Days 179-181: WI to MI

Finally, after a full month of living in Milwaukee, we enter our final days in Wisconsin. One more retreat, one more team day, and our travel day to our next place. As i mentioned in the last post, our last stop in Wisconsin was at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in New Berlin. The architecture of the church was pretty much the same as my home parish St. Vincent de Paul's, with the pews on the outside and the baptismal font, ambo, and altar lined up in the middle, as the crowds surround the altar rather than face in front, with the tabernacle in a completely separate room. Honestly, after months of traditional parishes, I was a little thrown off. The retreat itself was really good, another 25 middle schoolers that I wish I had more time with. It was also our 80th retreat, which is super exciting! After, we had music practice, where Jakob began to teach us guitar basics. The whole team has been waiting for this moment for weeks, and it was very fun learning how to play simple chords. . . Today's team day was led by Evan and Roni. It was the first one led by other teammates aside from team leaders and the hosts (Ellie and I). And I gotta say, it was one of the best ones yet. They started us off with a series of Minute to Win It games: balloon juggling, cup stacking, charades, and a snowman battle. For lunch, we got to eat with Debbie Olla, a NET alum and the one who scheduled all our retreats in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. After lunch, we went out to two of the coolest places yet. First, St. Josephat's Basilica in downtown Milwaukee, easily one of the most beautiful place yet. It was the first time any piece of architecture made me feel tiny as I walked into the room. It doesnt seem big on the outside, but looks are deceiving, certainly recommend if you are ever in Milwaukee. From there, we went to TH Stemper's, a Catholic shop. It's not just any Catholic store, though. No, they sold EVERYTHING there: monstrances, kneelers, altars, vestments for priests. It was massive and gorgeous, especially the monstrances. It was incredible, also highly recommend. Finally, we finished off back at the church with musical chairs, which got intense as I nearly fought Jakob, yes, big Jakob, for a chair. Well, we wrestled, and you can probably guess who won. . . Today is the day we finally leave Wisconsin, after a month of ministry and service. It's unforgettable, and I'm super grateful for the memories there. But I'm definitely ready for a change of area. Our next stop is Kalamazoo, Michigan. We drove six hours to St. Monica's in Kalamazoo, where we would have two retreats and Ash Wednesday mass. My host family for the next couple nights, with Nels and Adam, was the Bult family, whose daughter Amylia works for NET and is the one who recruited me to join NET! The first night was all conversation with the family, but I know the next few nights will certainly include some games.