Important decisions take time and prayer.  Instant answers aren’t always the best answers. There is a sifting process you go through as you determine the important criteria you have to keep in mind in coming to your decision.   For the individual it’s about determining which line of action will allow me to grow in my relationship with God. The challenging part comes when you have to make a decision between two good alternatives.  It’s not easy but it come be done.  It is a skill you develop and hone as you practice it more. This goes hand in hand with a daily encounter with God in prayerfully reading Scripture.

Peace,

Br Mark

It’s a pretty incredible opportunity for those who are asked to go – I mean how many people are offered the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world? 

But while being able to travel and do a bit of site-seeing is a great perk of the trip, it’s not the reason for getting us all to Rome. In fact, the purpose of the gathering comes back to one of the Brothers’ five vows – the one most people know nothing about – the vow of association. 

I am convinced of the truth in the claim that a small group of committed people can change the world. The Brothers believe that working alone you’ll only ever be able to achieve so much. But working as a global group, through the extended support and resources that become available, the impact the Brothers are able to make on the lives of those in need is that much greater. It means that our service to the poor and marginalised has a global context which is critical because there are people living in desperate situations and in poverty stricken families and communities all over the world. 

Last month 16 Brothers from throughout the world came together in Rome. There were Brothers from Madagascar, Brazil, Belgium, Sri Lanka, Argentina, Rwanda, France, Ireland, Chile, Poland, Congo, Cameroon, Canada, the USA, and of course myself [...]]]>

Rome

Every two years newly appointed leaders from various Districts around the world are invited to Casa Generalizia (International Headquarters for the De La Salle Brothers) in Rome. 

It’s a pretty incredible opportunity for those who are asked to go – I mean how many people are offered the opportunity to visit one of the most beautiful cities in the world? 

But while being able to travel and do a bit of site-seeing is a great perk of the trip, it’s not the reason for getting us all to Rome. In fact, the purpose of the gathering comes back to one of the Brothers’ five vows – the one most people know nothing about – the vow of association. 

I am convinced of the truth in the claim that a small group of committed people can change the world. The Brothers believe that working alone you’ll only ever be able to achieve so much. But working as a global group, through the extended support and resources that become available, the impact the Brothers are able to make on the lives of those in need is that much greater. It means that our service to the poor and marginalised has a global context which is critical because there are people living in desperate situations and in poverty stricken families and communities all over the world. 

Last month 16 Brothers from throughout the world came together in Rome. There were Brothers from Madagascar, Brazil, Belgium, Sri Lanka, Argentina, Rwanda, France, Ireland, Chile, Poland, Congo, Cameroon, Canada, the USA, and of course myself from Australia. 

Leaders from various regions were united so that stronger connections could be established amongst the Brothers who were present. As someone new to a leadership role, it also served as a good opportunity to chat with those who hold similar positions about how we are all tackling our responsibilities. 

During the week-long gathering, I became very aware of the extent of the work being done by the Brothers and those who work alongside them in the Lasallian mission. Their stories were simply incredible. 

Hearing firsthand about the situations in countries like Rwanda and Sri Lanka that have been ravaged by wars was particularly moving. It was amazing to learn about the resilience of people who have been traumatized by war. I felt fortunate to be carrying out the mission in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea – to be in relatively peaceful countries. 

Living in a multicultural country like Australia, it is hard to comprehend situations where conflicts are ethnically or socially motivated. The race riots at Cronulla a couple of years ago only give a minor insight into sources of conflict. 

After speaking with Br Denzil from Sri Lanka and Br Venant from Rwanda, it became clear that the recent wars in both countries came about as a result of experiences of injustice. Br Denzil identified the core problem in Sri Lanka as being one of identity with the Tamils seeking to establish an independent Tamil state. Living in Australia you can see the issue of identity being played out in our own history. 

Despite the language barriers and cultural differences, there was a real sense of solidarity among the Brothers who were present. While we are engaged in such different work around the world, we are all part of the same mission: the human and Christian education of young people, especially the poor. 

