Uploaded byMaria De La Cruz
Oregon Scrapbook
This document provides a collection of photos and notes from the author's time with AmeriCorps JVC in Oregon. It describes their service with various organizations like St. Luke's and SVDP who provided support. It then talks about the author's transition to living at Queen of Angels Monastery where they found a quiet and peaceful environment among the trees. The document shares memories from activities and trips the author took like visiting local farms, attending retreats, seeing sights in Oregon, and experiences with friends from their different communities.
Oregon Scrapbook
- 1. JVC /AmeriCorps Oregon The storyof being accepted by a Church & a Monastic community. Thank you St. Luke’s, SVDP, & Queen of Angels for your loving support!!!
- 2. An anonymous notefrom a housemate
- 3. JVs love totake road trips to visit other JV communities. My JV group: The Davis House. We played Frisbee at the park.
- 4. Our walking tripthrough Seattle
- 5. Northwestern progressive atmosphereThe house was kept freezing to keep us in solidarity with the poor. Many things in the house were broken or 2nd hand. I fixed my lamp with a coat hanger.
- 6. Stacy made methis delicious birthday flan. Funny how I never got a picture with my JV community. My office where I helped clients. I made my banner collage from cloth scraps - the texture feels nice!
- 7. The Davis Housevisited this local farm. It’s interesting what you can do with hay. The Pacific Northwest region JV Fall Retreat. I grouped with another JV house to watch the sunrise.
- 8. Angela: a friendat another JV house. Sally with cute frog socks. We tried getting a picture of the socks & Sally’s face at the same time, but Rob can be bad with a camera sometimes.
- 9. Beth from theDavis House. She worked for Marion-Polk Food Share, which stocked the Food Bank I was in charge of. The normal truck driver let Beth have a go behind the wheel, and this is what happened.
- 10. Fr. Dave helpedme transition to Queen of Angels Monastery, in Mt. Angel. A note from Sally, a JV in Hillsboro, OR. On the day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, I departed from the Davis House.
- 11. A Christmas FoodBasket giveaway for the underserved. The program is made possible by various community organizations working together.
- 12. SVDP Volunteers helping puttogether the Love Santa program.
- 13. Fr. Angel visitedSt. Luke’s every now & then. Chris & Monica were always busy, but also very supportive.
- 14. Life at theMonastery is quiet, peaceful & beautiful. Never before had I lived among so many trees. I loved this environment.
- 15. S. Marietta takesthe volunteers to the coast for whale watching, taffy, & clam chowder. I never got to spot the whales, but I am now addicted to clam chowder.
- 16. Some monks atthe Abbey are Vietnamese. They host this cultural event filled with plays, music & liturgy in Vietnamese. It’s nice to be loved.
- 17. Seeing the ColumbiaRiver Gorge and Mt. Hood are a must on a visit to Oregon. I had seen neither & convinced two other monastery volunteers to go on a trip.
- 18. Nature is breathtakinglybeautiful in Oregon. I often wished I could capture the scent in a bottle.
- 19. This was myfirst introduction to snow. Karen & Phillip let me out of the car long enough to throw this snowball. The trip up the mountain was slow and winding. I was the navigator on the trip back to Mt. Angel. I missed one turn, but we got home alright.
- 20. The Model AFord is Kenny’s car. He takes very good care of his baby, but lends it to the Sisters for the parade. I got to ride in the rumble seat!!! That was a dream come true. In a small town, anyone can take part in the Fourth of July parade.
- 21. St. Luke’s hadtwo volunteers - Becca & me. To thank the volunteers, it is customary for the St. Luke’s staff to give the volunteers a proper send off. The Sisters go to outings on their special holiday, which luckily falls in the summer. Here I have a go at the carrousel.
- 22. Ice cream canbe so much fun. It is a touch of childhood pleasure. Alicia S. Josephine, Alicia, S. Regina Grown women having a fun time at the carrousel. Who would have thought?
- 23. We took thistrip to see the famed Oregon Shakespeare Festival in Ashland & to do some whitewater rafting. It was way cool!!! I loved the rapids!!! Chris was a food bank colleague. He worked with Beth at Marion-Polk Food Share (MPFS), which is the agency that stocked the SVDP Food Bank I managed.
- 24. I rented acar & took myself on a pleasure trip to Crater Lake - another Oregon must-see. The long trip made my tummy sick, but luckily it passed quickly. I stopped often along the way to experience the wild beauty of the rivers. The waters are majestic! After I learned to drive, I pursued my heart’s pleasure. I love hiking & camping, but I can never find anyone to go with.
- 25. I really fellin love with Nature. While camping, an RV neighbor lent me a hammer for the tent stakes. Folks sure can be nice!!!
- 26. To get tothis beautiful spot, I had to walk down Devil’s Trail. Downhill, the trail is easy. Going uphill can be exhausting. The amazing shade of blue simply cannot be captured on film.
- 27. Here, the Societyof Saint Vincent de Paul (SVDP) says goodbye with lots of folks, lots of food, lots of love, & lots of good wishes. Two of my greatest fears were learning how to drive & bike. I learned both in Mt. Angel.
- 28. The giant sequoia& the monastery brought tranquility to my heart. Living amongst orchards was also a dream of mine. It seems that my stay at Mt. Angel made a lot of dreams come true.
- 29. Most of theSisters at Queen of Angels Monastery (QAM) The Seminary / Abbey grounds are expansive, making it an ideal park-like hang-out in this sleepy town. Friends & I had fun here. I’m glad I was able to move from the JV community to this monastic one at QAM. It was good experiencing both. I made some really good friends.