Hello from Faitma School- Ndola, Zambia June 12, 2016

Hello everyone! This is Erin Mikolajczak, and for a little background, I am going to be a senior at Visitation and I went on the trip last year. This year, although I have already gone to the same locations, I have had many new experiences. St. Anthony’s orphanage has been my favorite place on this mission trip and I was very excited to return. Last year, I connected with three little girls: Myunda, Rose, and Mabel. Before arriving to St. Anthony’s this year, I told my dad that I did not want to see these three girls because I had hoped that they would have been adopted. To my surprise, those were the first three kids I saw when I descended the bus at the orphanage. It was a very emotional experience to me because of course I was excited to see “my” three girls, but it was even more heartbreaking to me. I had told my family about these three little girls who had touched my heart and when introducing them to my dad, I started tearing up because after one whole year, I was still with them. I still love them and enjoy playing with all the children. All the kids at St. Anthony were very excited to see us and play, and Team Mutomo was just as eager. The children knew the names of the returning members, and were so happy to learn about the others. Team Mutomo is doing well and accomplishing so much already. We look forward to incoming opportunities and can’t wait for the rest of the trip! Best Wishes, Erin Mikolajczak and Team Mutomo Hey guys! After our first four days spent here at Fatima School, our hearts have already been touched by wonderful people, atmosphere, and community of the Zambian culture. On our second day here, we were given the opportunity to experience the Zambian Compound next to the Fatima School. This community consisted of 4,000 (give or take) adults and children living in poverty. These families live in huts made out of available natural resources, like mud and sticks. Upon entering the compound, our group was greeted by several timid and curious faces. For many, we were the first white people or “muzungus” that these people have ever seen. After communicating from a distance, the children soon warmed up to us and soon they were holding our hands and following us around. Despite the residents’ current living conditions, they exuded complete joy, teaching us that happiness can be found with so little. Sending our love and happiness back home, Laura Sorenson, Molly Farrell, Ann Marie Zeimetz and the Team Hey guys, I am going to share a small, yet heart-warming discovery I made this year. As many already know, this is my third visit and I continue to find miracles all around me. Saint Anthony’s is an orphanage that we visit every time we are here. It is one of my favorite parts of the mission trip because I get to fall in love with kids all over again. Saint Anthony’s is truly an eye opening experience because you see firsthand the attention that the children desperately need. Right when the bus arrives, the children race to greet us with open arms and hearts. The past two years I have been to Saint Anthony’s I have become very close with a little boy named Steven. With all of the other kids that I grew close to, Steven was always my closest buddy. He was abandoned when he was a baby and appeared to be disabled and in a wheelchair the last I saw him. Upon arriving this year, as I looked through the bus window, I saw Steven walking towards the bus. My heart immediately melted and my eyes filled with tears. Julia Goldman and Team Mutomo