El Primer Día (The First Day)

On Wednesday night, we settled in to our home-away-from home at Casa San Juan on Calle Esperanza (Hope Street) in the neighborhood of Reparto San Juan.

On Thursday morning, our jovial driver, Alberto, negotiated the rush our traffic skillfully to bring us safely to the Cultural Center of Batahola Norte (CCBN).

At the Center, we were greeted with extraordinary hospitality by the staff.  In the photo above, Joe Connelly helps to welcome and orient us to the center, and discusses with us some of the symoblism behind the very colorful Nuevo Amanacer ("New Dawn") mural.

We were gracisouly greeted by the Center's leadership team, and reminded by General Coordinator Jennifer Marshall that "God has called each one of you to be here."  Candida Martinez expressed gratitude for "the many years of solidarity" and for the continued support in "sharing Jesus' legacy of love and service for our neighbors."
Ileana Zuniga, who visited us in Cincinnati this past spring, 
drew a comparison to the warmth in the air that the previous night's rains had brought to the warmth of relationships that have endured across time and distance. Education Area Coordinator Sonia Olivares offered thanks "in the name of every boy, girl, adolescent, woman, and man who comes to our Center." She recalled the generosity of the Center's co-founder (and 1949 alumna of McNicholas), Sr. Margie Navarro, and affirmed the continued dedication of the staff to "transform the lives--particularly the lives of children--in the way she transformed our lives."