Stepping Out of my First Grade Teacher Box

I was browsing my Facebook homepage when a friend of my son posted this link to

2011 Catholic Heart Work Camp - Dayton, Ohio (Video Highlights)

http://youtu.be/TINNDENR2to

If you are involved in any way with Catholic youth, and you don't know about this program, you must find out about it.  It is a fantastic opportunity for our teens to unplug for a about 6 days, provide service to others, and connect with other teens from around the country.   My son has been involved for the past two years, and it has been wonderful to see his spiritual growth after each trip.  My son is 18 now, in  his senior year, and leaving for the Marines on June 17, so he won't have the opportunity to attend this year.  And it makes me sad.  I can only hope that the lessons he learned while at work camp will carry  him through the challenges he will face as a Marine.

The other thing I wanted to share with you is this.  National  Catholic Youth Conference 2013.  OH. MY. GOD.  And that is a prayer!  As a Catholic,  I have never experienced anything like this before or since.  I attended in 2011, and I still don't have the words to describe it.  The energy.  The emotion.  The joy.  The love.  The connection.  How could I have been a Catholic for 46 years and not known about this?  How could I have been a mother of a Catholic teen and not known about this?  Why isn't the Church shouting from every pulpit, "Get thee your youth to NCYC?"

You can watch the promo for NCYC 2013, but it won't do the experience of actually being there justice.

http://youtu.be/HIMuWBo_svw

Here's a clip of one of the many amazing things tht happened at NCYC 2011.  Can you imagine it?  Can you envision 22,000 people joined together in song and prayer at this moment in time? I still get chills and am moved to tears when I think of it.

http://youtu.be/X8s7SDz4hLg

Here is the Facebook page for National Catholic Youth Conference if you'd like to find out more.

http://www.facebook.com/NationalCatholicYouthConference

So again, if you are in any way involved in with Catholic teens and you don't know about these events, you owe it to the youth you work with to find out about them and do everything in your power to get your teens there.  It is well worth the effort.