two plane tickets to Ecuador. I couldn't believe that this was happening. Finally I would be able to see this place and find out for myself why Jim was so passionate about the mission and these children.
 Upon arriving in Guayaquil, a large city in Ecuador, we took a three hour bus ride to the small coastal town of Olon. On this bus ride, the realization of the poverty in this country impacted me in a way that I will never forget. If you picture the poorest place in the United States that you have seen, then times that by five and you can envision the poverty in Ecuador. The houses, if you could even call them that, were in shambles with pieces of scrap metal to create makeshift roofs. Children were roaming the streets with torn clothes and bare feet. Trash covered the sides of the streets as stray dogs dug through it. I wondered what the mission would look, having already witnessed such poverty and how the children would react to two complete strangers. The bus finally stopped and we began to walk up a steep hill towards the mission. When Kirsten and I arrived, we were bombarded with hugs and kisses from children that I had never even met before.  I was shocked. They welcomed Kirsten and I as one of their own.  These children, who had known the most acute suffering, were smiling and laughing, even though they had every reason not to. I have been very fortunate to have amazing parents who have provided for me since I was born, an extended family who I consider immediate, and very close friends. These children did not. Their parents had either abandoned them or had passed away. They craved for the smallest amount of affection, the kind of affection that I have received every day for my entire life and taken for granted. 

Jim thought it would be beneficial for Kirsten and I to see how the missionaries did laundry. In my privilege, I assumed that we would be throwing clothes in a washer machine and dryer and folding the clothes. I couldn't have been more mistaken. My washer was a bar of soap and a sink, and the dryer was a clothes rack. One of the missionaries gave me a white T-shirt that was slightly dirty, but nothing I thought I couldn't manage. I scrubbed it for 30 minutes until my hands were red. She inspected it and in my broken Spanish I asked if it was done. "No!", she laughed. Jim later told me he was working on getting them an industrial machine washer and dryer, as the missionaries were spending days washing clothes. I felt so foolish. I have never had to worry about how to wash my clothes, and yet these missionaries were asking for something that I once again had taken for granted.
 Kirsten and I also became close with a little girl named Ginger while we were in Ecuador. The missionaries wouldn’t tell us Ginger’s story of how she came to live at the mission, because her story was so horrific. From what they did tell us, Ginger wasn’t eating because she missed her mother so much. She was very quiet, reserved, and kept to herself. She was so tiny, but throughout the week we saw her eating little by little. We would see a smile on her face when we held her, or when we talked to her Spanish, the very little that we knew. Ginger truly had us wrapped around her finger, as I found it difficult not to play with her or hold her when she asked me to. It is truly the small things that can make the most significant difference, especially in the life of a child.  In one of my favorite quotes from Mother Theresa she says, “The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.” These children not only come from extremely poor families, but broken ones as well. They wanted to be recognized and seen. They wanted to be loved and cared for as every human being does and deserves. Mission Santa Maria provides these children with the family that they do not have. They tell them that they are important and valued, when many have been told they are worthless, and have been treated as thus.

We were there for only a week, but it took far less time for these children and the missionaries there to touch my heart. Mission Santa Maria provides these children with the family that they do not have in addition to basic necessities as best they can. With your donations, these children might be able to eat and go to school. Through schooling, they might be able to break the poverty cycle in which they find themselves. These children need help, and I hope to return to Ecuador very soon and continue to work with the missionaries, who I am sure are modern day saints for their continued sacrifices. For more information on Jim Campbell and the continued work of Mission Santa Maria, visit http://www.missionsantamaria.com/. 

