It just gets better and better

Today was another huge day at the Naval Academy.  Two students gave their life to Jesus Christ today.  What does that mean as a Catholic?  As Catholics we believe the sacraments give us our Lord's grace, but we must be open to receiving those graces given.  Everyday we must make that decision to give ourselves and be open to his love, but there has to be a first day each one of us makes that decision.  Often confirmation allows for this choice, but sometimes we do not realize the great opportunity we are given.  These two midshipmen made a decision to give their lives to our Lord, and they realize they must continue to make that decision everyday of their lives.  Through mass and confession they can continue to grow closer to our Lord.  Thank you for all of your prayers.   I know you are playing a great part in these midshipmen's conversions. 

Hello Jesus

Today was another great day here at the United States Naval Academy!  Another student has started a relationship with Jesus Christ.  One thing that I have noticed is that we often try to force this relationship with Christ.  With our actions and our prayers we pretty much tell the Lord "Love me!", but the reality is that He has been offering Himself, and all we have to do is open our hearts and receive His love.  Of course, it sounds much more simple then it actually is, and I think everyone struggles with this at times.  As long as we keep trying and searching for Him then we can be assured that we will find him.  So please continue to pray for these midshipmen, so that they may find our Lord, and I guarantee we will see wonders. 

Honestly, I can already see some of those wonders.  Great things are happening here, and the FOCUS team has some awesome events coming up.  This weekend will be super exciting!!!  We are having a student leader event, and I will let you know what happens. 

Until then I have been taking pictures of this statue that the midshipmen paint before each game.  Please let me know which is your favorite.  Also, this past weekend the Navy Football team beat Air Force!!! Go Navy!!!

P.S.  I was about five minutes late today...

Big News!!!

Again, I am sorry for posting late.  I know this is getting to be a bad habit, but yesterday I was feeling sick, and I am glad I have waited until today, because I have big news.  Don’t worry I am feeling a lot better.  Today, one of my disciples started a relationship with Jesus Christ.  This is what it is all about!  He has been catholic his entire life, but to him, and a lot of other Catholic midshipmen on the yard, God is more of an abstract being that must be obeyed.  Most of these midshipmen follow the church and go to the sacraments, but you will see years later that people with this view leave the church.  You know this.  You have seen it in your churches.  If I did not have a relationship with Jesus Christ I would probably feel like the church is full of rules that keep me from being happy, and eventually I might go somewhere that makes me feel good.  We are here to bring people into a greater relationship with Christ.  When you have that relationship then it is easy to see that these so called rules are ways to grow in my relationship with Jesus and be free.  We are working to bring these midshipmen into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ, so please continue to pray for these midshipmen.  I also want to thank you so much for all of your support and prayers, because this could not happen without you and the Holy Spirit. 

 

P.S. Go Navy, Beat Air Force!!!

For Me?

I hope everyone had a great week! I had a wonderful week here at the Naval Academy. I really feel like I am starting to get into the swing of things. I know God is using me to do great things, and He always shows His love and sometimes in unexpected ways. I remember this one night in particular.

Last year, when I was a TOBET missionary, the TOBET team gave a training at the University of Texas in Austin to students from several universities in Texas. We were training them on how to start a program called the Revolution (a Theology of the Body Program for college students). After the last night of the training my teammate and I drove back to Dallas, because we were to lead a retreat the next day. My teammate was driving since it was her vehicle and there was a full moon that night. I wish you would have seen it...maybe you did, but it must have been the most beautiful full moon I have ever seen. I was mesmerized. Like I said, she was driving, so it was ok for me to look at it. We were still in Austin, and we noticed the moon at the same time. We talked about how beautiful it was, because this moon had double lunar halos. Now if you do research on a lunar halo you will find that they are fairly common and they are caused by the reflection of ice crystals high in the sky.  However, a double lunar halo is said to be rare. I wish I could have taken a picture, but I know that my phone camera would not do it justice. I remember the inner ring was so bright, but the faint outer ring made it special.

As I kept looking at the moon I felt God speak to me. I can't say that I heard words, but it was a movement in my heart, and I know it was real. I think many of you know what I am talking. Well, I felt the Lord say to me "This is for you". Wow, what a gift! He has already given so much and, yet he continues to give. I did not say anything to my teammate, but I was in awe. Then, I felt Him speak to me again. I felt Him say to me "This is for both of you." Now, I knew I had to say something, so I turned to my teammate and I said "Elizabeth, I think that is for us." She looked at me (yes, she was still driving) and said "Dude! I was just thinking the same thing!" I was so amazed! It was one of those signs that the Lord gives to His servants to show them He is with us. This year I have already seen a single lunar halo. In fact it was also a blue moon (meaning it was the second full moon in one month). I know this will be a great year.

Here are some more highlights of this past week:

Celine's Birthday was Thursday, and the team went out by the docks.

My first USNA Hockey game.  Brrr it was cold in there, but the team beat Towson University in penalty shots and is now 3-0.  Here the Navy goalie gets ready to stop some shots.  GO NAVY!!!

 The USNA Football team beat VMI at Navy's first home game this year.  The midshipmen paint this statue before all the big games. 

 

This is every day.  That is the main entrance to their dorm.  Yeah, that is a cannon.  

 

P.S.  Please pray for the midshipmen, because they have six week tests this week. 

Bible Study, Bible Study, PIE!!

Okay I missed it again, but better late than never.  This is going to be way tougher than I thought.  Let me update you on the past week. 