Peace,

Br Mark

Upon my arrival, I was surprised by the presence of the military along the streets. Soldiers were carrying guns patrolling the streets. On our drive from the airport we were stopped twice at military checkpoints to have our IDs scrutinised. Considering that an end to hostilities had been declared I was taken aback by the level of military presence. It was quite unexpected.

The first few days were spent at Mutwal in Colombo.  It is a beautiful spot right on the water.  I was able to visit the school here.  There wasn’t much of a chance to speak with the students as I could not speak the local language.

I then headed to Wattala which is the venue for the Brothers’ training program.  They made the most of my visit there by organising a four day program with me speaking to 26 young religious from different groups of Brothers and Sisters. 

Wattala is infamous in Colombo as the mosquito capital!  Once the sun went down the mosquitoes came out. 

I was fortunate to meet up with a Sri Lankan Brother who I had met in Rome ten years ago.  He made the seven hour trip down form Mannar in the north to see me.  Mannar was in the heart of the fighting between the government and the LTTE (Tamil [...]]]> After a two week break in Brisbane and Sydney over Christmas I flew out to Colombo, Sri Lanka on 4th January.  It was my first visit there, but I had been told to prepare for many curries and much cricket talk!

Upon my arrival, I was surprised by the presence of the military along the streets. Soldiers were carrying guns patrolling the streets. On our drive from the airport we were stopped twice at military checkpoints to have our IDs scrutinised. Considering that an end to hostilities had been declared I was taken aback by the level of military presence. It was quite unexpected.

The first few days were spent at Mutwal in Colombo.  It is a beautiful spot right on the water.  I was able to visit the school here.  There wasn’t much of a chance to speak with the students as I could not speak the local language.

I then headed to Wattala which is the venue for the Brothers’ training program.  They made the most of my visit there by organising a four day program with me speaking to 26 young religious from different groups of Brothers and Sisters. 

Wattala is infamous in Colombo as the mosquito capital!  Once the sun went down the mosquitoes came out. 

I was fortunate to meet up with a Sri Lankan Brother who I had met in Rome ten years ago.  He made the seven hour trip down form Mannar in the north to see me.  Mannar was in the heart of the fighting between the government and the LTTE (Tamil Tigers).  The Brothers continue their work there and are working with the people who have been displaced because of the war. 

While in Sri Lanka I also had the opportunity to visit Boystown.  This place caters for about 200 teenagers most of whom are either orphans or street kids.  They are given training in practical skills to give them a greater opportunity to secure employment. On the same site is also an orphanage for younger boys.  A group of religious Sisters look after them.

I would say the most moving experience for me was my visit to a pre-school that caters for kids from one of the local slum areas.  While the school lacked proper facilities including electricity the kids were enthusiastic. 

I managed to survive the curries and enjoyed the countless conversations about cricket.  Three of the current Sri Lankan one day side are former students of the De La Salle schools there.

Over the past eighteen months I have had the opportunity to visit India, Pakistan and now Sri Lanka. It has really brought home to me the connection and solidaity that exists between Lasallian schools across the Asia-Pacific.

Peace,

Mark

Monday we were back into our daily schedule again with classroom activities and leadership training sessions. The guys who have been with me during this trip to PNG have been full of zeal and a great inspiration to the young people at Mainohana. 

On Wednesday, we left Mainohana at 6am to drive to Port Moresby. We arrived in time for the graduation ceremony of the final year students from the Hohola Youth Development Centre (which the Brothers run).

Unexpectedly I was invited to the stage to present some of the student awards.  I was hardly in formal attire being dressed in shorts and a T shirt.  Just the same they were happy to have another Brother present for the occasion. 

On our last day in the country we had the opportunity to visit one of the Lasallian schools just outside of Port Moresby at a place called Bomana.  The school is situated opposite the War Memorial where a number of Australian soldiers from the WWII PNG campaign are buried. 

