Hi, my name is Brian Nicolas and I was part of a mission trip called Salesian Gospel Roads, which started on August 2nd, 2014 in Toronto.
First off, on day one, we all gathered at a place called Consolata Missionary Home and we were able to get a tour around the place. As the day went on, we were able to introduce ourselves to the other participants and better yet, to the “moms” and “dads” serving for the mission trip. We created strong bonds with each other on day two when we had bonding on an island beside downtown Toronto. It was awesome seeing smiles, seeing that all of us were having so much fun.
Carrying on the next morning, we all made sandwiches for the homeless. Each bag had at least one sandwich, a snack and a bottle of water. With the packed lunches, we all headed downtown to do a mission called "Street Patrol," which is when each group of 5 were given a street to patrol. What we did is we looked for a homeless person to give out a sandwich to and doing that really filled my heart with wonderful joy because it was my first time ever handing out food to a homeless person or yet, making lunch for them. It just really filled me from the bottom of my heart seeing those smiles from them, the joy, and the talks they wanted to share with people. All of that brought me to a whole new level on my daily life. This experience really turned my life around! That was only day three!
Anyways, from day four to seven, each group was assigned to a work place. So for me, I was assigned first at the day care. Even though it was a normal day care, it still brought me a lot of joy to see the kids having fun with their peers. Hearing the laughter from the children really made me have fun as well.
The next day, we went to a warehouse and it was called Canada's shipping to the poor. There we carried boxes into the truck, which may not seem much but if you think about it, it is because what we did was carry heavy boxes to the truck just for it to get shipped to a homeland where there is no food. I had to really consider the happy people who will eat the food we were carrying.
All in all, this trip was really well-planned and I was very blessed to be able to experience it myself. Having to go through introductions with each other and to be able to become close friends in a short period of time was a blessing. Our Lord really showed me what it was like to serve for the poor and I'm really happy that I have accepted His call!
[This reflection is written by Brian Nicolas who attended the Salesian Gospel Roads in Toronto, Canada in August 2014.]
First off, on day one, we all gathered at a place called Consolata Missionary Home and we were able to get a tour around the place. As the day went on, we were able to introduce ourselves to the other participants and better yet, to the “moms” and “dads” serving for the mission trip. We created strong bonds with each other on day two when we had bonding on an island beside downtown Toronto. It was awesome seeing smiles, seeing that all of us were having so much fun.
Carrying on the next morning, we all made sandwiches for the homeless. Each bag had at least one sandwich, a snack and a bottle of water. With the packed lunches, we all headed downtown to do a mission called "Street Patrol," which is when each group of 5 were given a street to patrol. What we did is we looked for a homeless person to give out a sandwich to and doing that really filled my heart with wonderful joy because it was my first time ever handing out food to a homeless person or yet, making lunch for them. It just really filled me from the bottom of my heart seeing those smiles from them, the joy, and the talks they wanted to share with people. All of that brought me to a whole new level on my daily life. This experience really turned my life around! That was only day three!
Anyways, from day four to seven, each group was assigned to a work place. So for me, I was assigned first at the day care. Even though it was a normal day care, it still brought me a lot of joy to see the kids having fun with their peers. Hearing the laughter from the children really made me have fun as well.
The next day, we went to a warehouse and it was called Canada's shipping to the poor. There we carried boxes into the truck, which may not seem much but if you think about it, it is because what we did was carry heavy boxes to the truck just for it to get shipped to a homeland where there is no food. I had to really consider the happy people who will eat the food we were carrying.
All in all, this trip was really well-planned and I was very blessed to be able to experience it myself. Having to go through introductions with each other and to be able to become close friends in a short period of time was a blessing. Our Lord really showed me what it was like to serve for the poor and I'm really happy that I have accepted His call!
[This reflection is written by Brian Nicolas who attended the Salesian Gospel Roads in Toronto, Canada in August 2014.]