spending some last moments with Filipino friends in Olney, Illinois

MY week-long travel to Kentucky, Missouri and Illinois culminated at Olney City, Illinois. With some Filipinos whom I met and became friends with sometime three months ago, I had the great chance to do some bonding with them on that week. It was a rare chance to be with compatriots when I made a visit for my parish experience as part of my pastoral ministry during the second semester in the seminary.

As seminarian, my week-long trip to these States of America gave me significant and gainful insights of how parishioners in a parish work and function in a Parish of a Diocese. Observing life in a Parochial setting has given me a remarkable learning experience.

Some of the Filipinos whom I met in Olney, Illinois eventually became friends to me in the course of my one week- stay in their parish.

I specifically would want to mention some of them here as my token of appreciation for their kindness and hospitality extended on me during my one-week stay in their parish. The couple Aimee and Walter Malco had been so generous with me when they offered their house for me to stay during that week of ministry.

Other couples who had offered their acts of kindness and generosity to me in one way or the other were Marivic and Larry Piercefield, Marbie and Dan Downen, Lilibeth and Alex Grom, Mona and Melvin Escalona, Tom and Maritess Greenwood, and Jermaine and Martin Buchner.

with the couple Lilibeth and Alex Grom and Maria Storm

Alex and Lilibeth with their son Hunter

with Jermaine,Mona and Aimee

with Jermaine Buchner

with Melvin Escalona