Dear Brothers,
Summer Stories of God in Our Midst
This week’s story is submitted by Antonio Mari, Campus Ministry Director at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory. Antonio responds to the question, “how have you seen God in your midst as you have worked with your students during this pandemic?”
The Friday before March 16th, the Campus Ministry team was in full swing. We had just finished the sophomore retreat, and 14 seniors were excited to lead our last Encounter retreat of the year the upcoming week. I visibly saw their pain and anguish when I had to meet with them at 3:00 p.m. and tell them, “Encounter III is a no go, we are probably closing down next week.” That moment of silence that felt like an eternity was followed by the hope and optimism of some immediately by the question, “What are we going to do?” I remember laughing and saying, “I don’t know, but I’m sure we will figure it out.”
The next week, as we went on quarantine and the new reality of working from home and doing online ministry started, the S.A.L.T. Team (Serving and Leading Together) decided to meet on Friday at 3:00 p.m. As we got used to the awkwardness of Zoom, we found joy in being able to see each other again. The first few weeks, it was more of ministry to these juniors and seniors that have been helping out with campus ministry all year. In that hour and a half meeting, we would check up on each other, laughing, planning activities online for other students and just be goofy. This brought a sense of normal, and I felt joy. This hour of joy on Friday has been occurring every week, with the exception of two weeks that we hosted LIFE on Thursday, so we didn’t meet on Friday.
It started as a special time of giving students a safe space, yet what I hadn't expected was that I was going to take so much from that time with them. As we met last week for the last time, I found myself with a bittersweet taste. I am sad because I will miss my Friday face to face time with these amazing students but happy because I have seen how much they have grown and adapted to this new reality. It is surprising that through hurricane Maria and now COVID-19, it is the little things, the acts of kindness, being there for each other and being present for each other. These things are the joy that brings a real presence of God and meaning to what we do in our ministry every day.
