first trip out to the Migrant camp (this year)

This is at LEAST my 10th year going out to the Migrant camp for St. Matthew's Migrant Ministry.  I'm trying to think if I came earlier than that (you know, eons ago, before children).  Maybe.  The residents all get a kick out of seeing me in various stages of pregnancy and baby-holding each year.  ;o)

This particular evening, Marcus was gone again.  Another trip, boo.  I promised myself that I would NOT go to meetings (including Migrant Ministry) when Marcus was gone, because it is just too hard for me to deal with dinner/kids/bedtime etc.  But I couldn't help it.  So off we went:

Bunny and her friend Caitlin helping with the fresh-food
"marketplace" that St. Vincent de Paul started this year.

Jizette was there!  (in plaid).  I've known Jizette for years
and I can't believe she will be a senior at HilHi!!

You can imagine that Celeste was a big hit.

Seddy got right to work making friends.
(Actually he just wanted to draw, and he didn't
like that this girl was right next to him.  Oh well.)

We usually have a craft to do with the residents.

Sedric liked to paint his pet rock.
Celeste is in the background, still with her
new friend.

Big Sis of the Year award.

Jizette and happy Celeste

 The Migrant camp is made up of about a dozen small apartments, some of which house permanent residents (like Jizette and her family).  Then there is an open-air "barn" of sorts that has bunk rooms for the workers that migrate from state to state in the summer. I think there's about 20-30 rooms.  They're set up with 2 twin beds (bunked) and not much more.  This year there were a LOT of families with small children and I was surprised to see that many of them were in the bunk rooms.  On the one hand…it's so different from the way we live.  On the other hand…we have a lot of similarities as well.

We were treated to a beautiful sunset upon returning home that evening.  I like to think that it was God's way of saying "thank you" to His humble servant for going to Migrant Ministry that evening.  He didn't have to do that; the rewards already came earlier that evening at the camp.  :o)  (But the sunset was a nice touch!)