I hadn’t long arrived at the school when I was greeted by one of the teachers who turned out to be one of my former students from my stint of three years teaching in PNG in the 1980’s!

In true PNG style, school [...]]]> WEEK 2 of the Challenge Program
Leading the four guys from Australia to Papua New Guinea for a 2 week volunteer experience to ‘Test drive the Brothers’ life’ commenced with Sunday morning mass. We were once again without power because someone had stolen the battery inverters from the church leaving us in relative darkness! 

Monday we were back into our daily schedule again with classroom activities and leadership training sessions. The guys who have been with me during this trip to PNG have been full of zeal and a great inspiration to the young people at Mainohana. 

On Wednesday, we left Mainohana at 6am to drive to Port Moresby. We arrived in time for the graduation ceremony of the final year students from the Hohola Youth Development Centre (which the Brothers run).

Unexpectedly I was invited to the stage to present some of the student awards.  I was hardly in formal attire being dressed in shorts and a T shirt.  Just the same they were happy to have another Brother present for the occasion. 

On our last day in the country we had the opportunity to visit one of the Lasallian schools just outside of Port Moresby at a place called Bomana.  The school is situated opposite the War Memorial where a number of Australian soldiers from the WWII PNG campaign are buried. 

I hadn’t long arrived at the school when I was greeted by one of the teachers who turned out to be one of my former students from my stint of three years teaching in PNG in the 1980’s!

In true PNG style, school was halted for an hour and our group was introduced to the school assembly and had the chance to speak with the boys. 

On our final night in PNG we did not get much sleep as a group of locals decided to have an all night party not too far from the Brothers’ house in Hohola. 

However, lack of sleep did not deter our group.  Next morning we rose at 5am to assist at the ‘Breakfast club’ at the Hohola Youth Development Centre. The Club operates three mornings a week to provide breakfast to the students, many of whom travel great distances just to get to school.  The Club is organized by John Francis, a young man training to become a Brother. 

After helping at the Club, we gathered for Morning Prayer at 6.15am. I bid my farewell at 7.30am and headed to the airport for a 9.30am flight to Cairns to catch up with friends before heading home to Bankstown. The rest of the guys departed for home later in the day.

All in all, it was a great trip and the four participants are keen to keep in contact.

Peace,

Mark

After spending two nights in the Brothers’ community at Hohola, a fairly depressed area of Port Moresby, I headed out to Jacksons International airport to meet five guys

The group of five consisted of Chris (30) from Melbourne, Peter (26) from Darwin, Aaron (21) from Portland in Victoria, Nick (22) from Perth and Lewis (24) who in August commenced his training to become a De La Salle Brother.

After strategically packing our luggage and cartons of food, nine of us crammed ourselves into a land cruiser for the journey to Mainohana, 3 hours west of Port Moresby.  The guys in the back had a bumpy ride. 

In addition to trying to avoid large potholes, I needed a spotter to give me a heads up on the man made speed humps that emerged at regular intervals along the journey. 

Villagers put these speed humps into the roads to reduce the amount of dust that sweeps through their villages from the numerous vehicles that travel through.

We sat down to our evening meal at about 7.30pm. After dinner, Br Bob gave the group a short presentation on the two cultures in the area – the Roro and Mekeo people. After the presentation there was not much time left to freshen up before [...]]]>

The Group!

In the past six years I have traveled to Papua New Guinea about 12 times. While I have enjoyed every visit to PNG, I was particularly looking forward to this trip – two weeks  with five guys from Australia who had taken up the challenge to ‘Test Drive the Brothers’ Life’.

After spending two nights in the Brothers’ community at Hohola, a fairly depressed area of Port Moresby, I headed out to Jacksons International airport to meet five guys

The group of five consisted of Chris (30) from Melbourne, Peter (26) from Darwin, Aaron (21) from Portland in Victoria, Nick (22) from Perth and Lewis (24) who in August commenced his training to become a De La Salle Brother.

