MEET OUR
VOLUNTEERS
Meet some of our missionary volunteers who are serving at some of our SOLT missions.
Hometown: Kansas City, MO
University: Benedictine College
Major: Theology & Spanish
How long have you been a volunteer: 2 years
Where do you serve now:
Mount Carmel High School
Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
How did you find out about SOLT: At SEEK 2017 in San Antonio and then followed up with Sr. Mary Elizabeth and Fr. Mark at Benedictine to discuss the details.
How did God call you: God called me to serve in Belize through the invitation of Fr. Mark Wendling. However, God had been preparing me through various conversations with friends about the mission. After hearing the way in which God had shaped Fr. Mark and my friends' lives in mission, I knew that God was calling me to a life of service and communion with Him.
Favorite part of mission life: My favorite part of mission life is living in a community of great priests, sisters, families, and volunteers who are all serving and witnessing to the joy that comes from being disciples of Jesus through Mary. My favorite day of the week is Saturday because the SOLT family in Benque comes together to share our life and prepare for Sunday's liturgy. I find true joy and life in following Christ alongside my SOLT family.
Clarissa
Joe
Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland
University: University of Maryland
Major: Arabic and Spanish
How long have you been a volunteer: 1 year
Where do you serve now:
Latin Teacher
John Paul II Junior College
Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
How did you find out about SOLT: When I was in high school, Br. Dave Brokke, - who was then a SOLT lay volunteer in Benque Viejo - brought Belizean students to a prayer meeting tha I led as parto f their trip to a Steubenville Conference in Ohio. I met the students, and I heard about Mt. Carmel High School and the SOLT mission in Belize from Br. Dave
How did God call you: God called me to serve once again through Br. Dave. Near the end of college, I was looking to serve in the Middle East. I remembered that Brother had traveled to the Holy Land during his formation with SOLT, and so I called him to ask if he knew of any volunteer opportunities in the region. During our conversation, he reminded me of the mission in Benque Viejo. After prayer and discernment, I began volunteering in Belize in January 2018.
Favorite part of mission life: My favorite part is the opportunity to live generously with my way of life. In college I always felt the dissonance of trying to live for others while the great majority of my time was spent focused on educating myself. In mission, I love knowing that the form of my life is for Christ and for others, and I can focus on loving and serving well by the grace of God.
Christine
Hometown: Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
University: Franciscan University of Steubenville
Major: English and Secondary Education
How long have you been a volunteer: 2 years
Where do you serve now:
Mount Carmel High School
Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
How did you find out about SOLT: My brother, Greg, served in Benque for a year before I came. He found out about the mission through friends at Franciscan.
How did God call you: God called me to the mission through the witness of my brother and the transformation that he experienced through SOLT and the Benque mission. After one year of serving here, I saw my brother transform into a more devout, prayerful, and steadfast servant of the Lord. I witnessed the grace that comes when serving others and doing mission work, so it became a "no brainer" to come and serve myself.
Favorite part of mission life: My favorite part of mission life is living in a community! I am able to serve with incredible volunteers who inspire me and call me to become a saint. I find constant support in the SOLT priests and religious sisters, who make me feel known and worthy. It is a huge blessing, especially in the crazy life of teaching!
Gian
Hometown: Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
Education: Mount Carmel High School
How long have you been a volunteer: 2 years
Where do you serve now:
Santa Maria del Mexicano
Colón, Querétaro, México
How did you find out about SOLT: I attended Mount Carmel High School where SOLT serves.
How did God call you: I attended a volunteer retreat with Fr. Mark, one of SOLT's priests. During adoration I felt the call to be a volunteer. Before that, I had seen all of the volunteers who came down to Belize were happy serving God's people. Since when I was young, I could not stop serving God and His Church. So I spoke to Fr. Mark, and he told me what SOLT missions were options for me.
Favorite part of mission life: Getting to know the kids, learning more about the Mexican culture, and the beautiful lessons that God has put on my path.
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Angela
Hometown: St. Charles, MO
University: Benedictine College
Major: Mass Communications and Theology BA, Education MA
Where do you serve now:
John Paul II Junior College
Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
How long have you been serving: 2 years
How did you find out about SOLT: My sister went on a mission trip to Benque through Benedictine.
