Young Missionaries: Be Bold in Your Faith

Punta Gorda, Belize is a special place that will forever have a piece of our hearts. 

In June of 2024, God gave us the opportunity to join the first group of St. Catherine of Siena parishioners on the mission trip to Belize. There we encountered the face of Jesus amongst the children and people we met. We knew right away this was not the last time we wanted to visit and learn from the people we had the privilege of meeting there. 

As we began our semester at LSU we continued to talk and pray about our desire to go back to Punta Gorda and to share this opportunity to experience the love we received there with more adults our age. 

We talked to our pastor, Father Tim Hedrick, about leading a young adult mission trip the following summer. He loved the idea and guided and supported us along the way. 

Our group of 22 parishioners was able to experience the joy and love that Belize left in our hearts last year. 

My (Reiley’s) sister, Reese Macicek, developed a strong connection with a little girl on last year’s trip and both had a hard time when the trip ended knowing there was a possibility that they may never see each other again. As Reese walked back into the classroom this summer, she immediately found Leanne who ran up to her and gave her the biggest hug. 

Leanne’s first question was “Why were you gone for so long?” 

Although we only get a short amount of time to meet and learn about these young individuals, it is so powerful to see the impact we have on each other’s lives. 

After our first day of work, we stopped by the school to drop off new balls for the kids to play with during recess. As I (Reiley) was talking to an older student, the student said “I have never seen the playground look so alive.” 

This is a beautiful reminder that small moments in life can hold great value. 

During our final workday, we got to celebrate the second all-school Mass of the year with the students. Something that is so easily accessible to us is a rare opportunity for the people of Belize. The spirits of joy and gratitude are something we all left hoping to emulate more often in our daily lives. 

We are extremely blessed to have had the opportunity to share this experience with other young adults. We hope we can inspire others our age to be bold in their faith and answer God’s call with an open heart and mind. While everyone’s journey in life is different, experiences like this remind us that we are all children of God. We could not be more thankful for the welcoming people of Belize.