Ten Day: France and Spain

Oh ten day! I think ten day break in France and Spain was where I learned the most about myself, the good and the bad. I learned that I have a pretty good French accent and should maybe start taking French, as a my "Parlez vous anglais" was spoken to many . But I also learned that I am terrible under stress, especially when that stress stems from one of the most sketch hostels I have ever been to. I was also particularly nervous about going to France. After hearing many stories about how the French hated Americans and were terribly rude to people who did not speak French, I was a little intimidated to say the least. However, my experience with the French was actually pretty good, and I did not encounter the stereotypical rude and pompous Frenchman. Leann and I arrived in Paris at night and we were able to see the Eiffel Tower lit up, which was amazing to see. Being in Europe and seeing the buildings and paintings that you used to only see in history booksm or magazines before your own eyes is truly a surreal experience. We ate dinner at a delicious cafe with the Eiffel Tower in sight and we both thoroughly enjoyed the view. The next day we headed off to  Caen in Normandy, where we were able to see the beaches where on June 6th 1944, American troops stormed the beaches in Normandy, the beginning of the end of World War 2. I have always loved history, but I never really thought much about what actually happened in Normandy, but by the end of the trip I would have such a deeper respect for our troops and our country. Leann and I were staying in Hermanville, which is one of the towns at Sword Beach, and we were able to go into a German Bunker which was a really cool experience, especially when we saw and got to go into the tugboat that they used in the beginnning scene of the movie Saving Private Ryan. If anyone reading this has seen the movie Saving Private Ryan, you can have an idea of what this bunker looked like. About a half a mile off the beach, the bunker was used as a shooting point to attack oncoming troops from gaining access to the beach. It was almost eerie as I walked through knowing that I was walking the same stairs that Nazi soldiers had walked over 70 years ago, and had killed thousands of troops who tried to liberate France from the Nazis. After we toured the bunker, Leann and I went back to our hotel which was a 2 minute walk from the beach and enjoyed some crepes. We went to Arromanche the next day, a small town on Juno beach. I was disappointed that we were not able to go to Omaha or Utah beach, where the American cemetary is, but I was still glad to be there and see a piece of Normandy. The town still has the makeshift harbor that was used to dock military ships. Because of the minefields and booby traps that the Nazis had set up for the American, British and Canadian troops, the Allied forces ahad top create a fake harbor, that actually ended up being a sort of road that ran above the water. I'll have to put up some pictures to give everybody back home a visual of what the harbor looked like.

Belgium: Beer, Chocolate, Fries!!!

So I know I'm really, really, far behind on updating everybody but I'll try and fill you guys in on what I've done! I went to Belgium on our four day break and it was such a relaxing and fun trip! We left Austria Friday night and got into Brussels on Saturday morning. Brussels is a beautiful city and I was able to find so much fun stuff to do there! I went with my friends Leann, Maura and Alissa to the chocolate factory which was delicious. The man who owned it has been making his own chocolate for the past 50 years and it was the best chocolate I have ever tasted! The beer in Belgium was also really good, almost as good as the Kartause brau beer that I drink in Austria (shout out to Jim Campbell, only you know how good Kartause brau is!) We also tried some Belgium waffles, which weren't exactly as good as I thought they were going to be, only because the chocolate they put on it is extremely rich. Belgian fries; however were the best I have ever tasted! Needless to say I did not go hungry while I was in Belgium. Brussels also has a famous statue know as the Mannequin de Pis...I'm not kidding. Its a statue of a little boy peeing and it is apparently supposed to represent the middle class of Belgium who brought economic stability to the city throughout the years. We were also able to see the church of St. Michael which was absolutely beautiful and was decorated in typical baroque style. The same day we also went to Brugge, and were able to stay with friends of friends, the Voenhage family at their home. They were the nicest people I have ever met! They took us to a soccer game Cercle Brugge vs. Kirvonjik. The soccer experience in the states is entirely different from the experience you get in Europe. The fans are so passionate about their teams and its hard not to get really into the game when your in the stands of thousands of screaming fans, decked out in green and black, the colors of Cercle Brugge. During half-time we were treated to Belgian beer and fries and talked about the game, after the game was over we were treated to more beer and talked about the game... IT WAS AWESOME!!! Koen and his family put us up for the night and treated us to a delicious breakfast the next morning. I am in love with the chocolate croissants in Belgium, they are delicious! Koen was nice enough to drive us into the city and we spent the day in Brugge. We took a boat tour of the city which is known as "the Venice of the North", for many of its streets are actually waterways. Brugge is so picturesque and has hundreds of beautiful bridges all over the city. We were able to go to a church that has a relic of Jesus, a cloth that has his blood soaked in it which was really cool to see, and we were also able to go to the Belgium Church of Our Lady which has Michelangelo's Madonna and Child which was beautiful! I would definately go back to Belgium in a heartbeat and it was one of my favorite trip so far!

Poland!

Hey everybody!
Sorry I haven't written in a while, there has been a lot of stuff going on between midterms and travelling but I'll start with the Poland trip and then I'll go from there.

