On Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, the Lasallian Volunteers gathered together in Esopus NY for their mid-year retreat. The location of this Marist retreat house was great and the spirit of the place was very welcoming. There was plenty of room to reflect and play; to sleep, eat and pray. The hosts were quite gracious, preparing homemade meals during the three days.
The main focus of the weekend centered on the sharing of experiences from the first half of the school year. It was a time to enjoy the company of one another, to share prayer, and to hold discussions on various topics throughout the weekend. The schedule was well-balanced in that it allowed the Volunteers a significant amount of free time to help rejuvenate themselves for the rest of the year. Some caught up on sleep; some did added discerning about the future; and all enjoyed the socializing and fun time together.
Keeping in mind that half of the year had already flown by, room was also made in the schedule to discuss plans for next year. These groups included returning as a Volunteer and applying to graduate school. Many Volunteers had not yet made up their minds for next year, but the LV staff showed great support in helping the Volunteers sort through their options.
We are grateful to Jim Ruck (LV staff) for the great photo here from the weekend, as well as to Adriana Rodriguez (Volunteer at Martin de Porres School) for her review of the weekend. She has ended her reflection by saying, "Overall, it was a wonderful weekend that came and went too quickly. We were able to get our business taken care of, received vital information, shared funny stories, exchanged classroom strategies, and still had plenty of time to enjoy the company of one another. In my opinion, it was exactly what a LV midyear retreat was meant to be."
We wish Adriana and Carly Matsen, Beth Fineran, Casey Wilson, Megan Mosteller and Ashley Miller a second semester of continued success in their ministries, fulfillment in their communities and good discernment about 2007-08. We are, indeed, grateful for their presence in LI-NE this year.
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