Hanna’s trip was run by Family Missions company, a lay Catholic apostolate  dedicated to proclaiming the Gospel to all creation.  Hanna has attended a faith group over the summers put on by Family Missions, and she has a friend who is a full-time missionary with the organization.  So this year she decided to participate in one of the group’s mission trips.  The mission was centered in General Cepada, Mexico, which is about two hours from the border of Texas.  The trip lasted nine days, and took place over Thanksgiving break.

This was Hanna’s first time going on a mission trip.  She explained that they did a variety of things, which included building chapels, painting a gentleman’s house, and doing a lot of evangelization.  She said that you do not need to come with any knowledge of building beforehand, and it’s extremely  easy to pick up on the tasks.  The missionaries worked with the native Mexicans, and Hanna said, “They’re very, very poor, but very… self sufficient you know, it’s really amazing watching them and learning from them.”

She related that, “Everyone’s very welcoming, and especially the Mexicans over there… when they see us coming they always start making food for us, and they want to give us hugs and stuff – they’re really, really friendly.” A few of the Mexicans knew a little bit of English, but some didn’t know any so they would have to have translators.  The missionaries also knew a little bit of Spanish, so that helped them get by.

She said the best thing about her trip was getting to see different cultures and be around them and learn from them.

After graduation, Hanna plans to be a part of Net Ministries, which is a missionary group reaching out mainly to young Catholics in the United States, and then she plans to be a missionary for FMC for two years.

When asked if she had anything to say about her trip to other MODG students, Hanna replied, “I think its worth a try, you know just to experience something different. It’s a totally different experience than anything, and mission work is definitely something God has given us to fulfill our duties on earth, and it’s quite wonderful.”