What can I say about Poland? I was not actually planning on going on the Poland trip with the school, but at the last minute I decided to go, which ended up being one of the best decisions I have made since being here in Austria. We arrived the first day in the city of  Częstochowska,which is famous for the painting of Mary that is told to have been painted by Saint Luke, on a piece of a table that Jesus had made for his Mother. The icon is a painting of the Madonna and Child, also known as the Black Madonna. In 1430, Hussite warriors invaded a Pauline monastary where the icon was being held, and inflicted two sword slash marks on the face of the Virgin Mary,which still remain today, even after artists have tried to restore the paintings. The shrine of  Our Lady of Częstochowska was so beautiful, and I was actually able to see the unveiling of the icon with many other of my fellow Franciscan students. After a few hours at the shrine we then travelled to Auschwitz, the most infamous concentration camps during World War II. Being at Auschwitz taught me more than any history class could have. When you enter the camp the words "Arbeit Macht Frei", translated, "Work Will Make You Free" are written in iron across the front gate. The immediate surrounding area is completely covered in barbed wire. There were several buildings that were used for different purposes. Some were used as toruture chambers, or starvation cells, others were gas chambers where thousands of Jews were murdered each day. Block 11 which I also saw was well known as the "Shooting Wall "where Jews and other political prioners were convicted of crimes and excecuted. I was also able to see the cell where St. Maxilimilan Kolbe was kept and the very same cell in which he died in. Being at Auschwitz truly made me realize the horrors of the concentration camps. I read about these camps in my history classes back at home, but being physically there was an entirely different learning experience. The most moving and emotion part of being at Auschwitz for me was when my tour group entered the gas chambers. I could'nt help but think of the thousands of people who walked into the gas chambers who would never walk out, as I was able to do. After viewing the first camp at Auschwitz, we then travelled to the second camp, or the work camp where many Jews were transported to from around Europe by train. It was in this camp where the Jews were foced to do heavy labor and essentially where they came to die. There were also the remains of a crematory, or a gas chamber that Nazis Secret Service had tried to destroy at the end of World War II.  After Auschwitz, we were able to go to the Divine Mercy Shrine, which was definately a beautiful experience where we had Mass and were able to see where Sr. Faustina was given the message of Divine Mercy. We then went to Krakow and hung around the city. We listened to the bugle charge that sounded every hour on the hour and we had cappucino a small restaurant that was in the town square. Then we went to dinner at an authentic Polish restaurant and we ate perogis which were delicious! After dinner, we went to a club in Krakow that night that was packed with Franciscan kids and it was so much fun being there with all of them. The next day we headed out to Wadowice, which is the hometown of Pope John Paul II. Although it was a small town, it was still very beautiful and my friend Leann and I enjoyed Pope cake, which was also very good ( it had powdered sugar and it tasted something like a croissant) and walked around. I got to go into the church where JPII made his first communion and made his final vows as a priest. I was definately pleasantly surprised by Poland and was amazed by the beauty and culture that the Polish people have. Even through all of the hardships and difficulties, their culture is very much alive and they have survived so much and emereged thtough tragedy even stronger than before.

Salzburg and Munich

"The hills are alive, with the sound of music"...yep, I went to Salzburg this past weekend! The birthplace of Mozart and home to the most well preserved castles throughout Europe, Salzburg boasts beautiful cathedrals and the scenery from the world famous film, the sound of Music. We started off our tour of Salzburg at the birthplace of Mozart, which has now been turned into the Cafe Tessa, my new favorite coffee and pastry shop. We then continued to the Roman ruins which were discovered in Salzburg, one of them being the fountain that Frauline Maria dips her hand in, during the Sound of Music. I think the most beautiful part of Salzburg for me was standing in the stone courtyard of the cathedral of Salzburg and listening to the bells toll. It truly felt like I was in a movie, that what I was seeing before my own eyes, was a dream. We also went to the imperial gardens where the Sound of Music was filmed, and I had so much fun taking pictures and soaking in where I was. I went to the Augustiner for dinner, and I had the best chicken and pint of beer that I have ever tasted in my life! The next morning we traveled into Munich, Germany, and on the way we were actually able to visibly see the Eagle's Nest, one of Hitler's headquarters during World War II. Ironically, Hitler never actually spent much time on the Eagle's Nest, as he was afraid of heights. I also visited the cathedral of St. Michael, which is definately my favorite church I have visited so far. Although it doesn't look like much from the outside, St. Michael's Cathedral on the inside is another story. Dozens of golden statues of angels grace many of the walls of the cathedral and the altar is completely inlaid with gold, and a grandious statue of St. Michael is carves above the altar. Three of my friends and I also went to the  Residenz Palace, where the emporer and empress commissioned a summer home in celebration of the birth their son to be constructed. The palace was at least 3 acres wide as it wrapped around several blocks and gardens. We ended the night at the Haufbrauerhaus, the world renowned brewery, which is noted in helping put out fires with its beer during the Medievil Era. Monday morning I traveled to the small town of Mondsee, where the church that was used for the wedding in the Sound of Music was taken place. This quaint little town has a beautiful lake, which I actually swam in, even though it was about as cold as the water in Maine that I had swam in during the summer which is absolutely FREEZING. I have come to appreciate the beauty of Europe so much more than I could have ever imagined. Seeing these sites through pictures is not enough to experience the inginuity and genius that created the architecture I have learned about in my history classes.  I know that this would not have been possible without the generosity of my parents. I thank you both so much for allowing me to come to Europe and experience all that I have so far. I miss and love you both!

