encounter sound

Well…  Working.

For 5 weeks out of 6 this summer I worked with a program I’m pretty crazy about called Young Neighbors in Action.  The role I fill is that of “Prayer & Music Coordinator” which consists mostly of hanging out with young people, enabling them to lead their peers in prayer, and playing my guitar, all within the constructs of a Catholic service learning experience.  It’s heavy on Catholic Social Teaching, a subject that most folks that know me are aware that I’m a pretty huge proponent of.  It’s always a fantastic experience, seeing young people really psyched about living out their faith in real tangible ways, and this year was especially awesome because we had Young Neighbors on the Gulf Coast (we stayed in the Kiln, just north of Bay St. Louis & Waveland).  We had truly amazing teens and adults both weeks on the coast, and it was indescribably moving to see them changed as they became aware of the struggles of many in South Mississippi.  Bragg Moore (our diocese’s Director of Youth Ministry and a friend of our family) visited with them the first week, sharing his story from the storm and relating a truly touching story of the Eucharistic community that formed in the months following.  We celebrated Mass at St. Rose de Lima in the Bay (a beautiful African American Catholic community), and were amazed at the welcoming spirit they had for our volunteers.  They actually moved furniture out of the church to make room for our kids!  I also got to check “sing in a badass black choir” off my @SomedayMaybe list, which is pretty awesome.

Overall, the young people in Detroit, the Gulf Coast, and Chicago all had one thing in common:  AWESOME-ness.

Hopefully I’ll write some more later, but needless to say, I’m pretty tired and worn out from the whole experience.  I’m trying to get regular with the whole blogging thing, but have a feeling that it won’t be happening until I can successfully merge the blog and my Treo.  I live on my Treo.

Keep on rocking the free world.

Ryan