After strategically packing our luggage and cartons of food, nine of us crammed ourselves into a land cruiser for the journey to Mainohana, 3 hours west of Port Moresby.  The guys in the back had a bumpy ride. 

In addition to trying to avoid large potholes, I needed a spotter to give me a heads up on the man made speed humps that emerged at regular intervals along the journey. 

Villagers put these speed humps into the roads to reduce the amount of dust that sweeps through their villages from the numerous vehicles that travel through.

We sat down to our evening meal at about 7.30pm. After dinner, Br Bob gave the group a short presentation on the two cultures in the area – the Roro and Mekeo people. After the presentation there was not much time left to freshen up before the generator was shut down for the night at 10.00pm. 

Fuel costs prohibit running power 24 hours a day.  So power is carefully used. The crucial times for power are during school hours (7.30am to 2.00pm) and in the evening from (6.00pm until 10.00pm). No power each afternoon and late evening is quite a new experience for visitors!

The group gathered for their first morning on the Challenge Program and joined the Brothers for morning prayer at 6.45am. 

There is no need for an alarm clock here. The bell to wake the students at 5:30am each morning looks like the shell of a World War II bomb – let’s just say it doesn’t omit a delicate sound…especially at that hour of the day.  If the bell fails to wake you then the dogs barking certainly will. Either way…getting up early is inevitable!

At 7.30am we were introduced to the school staff and children at morning assembly.  We spent most of the day coordinating our activities for our upcoming 10 days at the school.  We also spent a couple of hours helping to renovate three of the classrooms – this consisted of painting and putting up mosquito nets.

Mainohana is a Catholic secondary school with about 600 students from Years 9 – 12.  Most are boarders.

As Day two of our stay in Mainohana began, the guys got stuck into the activities we had planned for the Years 9 and 11. We decided to develop a routine of assisting in classes until morning break at 10.40am. The guys went off into different directions putting their expertise to use in geography, economics, computing and religious education classes. 

Our first official group task commenced at 11.10am when we facilitated the first of six leadership sessions for Year 9 students. 

When it came time for lunch at 2.00pm, the guys were starving as it was a little later than most of us were used to.  After lunch we had about 30 minutes to relax before putting our noses back to the grindstone and joining the kids for work parade.

Two of the guys joined the boys for sport.  They came back tired and sore after a game of touch footy.

That night there was a lightning display in the sky.  It is quite spectacular.  The rain at night cools down the temperatures a little and makes the atmosphere a pleasant one for a sleep.

Over the next couple of days the guys really got into the rountine of the place: morning prayers, assisting with  lessons in the classroom, running leadership programs, a bit of maintenance work (painting), playing sport with the kids,   evening prayers, dinner and then often a presentation/discussion followed by a game of cards to chill out and relax.

There is no sleep-in for the students on Saturday.  Instead, there is a two hour work parade from 6.00am. Our group took this opportunity to join the Brothers’ community for mass at 7.00am. 

Following breakfast we headed off to the local Bereina market. There was plenty of produce on offer including a variety of seafood. 

Mainohana is about a forty minute drive from the coast. We have gotten used to eating a variety of foods.  One of the favourites of the group is fried banana chips.  We are also making our way through the variety of mangoes. 

After an early lunch we made our way to one Veifa’a one of the local villages. We were welcomed by one of the clans and sat on their platform enjoying a refreshing drink of coconut water. 

At this time some of the group took up the challenge to try chewing beetle nut. The beetle nut is chewed along with a mustard stick and then mixed with a bit of lime.  The end result has you spitting out red saliva. This is a favourite pastime of the locals. 

We had a much welcomed sleep in on Sunday morning as mass was not until 8.00am. Following mass we drove down to Waima, a series of villages on the coast.  The swim in the ocean was well earned after the long drive. 

Our group become a star attraction for the local children.  They were amused when one of the group climbed a coconut tree. One thing about PNG is that wherever you go, you are made to feel welcome by the locals and especially by the children. We ended up running a few activities for them on the beach which they really enjoyed.

