that the only thing missing for this person to succeed
is drive. We also assume that drive is directly linked
to that person’s self-worth and morals. By thinking
this way, we no longer feel like there is anything to do
except for that person to “grow up.” In our trainings, we
learned how the brain is affected by trauma, especially
in younger people. One traumatic experience is enough
to change the development of the brain forever, but
many of the folks we work with have ongoing trauma.
Having this awareness and knowledge has allowed me
to act in a more compassionate way. By taking away the
judgmental part of me out of the equation, I am able to
step back and try to figure out how this individual has
been affected by trauma and what I can do to help them
overcome their obstacles. This in turn has improved my
patience with everyone I encounter. I have not reached
the level of understanding and compassion that I want,
but I am very proud of the progress I have made.
Marijo Gabriel, pbmr
Some relationships that stand
out to me are the ones with
the adolescents and younger
children. They are the ones
that bring me the most joy and
at times the most worry. With
them I realize the best gift I can
give is the attention and support they seek and time to
really be a kid. I think we can forget or dismiss chil-
dren or just want to keep them occupied, but this is
when they need someone the most. They are at such
an important developmental stage, where they are
absorbing the world around them faster than they can
understand it, and where it’s easier to not take the time
to critically think about consequences and situations.
We have to meet them where they are.
Experiences that have stood out to me during my
service year are those where I’ve been able to witness
and be a part of in building community and restoring
dignity and worth. For example, when people say you
never know the significance of a moment until it’s past
is definitely true. The moment I’m remembering specifi-
cally is when we were celebrating one of the mayor’s
mentoring initiative mentees birthdays. We were sing-
ing, eating cake, having a good time. Then the follow-
ing weekend the birthday celebrant and his friend who
was sitting next to him during the party were involved
in a gun incident sending both to the hospital and one
briefly to the Juvenile Temporary Detention Center.
They both could have died.
This year I’ve been able to grow more by experienc-
ing God as Agape and connecting that with our human
experience. Our understanding of what God is and
what love is, is limited to our human capacity. Through
interacting, witnessing, and being able to encounter and
be vulnerable to the joys and pains of realities of many
people in our Back of the Yards community family I was
able to catch glimpses of God—which are the moments
and emotions that make us truly human. It’s appreciating
life, time, and people through an Agape lens, because it
is more than a noun and a verb, it’s a guideline on how to
be truly human and to be our authentic selves.
John Lee, Cristo Rey Kansas
City High School
I can’t say enough about the
relationships and bonds that
I was able to make with the
Missionaries of the Precious
Blood, the Cristo Rey Staff,
and the Cristo Rey students.
But throughout my experience, the relationships that
stood out to me the most were the bonds that I formed
with my fellow Precious Blood Volunteers and Jesuit
Volunteer Corps Volunteers.
All of us served at different placements and had dras-
tically different challenges to face and overcome. Even so,
we were able to find time throughout the week, even if it
was a brief conversation, to check up on each other and
hear about what each of us was going through. We had
our ups and downs, but to know I had the full support of
each of my new friends really kept me going.
Two experiences that stand out to me are: seeing mo-
ments of realization and understanding in my students,
and living in community. To this day, I honestly am
not sure what compares to seeing that moment in your
students’ eyes when the material finally “clicks.” The
days—sometimes weeks—of working with students fi-
nally comes to a singular moment where clarity strikes.
There is just something beautiful about witnessing the
entire process of a student grow from struggling and
frustration in their work to truly believing in their own
potential and thriving in the classroom.
continued on page 12
June 2018 • The New Wine Press • 11