Misahualli Youth Night!

After a fun day of prayer and soccer, it was time to prepare for a Youth Night for the kids of Mishualli and its surrounding villages.  Following dinner that evening, the group met to make some final preparations for the event.  The night would include an opening prayer, free time for various games and activities, an egg toss, a skit, and a short adoration period where Father Lachlan would expose the Eucharist for the children.

"Dancing in the Streets"

Once the group was organized, we walked down to the town to do some last minute promotion.  Armed with a rehearsed Spanish phrase, the team invited every child we saw for some prayer and fun.  Once 7:00pm arrived, people began entering the church. 

While waiting for the festivities to begin, I started talking to a ten year old boy named Jorge.  At first, Jorge was very quiet and reserved, so I asked him simple questions I knew in Spanish to start conversation.  He would answer with quick responses, but seemed reluctant to talk for long.  After a few minutes of small talk, we began to toss a beach ball to each other, which is when Jorge began to show his true colors.

Following the opening prayer, we went outside where I started to kick the soccer ball around with him.  I attempted to do some tricks with the ball to impress my new friend, but failed.  After my third failed attempt, he began laughing and trying to mimic the silly things I was doing.  From this point forward, Jorge and I did not stop laughing, which is when I knew I would have a great night.  The language barrier was no longer an issue in our relationship, which made the rest of the evening one of the most memorable of the trip.

The Egg Toss

Jorge and I participated in the egg toss, coming up short by a few rounds.  After the toss, he took me around the plaza to show me some of the monkeys where we would imitate their actions together.  Our monkey imitations led to me teaching Jorge one of my favorite dances, which he then performed for some of the team.   We were having a blast, but it was time for the most important part of the night, adoration.  

Before adoration, Alyssa, Chiara, Will, and Joe performed a skit for the kids.  The performance was a silent production where Alyssa was scared to show her friends her faith.  Will, playing the role of God, showed Alyssa that his love was worth showing the world, which inspired Alyssa to share with Joe and Chiara.  The skit translated well, and was a good preparation for adoration. 

When Father exposed the Eucharist, it was great to see Jorge calm down from the fun and take time to pray.  Seeing Jorge behave in a proper manner helped me realize he understood the reason we held the event.  The purpose of the evening was to show the children God’s love, and we were present to physically display that.  It was such a blessing to witness the love that was being shared that evening.

Jorge and Justin: A Couple of Jameses

I truly believe that our team inspired each and every child that was present in the church, which is what the trip was all about.  We were able to shine God’s love onto the innocence of Mishualli by simply paying attention.  From dances, to activities, to every laugh and smile in between, Gods children were together as one.  I hope that I impacted Jorge and was a positive example for him to follow.  He may not know, but he was certainly an example for me.  He proved that God was present that night simply with his smile.  My time with Jorge was one of the most rewarding experiences of the trip.  God was present in the village that night, and there was no hiding from the light shining in Mishualli.

- Justin Magaldi

- Photography by Danielle Natorski, Claire Flynn, and Rosie Scavuzzo