As week one comes to a close, my first opportunity to email this report won’t be until we return to Port Moresby on Wednesday next week. This is because there are no land lines of internet access here in Mainohana. 

It’s been a great week. The guys seem to be enjoying the opportunity to be of service at the school, be it in the classroom or after school. They’ve also had an opportunity to learn more about St De La Salle, what the Lasallian mission is all about, and discover a little more about the role and life of the Brothers. Each evening we take time out for prayers and reflection. I think they’ve found this valuable. 

Anyway, I look forward to Week 2….

Peace,

Br Mark

Pakistan was a great experience - despite the fear of suicide bombings and the level of tension (on the day I left six suspected suicide bombers were captured in the city of Faisalabad) I felt particularly safe. 

I think strangely enough it’s because there is so much security. Even in the McDonalds restaurant in Lahore I had to go through airport type security just to get a feed!

I departed Lahore and headed for Singapore. While the heat in Pakistan had been dry, the moment I walked out of Changi airport I was hit by the humidity…it was shocking.

My time spent in Singapore involved assisting two of the youth coordinators; Kenny and Linddi.  They had organised a leadership training day for students from two of the local Lasallian schools and I helped out. 

I got home (Bankstown, Sydney) late Friday night and next day I was back at Sydney Airport! This time it was to pick up Des, a young man from Melbourne who is considering starting his training for the Brothers vocation. 

Des spent all last week assisting at the Year 12 retreats for one of the Lasallian schools.  Part of his discernment process for the Brothers’ life is experiencing a variety of different ministries. When I dropped Des at the Airport on Friday he looked happy and somewhat exhausted – well what else could be expected from 5 days at a Year 12 retreat!

Most of last week I caught up on paperwork, attended meetings and [...]]]>

Here I am greeting the school kids at one of the De La Salle schools in Faisalabad. They were keen to meet someone from Australia!

It’s been a week now since arriving home from my two week trip to Pakistan and Singapore and I have not stopped (except for the occasional NCIS program – I do enjoy a good crime show!)

Pakistan was a great experience - despite the fear of suicide bombings and the level of tension (on the day I left six suspected suicide bombers were captured in the city of Faisalabad) I felt particularly safe. 

I think strangely enough it’s because there is so much security. Even in the McDonalds restaurant in Lahore I had to go through airport type security just to get a feed!

I departed Lahore and headed for Singapore. While the heat in Pakistan had been dry, the moment I walked out of Changi airport I was hit by the humidity…it was shocking.

My time spent in Singapore involved assisting two of the youth coordinators; Kenny and Linddi.  They had organised a leadership training day for students from two of the local Lasallian schools and I helped out. 

I got home (Bankstown, Sydney) late Friday night and next day I was back at Sydney Airport! This time it was to pick up Des, a young man from Melbourne who is considering starting his training for the Brothers vocation. 

Des spent all last week assisting at the Year 12 retreats for one of the Lasallian schools.  Part of his discernment process for the Brothers’ life is experiencing a variety of different ministries. When I dropped Des at the Airport on Friday he looked happy and somewhat exhausted – well what else could be expected from 5 days at a Year 12 retreat!

Most of last week I caught up on paperwork, attended meetings and answered emails and phone messages (as you might expect after my trip, I had a backlog).  I also went to a professional development day for Leaders from other religious orders. It was a good opportunity to network with others in similar roles.�
�
Tuesday night Lewis, one of the Postulants (that’s the name for someone who is in the Brother’s training program) arrived from Melbourne to Sydney for a couple of days to also help out on some school retreats. It was good to catch up with him. 

Lewis and Bill have now completed three months of their postulancy. During that time they have had input on a variety of topics (scripture, theology, religious life, church teaching and the history of the Brothers). 

Lewis continues his ministry activities at a De La Salle school in Malvern, whilst Bill commences today at a Lasallian school in Bankstown, Sydney.     

At the end of this week I am off again….this time  to Papua New Guinea with Bill and Lewis and 4 young men who have signed up for the 2 week Challenge Program to “Test drive the Brother’s life”.

