To the Band of Brothers: BYM Edition
Yesterday marked the first day of work on a seven-mile aqueduct that will provide water for 250 families. The town of Yerba Buena had an aqueduct built with the help of Jesuit priests in the 70s, but it only was able to serve 70 homes. Now, this mountainous village has grown, and an upgrade was essential.
The group of 60 Belen students and 11 adults arrived, remarkably, on time Friday afternoon. All bags were present and accounted for (another remark-ability) and 5 buses and three pick-up trucks weaved their way through the cluttered streets of Santiago and out the other end into the lush and beautiful mountains of “el Cibao.”
After a two-hour trip, we arrived at the center of the village where we were greeted by a large delegation of residents who welcomed us and literally cheered our arrival. A sign hung on the wall of the makeshift dining room that read, “Bienvenidos a la comunidad de Yerba Buena. Estamos felices de recibirles Escuela de Belén, Miami.” They even decorated the banner with our school logo.
Rooms were quickly distributed and all 60 students lugged their duffle bags to the little five room school house that will house them for the next 7 days. After instructions were given on how to properly use the outdoor latrines and showers, we set up camp. Then, we gathered for Mass.
It was yet another one of those God-incidences. The day called for the celebration of the feast day of St. Junípero Serra, the 18th-century Spanish Franciscan who braved the elements to evangelize the indigenous people of Mexico and present-day California. He founded the missions of San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles, and many more.
As I described this one man’s efforts, I asked the kids, “What do you think motivated this guy to leave everything behind and venture into the unknown?” The answer is simple: his love for Jesus. Then I asked, “What is your motivation for leaving Miami behind, even for a few days, and venture here?”
Yesterday was a full day of work. Most of the kids were digging trenches with picks and shovels, gluing PVC pipes together then covering them up. Another group mixed cement and started laying the foundation for a large water tank that will store much of the water. It’s hard work, but the guys are giving it their all.
Later we had Mass, dinner, and free time for dominoes and poker. But, the best part, was free time to just hang out without their phones and not be lured away from their brotherhood by Instagram or Snapchat.
Keep us and the people of Yerba Buena in your prayers. Click here to see the photo album.
Auspice Maria,
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.