Vienna: The Coffee Capital of the World and the Pinnacle of the Baroque Era

There are so many things I could say about Vienna. It is such a beautiful city, as the baroque age and the ideas of the Enlightenment are obviously seen through the architecture there. We arrived in Vienna very early in the morning and went to mass at the cathedral that the Empress Maria Theresa, as well as her son Joseph II are buried. I wish I was able to go see their tombs, which are said to be exquisite in true Hapsburg style. We then took a walking tour of Vienna, which was given to us by some of our professors here at school. We were able to see the national library which was enormous, but beautifully decorated with gold and marble on the outside. We also made it to St. Stephensdom, which was a product of the gothic style during the medevil age. I was very excited to go to St. Stephensdom, as the cathedral contains 2 unique pieces of art that I had previously learned about in my art appreciation class. There is an icon of the Madonna and Child that is called Maria of Posch (pronnounced poutch) that was found in Posch, Hungaray. This icon is said to have cried real tears and many intentions and miracles have occured when one intercedes to the icon. There was also a pulpit that is very unique as the artist carved himself into the pulpit and there are many symbols of scripture within the sculpture itself. We went to the Stiftskellar for lunch where I had schnitzel and amazing cheese strudel. A few of my friends and I then went to the Nastchmarket, where there are thousands of food vendors, selling different types of wine, cheese, coffee, bread, pastries: anything that you could think of. There is also a chapel in Vienna that faces east, towards the Schunbrun palace. This is extremely unique due to the fact that all other churches faced west, but with special permission from the pope, the Hapsburg were allowed to build the church facing east rather than west. This chapel was built in the year 400 A.D. and is still in excellent condition. We ended the day with some Viennese coffee and chocolate cake (DELICIOUS!) and then went back to Gaming. I still cannot believe that I am walking in the footsteps of great leaders, musicians, artists, and emperors. Being in Europe has opened my eyes to so much culture and a way of living entirely different from my own, and has already taught me so much in these past 2 short weeks. I wish you all could be here to share this experience with me! Next weekend we travel to Salzburg and Munich, so I am very excited to see all the sights and sounds that both of the cities have to offer.
Love and miss you all,
Danielle

Austria, Durnstein, and the Monastary at Melk

Austria is such a beautiful country! The landscape is truly breathtaking, and there is very little land that is built on, but instead there are forests of trees and a few field for growing crops. Austria's main source of income for the economy comes from tourism, and its easy to see why. You could spend years here and always find something to do. We went to the Monastery at Melk, which is close to the Danube River, and was home to the Benedictine monks. This monastery is so exquisite, as it is a product of the baroque age, where everything from the churches to the people's clothing was ornate and over the top. I am so glad to took AP European history as a senior in high school; I am truly walking on the history that I learned so much about. We had mass in the church at Melk, which was surreal. Everything was inlaid with gold sheath, the statues, the altar, even sections of the walls. Members of Hapsburg dynasty were often among the famous guests at the monastery, and were great benefactors to the upkeep and the beauty of Melk. We then traveled to the small town of Durnstein, which is extremely picturesque and  is known as one of the most romantic places in all of Austria. I felt like I was in a movie, something like Beauty and the Beast or Snow White, it was that surreal. My friend Leann and I also decided the make the steep hike up to the castle in Durnstein, where Richard the Lion Heart (Robin Hood's time) was kept prisoner for insulting the Austrian duke. In the words of Hannah Montana the Movie " The hike was a climb, but the view was great!" We went into the dungeon where Richard was possibly held prisoner and climbed up to the tallest tower in the castle. I couldn't really wrap my brain around the fact that Richard the Lion heart could have walked the very same stones that I was walking on, it was truly amazing. I had to just keep touching the stone walls to convince my self that what I was seeing was physically real. I dipped my feet in the Danube River as well, which was pretty cool just to say that I've done it! Classes started today and I've also gotten a tour of Gaming and the Kartause, my home away from home. I love and miss you all!

Auf Wiedersehen,

Danielle