Two of the four guys come from Victoria, one is from Western Australia and the other from the Northern Territory. We all meet up in PNG on Saturday and head to the highlands to Mainohana to work with poor and marginalised youth and to live in the Brothers’ community. 

Internet and email services are pretty poor in PNG, but I will attempt to write when I can. Meanwhile for the rest of the week, I have a lot to do.

Peace,

Mark

Firstly, getting there was precarious. I am glad the driver knew where he was going because I saw no road signs in English and he seemed to take many left and right hand turns. 

 The traffic has to be seen to be believed. Imagine a vehicle carrying goods that appear to be five times its size!  And every second mode of traffic seems to use a donkey – boy donkeys have a hard lot here! 

When we got to the hotel, security was high. I had to walk through a metal detector like those at the airport. In addition there were armed guards on the roof. 

After dinner and back at the Brothers’ community, conversation focused on the suicide bombings at the Islamic university in Faisalabad. The government has ordered the closure of all schools and other educational institutions.  

The situation is tense. Yesterday, the Brothers were at the gates of the school here turning away students and their parents.

There does not appear to be any logic to the targets: cash and carry shops, Co-educational schools, English medium schools, military facilities…. 

It seems that for the next month or so, armed guards will be posted at each of the entries to the Brothers’ schools here in Faisalabad.  

Today I will make the road trip from Faisalabad to Lahore to board a plane to Singapore. 

Your prayers are in need for all of Pakistan.

Peace

Br Mark

Anyway…after a long flight from Sydney, I arrived at Lahore international airport to be greeted by Brothers Sajid and Lutu. We then set off on a 3 hour drive to La Salle High school in Faisalabad. (Faisalabad is the third largest city in Pakistan after Karachi and Lahore).

In Faisalabad, the Brothers run a number of schools, the largest being La Salle High School which is known as an English medium school. Of the almost 2,000 students that attend, most are Muslim.

Enjoying my sleep after the long journey, the next day started early and there was no need to be woken up by an alarm.  At 4.30am I heard the first Muslim call to prayer from a nearby Mosque.  If that didn’t wake me up the second call to prayer at 5.45 would have! 

During the first morning in Faisalabad I visited several Lasallian schools. At each visit I received a warm welcome, which consisted of walking between a tunnel of students who showered me with rose petals and presented me with flowers! I lost count of the number of students who came to greet me and shake my hand saying “God bless you [...]]]> It’s almost a week since I arrived in Pakistan and opportunities to write have been limited by time and numerous “brown outs” which are common occurrences. For those who don’t know, a “brown-out is the term for a drop in voltage in an electrical power supply – it’s not as drastic as a blackout, but the dim lights and the reduction in power is annoying!

Anyway…after a long flight from Sydney, I arrived at Lahore international airport to be greeted by Brothers Sajid and Lutu. We then set off on a 3 hour drive to La Salle High school in Faisalabad. (Faisalabad is the third largest city in Pakistan after Karachi and Lahore).

In Faisalabad, the Brothers run a number of schools, the largest being La Salle High School which is known as an English medium school. Of the almost 2,000 students that attend, most are Muslim.

Enjoying my sleep after the long journey, the next day started early and there was no need to be woken up by an alarm.  At 4.30am I heard the first Muslim call to prayer from a nearby Mosque.  If that didn’t wake me up the second call to prayer at 5.45 would have! 

During the first morning in Faisalabad I visited several Lasallian schools. At each visit I received a warm welcome, which consisted of walking between a tunnel of students who showered me with rose petals and presented me with flowers! I lost count of the number of students who came to greet me and shake my hand saying “God bless you Brother.” 

Each school put on some item – sometimes a dance, other times a song.  At one school, the students were well prepared and sang “Waltzing Matilda!”

During my 3 days in Faisalabad I ran a workshop for teachers on leadership skills and youth formation. 

