Kate Bakamis and Angelene Arciaga opened their hearts to a new experience.
They were blown away by the results.
Kate, a fifth grade teacher at St. Luke School, and Angelene, a third grade teacher at St. Paul Parish School, participated for the first time in an immersion trip to Guatemala through the Maryknoll Society. The trip is meant to strengthen teachers’ understanding of Christ in other cultures and receive formation in practical skills to use in ministry in the classroom.
“I received an email from the Archdiocese of Seattle about the trip and something just spoke to me,” Kate said. “I thought maybe this could be special.”
Both Kate and Angelene received Fulcrum Teacher Excellence grants to help finance the trip. And what they found in Guatemala was something neither of them expected.
“I initially went on this trip to strengthen my Catholic social teachings,” Angelene explained, “but I got a lot more out of it in terms of my relationship with God and how I want to do his mission.”
“I often talk to my students about being global learners, but I don’t always do it myself,” said Kate. “I don’t walk the walk. And then this trip came about. It was incredibly transformative. I always thought globally, but now my heart is really in it.”
Angelene summed it all up: “It’s a good reminder that we are all neighbors and how important it is for us to pray and help each other out. There are people all over who are doing God’s mission and stay hopeful because they love God, their country, and their people.”
Click here to learn more about Maryknoll Mission Experiences.