Like I said, Wednesday was my first bible study, and honestly only one guy showed up.  Yeah…bummer.  It was actually Robby from Dallas and was in my TOBET study last year.  I did not know he was coming until this summer when I found out I was going to the Naval Academy.  I think it was one of those special gifts the Lord gave to me to show me I was in the right place.  So I told Robby to come the next night. 

 Thursday night was better.  Robby came back and two other midshipmen attended as well.  The study went great!  I asked if they liked it and they said, “Yeah!  I am totally coming back!”  I was glad to hear that, especially since it was the first bible study I have ever lead.  The group also decided to move to Thursday nights, because it was easier for their schedule.  I did not mind that considering the Wednesday night studies did not happen and it is at the same place, so if anyone else showed up Wednesday night then it would still work. 

On Friday the FOCUS team went to DC as a bonding event.  We took the metro and travelled to the mall.  I don’t know why it is called that, but it was a lot bigger than I expected.  We saw the white house and congress.  We even saw the president driving around in his limo, twice. 

I think my favorite day was when we took the student leaders to the Anne Arundel county fair.  The reason we did this was to help form a catholic community and help them to bond.  We have strong individuals, but we are trying to make them feel part of a community.  It was probably the best small county fair I have been to.  That is saying a lot considering I am from Texas.  I have been to some state fairs that are also great, but this small fair had everything.  It had rides, racing pigs, bears, a pie eating contest, and much more.  A lot of us entered the pie eating contest, and it was so much fun.  It was a dollar to enter, and they would place everyone around a table and give us a quarter of a pie.  Then we would race to finish all of our pie on our plate, but the catch was that we could not use our hands.  It was a mess!!!  The really funny part was that we were more than half the competition, but not one of us even placed. 

This past Tuesday the midshipmen finally had another Catholic Midshipmen Club meeting.  There were about three weeks of scheduling conflicts, so there had not been a meeting for a while.  FOCUS missionaries always go to help out and talk to midshipmen afterwards. 

Then tonight was the second bible study, and five midshipmen came.  Well, actually for the last two minutes a random midshipman came and sat with us.  I thought it was a joke at first, but he was serious.  I could tell he was not catholic (The easiest way to tell when someone is not catholic is when we pray and they don’t do the sign of the cross), but he did not care, and I was glad to have him, so I invited him to next week’s study.  I will let you know if he comes. 

That was the week.  It was pretty full, but I enjoy those weeks, and I know the Lord is moving hearts and saving souls. 

 

P.S.  In the pie eating contest I got second place out of our group.  It is really hard to eat pie when it is stuck to a plate and you can’t use your hands, especially when you have big teeth. 

My First Bible Study

Well, it is not really my first bible study.  I have attended bible studies before, but tomorrow at 1900 hours (7:00 pm) I will lead my first bible study. I am really excited! I have lead an apologetic study and some Theology of the Body study groups, but I have never lead a bible study. Not to worry. When has the Lord ever let me down? NEVER!!!

So I thought that we would go through a study FOCUS put together called The Crux (the cross). It starts off in Genesis and walks us through why man was created, man's fall, why the son became man, and who Jesus Christ is. I have heard it is a great study, and I am looking forward to going through it with all of the midshipmen. I will let you know how it goes next week.

Until then, here are some pictures from my adventures. This is a picture of the chapel at the Naval Academy. It is the tallest building on the yard (Academy grounds). If you ever get lost when visiting just look for the chapel.

Here is another picture of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.  I love this picture, and I feel it is very patriotic. 

 

 

 

P.S  To all of the family members of the victims of September 11th, know that I am praying for you.  To all of the victims, may you be held peacefully in the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. 

 



Full Speed Ahead!!!

Well…I guess my promises mean a lot.  I am sorry I did not post yesterday.  I am obviously off to a bad start, but let me try to catch you up. 

For the first time this year the entire Team Navy is on campus and everything is starting to pick up.  Mentorship started last week, and bible studies are starting today.  We had about one hundred and thirty students sign up for bible study this year.  That is awesome!!!  There are about four thousand students at the United States Naval Academy, so that means a little over 3% want to attend a catholic bible study.  I am not sure what the percentage is for all protestant and catholic bible studies combined, but I think we are off to a good start. 

Last night about twenty midshipmen and the FOCUS team went to the mass for Father Vincent Capodanno at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception. 

Here is a little video that I got from the website of the Basilica about Father Capodanno:  http://www.vincentcapodanno.org/index.php. 

 

I almost forgot!  Every day I would walk around the yard (campus), and I would say “good morning” to midshipmen and many of them would not say anything back.  At first I thought maybe I was not saying it loud enough, so I would say it louder, but still some just looked straight and kept on walking.   So I asked some of the students about it, and they told me that people just don’t say a hello at the Naval Academy.  That was odd to me, so I started this new mission and asked some students to join me in greeting every midshipmen they passed during the day.  I admit it sometimes seemed awkward especially when there was another person every three feet.  Trust me once you get over the awkwardness it is kind of fun.  Like I said, at first they refused to say anything, but then I noticed that more would begin to say hello back.  (I was saying it loud enough.) Then this week more than half of them would actually say “good morning” and then ask how I was.  Of course it was one of those “how’s it going?” greetings that is just said, but there were at least some smiles.  I guess small things can make a difference.

I will keep you posted, but until next time GOD bless.