Next I headed to Multan, another large city in Pakistan. On the way, the traffic was constant and the roads in various states of disrepair.  The suspensions on some of the trucks must be good because they seemed to be carrying humongous loads that have to be seen to be believed.  

The situation in Multan is quite tense following the army offensive in the North West.  Most schools have been closed in the city for security reasons.  The school I am working at has armed police guards at each of the gates.  And today the local area police command is coming to the school to give teachers and students a safety briefing.

Yesterday, I worked with a group of 50 student leaders from the two Lasalle English medium schools in Multan. The students were friendly and eager to learn. Cricket is a popular topic of conversation! 

Today I will work with teachers and young adults who coordinate the youth programs at the schools.

I have one more day left in Pakistan before I head off to Singapore to work with some of the Lasallian youth coordinators there.

It’s been a inspiring visit and a great opportunity to share ideas and information with the students and staff. This year, the Brothers celebrate 50 years of La Salle Education in Pakistan. Through the dedication and efforts of many over the years one can’t help but be inspired by the commitment to educate and care for young people. Every work of the Brothers in Pakistan represents a wide cultural cross-section of the society (religion and race) where there is a real mutual respect among all.

Until next time,

Peace

There is certainly never a dull moment.  In the middle of September I had three days in Brisbane at a school working with a group of 28 Year 11 students.  They were an enthusiastic bunch.  Along with James, the De La Salle Brothers Youth Coordinator, we ran a leadership training day giving them skills so they could run a two day program with younger students in Year 7 and 8.  That’s an encouraging part of this aspect of my work.  You see the results of your efforts almost straight away.  We taught them the skills and they put them into action. 

It was difficult to leave the warmth of Brisbane even more so because it’s my home town (Yes, I’m a big Broncos fan!) but then it was down to Melbourne.  It’s a nice enough place if you take the shocking weather out of the equation! I spent time with Bill and Lewis, two young guys who have just commenced their training to become Brothers. I ran a five day program with them where we explored the Old and New Testament. Then it was back to Sydney where now I call home. 

Last week I conducted a “community visit” which was [...]]]> The past few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster ride. In my role as Auxiliary Visitor (second-in-charge of the Brothers in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea) I have a variety of responsibilities including Vocation Promotion, Community renewal, developing formation programs for Brothers’ communities, and when I can, involvement in Youth Leadership Programs.

There is certainly never a dull moment.  In the middle of September I had three days in Brisbane at a school working with a group of 28 Year 11 students.  They were an enthusiastic bunch.  Along with James, the De La Salle Brothers Youth Coordinator, we ran a leadership training day giving them skills so they could run a two day program with younger students in Year 7 and 8.  That’s an encouraging part of this aspect of my work.  You see the results of your efforts almost straight away.  We taught them the skills and they put them into action. 

It was difficult to leave the warmth of Brisbane even more so because it’s my home town (Yes, I’m a big Broncos fan!) but then it was down to Melbourne.  It’s a nice enough place if you take the shocking weather out of the equation! I spent time with Bill and Lewis, two young guys who have just commenced their training to become Brothers. I ran a five day program with them where we explored the Old and New Testament. Then it was back to Sydney where now I call home. 

Last week I conducted a “community visit” which was very inspiring. The community consists of a group of 15 of our senior brothers who have been brothers for 50, 60 and 70 years.  It gave me a real opportunity to sit down and listen to their individual stories and the contributions they have made to the lives of so many young people.

This weekend I was able to slow down a little.  Tomorrow I’m off to a seven day retreat. I am looking forward to it. I know without a doubt that it’s the time I give to prayer each day that gives me the strength to do the work that I do. This retreat comes at a good time because I head off to Pakistan on October 14. Beforehand I am looking forward to attending Mel’s wedding who I work with in the area of Vocations Promotion. Mel, myself and Ange have just reviewed nine applications for the upcoming PNG Challenge Program for guys to test drive the Brothers’ life. I’m hoping to have a decision about who will go soon.

Peace,

Br Mark McKeon