Montana update

Here is an update from our Montana mission group courtesy of Ms. Foley and Olivia Boulton '16:

Saturday:

The fun begins…

The lovely Bethany Boulanger woke up at 6 (Montana Time) and whipped up 20+ plus pancakes for everyone on the trip.  We cleaned up and played apples to apples; a near win by Olivia Boulton (me) however the impressive Emma Barry took the win. Then, we went to Mass in Browning at The Church of the Little Flower, next to the De La Salle Blackfeet School. During Mass the local residents gave blessings to us. Afterwards, we toured the school where we will be working for the week.

Upon returning, Will Sheppard made the majority of our grilled cheeses; they were wonderful.  After some replenishment, many of us went on a BEAUTIFUL hike; we came home to delicious cookies made by Halle.  After more relaxation and sustenance, we took a walk to a river that consisted of glacier water. Will Sheppard, Bethany Boulanger, Nina Hind, Liam McHugh, Mr. Arnold, Jess Tremblay, Alyssa Pascucci, and Emma Barry all took a dip in the river .  Upon our return, Jess, Liam, Anya, and Nina helped make dinner (mac and cheese and salad) while Bethany, Halle, Emma, Will, Ally, Ms. Foley, and I did yoga. We ate dinner together; it was lovely. Later we packed our lunches for Monday, reflected on the day and headed to bed for a good night’s sleep.

Sunday:

We woke up at the crack of dawn and met at Trinity.  Then we drove down to Boston, flying for five hours into the Denver Airport.  Next was another two hour flight to Great Falls, Montana. We met with our friendly immersion guide, Julia, and she drove us to the Bunk House where we are staying for the week, right outside Browning, Montana.  For dinner, we joined the De La Salle volunteer teachers and administrators, eating an incredible pasta dinner made by Brother Dale; he was very conscious of all our picky eating habits. After a community game of cards at in the Bunk House, we settled into bed and slept.

My Experience:

Saturday was long and I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we are glad it is over. Sunday was my favorite day so far. We got to see the town and meet some of the locals at church; seeing the different culture was eye opening especially during the “peace be with you” part of mass. Everyone was friendly and made a great effort to shake everyone’s hand. The Hike was my favorite part of the day, however. The exercise was nice and the view was incredible. We could see miles of grassy plains and hills. It was one of those once in a lifetime views. I would come back to visit again just too see that view again.

There are these two dogs that live where we are staying. Their names are Jack and Jill. The thing is, is that they act for like cats. Their owner feeds them and brings them inside at night during harsh winter storms, but other than that they are mainly outdoor dogs. They are free to roam wherever they want and they even followed our group on the hike.