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A Different Kind of Vacation Break, February 5, 2007

For the past two Decembers, the Assumption Sisters in Philadelphia have welcomed a group of students from Assumption College (Worcester, MA). These students, accompanied by their campus minister John Fleming, give up nearly a week of their Christmas vacation to go on a mission trip to inner-city Philadelphia.

One of the students, Joyce Mudymba, writes of her experience with our Sisters and with the people she met in the City of Brotherly Love.

"The Assumption College Campus Ministry organizes S.E.N.D programs which enables students to go to various locations. This past December a group of six students and John Fleming took the road to West Philadelphia. In West Philadelphia we served at Holy Family Nursing Home, New Jerusalem Recovery Center, and St. Ignatius School.

It all began in the fall semester of 2005 when I approached John Fleming to learn about the Mission Trips (S.E.N.D program) that I had heard about so much from other students. After learning about the missions, I became eager to go and render service to less fortunate communities in the country. In December of 2005, we went to West Philadelphia. It was an experience of a lifetime.

At the beginning of the Fall 2006 semester, when John Fleming asked me if I was thinking about going back to West Philly, without any hesitation I said ‘YES’! At first I did not know why I wanted to go back. But as I thought about the people I’d met in December of 2005, the Assumption Sisters and the experiences I’d had with them, I could no longer contain my excitement and willingness to go back. I persuaded two of my friends to consider this trip because I thought they would enjoy the experience as much as I did.

Going back to Philly this past December was again an eye opener for me. I truly believe that God works in wondrous ways. Although I thought I knew what to expect, I went with an open mind and a learning spirit. I was thrilled to go back to New Jerusalem to meet the people there and hear their stories. I was amazed at how much Sister Margaret (Director of New Jerusalem Recovery Center) has done and keeps doing for this community. As we walked through the doors of New Jerusalem and the after-school program, there was always a warm welcome and a great smile on the faces of everyone we saw. This made me feel like I was part of this community. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to go back because it felt like I was going back to visit and serve my people. The stories told by these people whom I now call family were amazing and beyond moving. I got to know some of them on a more personal level, which makes a difference to me because it is often hard to meet someone and make a lasting impression on them. It is amazing to know that people remember and are grateful for some of the little things that you do for them.

This experience has truly made a difference in my life. Not only has this trip helped me appreciate the gifts that God had given me, it has also given me the opportunity to use those gifts to serve others. This trip has helped me deepen my faith in God; it has also given me the ability to strive to get to know Him even more.

I came across two people during our service time in West Philadelphia who told us that seeing what we do “gave them hope for the future.” This statement alone has made me appreciate what I do even more because sometimes as servants we do not realize how much of an impact we have on the people we help. As the Bible says, God speaks to us one way or another. I truly believe that through this trip my faith has grown in various ways because although I had already knew what to expect when going to Philly, God showed me a different side of Him through the work that we did, the people we encountered and through our group. I am glad I decided to go again because the experience was totally amazing. I really can’t describe the feeling…it really was AMAZING. I don’t think there’s anything I could have done differently on this trip. And if I am asked to go again, I will most definitely do so in a heartbeat."

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