How did God call you: I had friends serve as missionaries right after college. While teaching a few years after graduating, I started volunteering with the Missionaries of Charity on Sundays. I loved teaching, but through volunteering and daily prayer my heart was set on fire to go and serve as a missionary. I knew about SOLT and decided to apply!
Favorite part of mission life: My favorite part of the mission is getting to be with and talk to people. I live the students, the community, the life or prayer and service, especially through teaching. It's beautiful and a lot of fun.
Maria
Hometown: Richmond, OH
University: Franciscan University of Steubenville
Major: English, British and American Literature
Where do you serve now:
Mount Carmel High School
Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
How long have you been served with SOLT: 3 years
How did you find out about SOLT: I heard about SOLT from my cousin MaryRose Feeley, who became a missionary in Benque in the fall of 2014.
How did God call you: God called me to serve him in SOLT through my cousin MaryRose, who, while serving as a missionary in Benque viejo, Belize, encouraged me to apply for a spring break mission there. Although I did not want to go on a mission trip at the time (time=sophmore year of college, 2014), I felt a deepening of God's call to be a missionary in prayer, applied for my school's Belize mission trip, and went to Benque during that spring break. While on a bus ride between San Ignacio (town in Belize) and Benque (border town between Guatemala and Belize and home of SOLT's parish mission) I realized that, if God willed it, then I wanted to be a missionary in Benque viejo, Belize after college for about 3 years. Here I am.
Favorite part of mission life: My favorite part of mission life is watching my fellow missionaries encounter Jesus and serve the people of Benque in their various roles as teachers, religious, prayer warriors, coaches and more; the missionaries (priests, sister, volunteers), my fellow staff member at MCHS, and my students are teaching me what love is, and I am encountering God through them.
Natalie
Hometown: Hartsburg, MO
University: Benedictine College
Major: Economics and Art
Where do you serve now:
John Paul II Junior College
Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
How long have you been serving: 3 years
How did you find out about SOLT: I knew people who had come down on mission.
How did God call you: I knew I wanted to serve abroad after graduation and I quickly realized that it would be nothing if not for Him. I remember asking around about various organizations and my contact for the Belize mission with SOLT gave me such an incredibly intentional and joyous response that it spoke louder than any promotional material or informative meeting ever could. It was plain to see that the living God was here.
Favorite part of mission life: All the different challenges-- when you're in the missions, Jesus crafts a personal formation program for you.
Kristen
Hometown: Lewisville, Texas
University: Franciscan University of Steubenville
Major: Theology
Where do you serve now:
Mount Carmel High School
Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize
How long have you been served with SOLT: 2 years
How did you find out about SOLT: I found out about SOLT from a two friends of mine from college who had also served in the mission.
How did God call you: Titus 3:3-7. God called me to serve with The Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity out of his great mercy and love for me. I was lost, in my life and in my faith. I had my degree and I knew that I had always wanted to serve the church but I just couldn’t see how. I emailed Ms. Anselma just to see if she even needed anymore teachers. She responded almost immediately and said “I think you are the one we have been praying for.”
Amanda
Hometown: Springfield, MA
University: Westfield State College
Major: Sports Medicine
Where do you serve now:
St. Ann's Mission Among the Chippewa & Metis
Belcourt, North Dakota
How long have you been served with SOLT: 6 years
How did you find out about SOLT: Catholic Volunteer Network
How did God call you: I had thought for a long time about doing a year of service and then I stumbled upon St. Ann’s in Belcourt through Catholic Volunteer Network and there was an opportunity to be a camp director, everything lined up and I have been serving in a variety of ways at SOLT parishes on and off since 2010.
Favorite part of mission life: Mission life is just life, it’s not some idealistic way to live, it has its ups and downs. You just live your life trying to follow God, and be in relationship with people He puts in your life. My favorite thing currently is planning and running a summer camp.
Megan
Hometown: Bessemer, MI
University: Northern Michigan University
Major: MS in Post-Secondary Biology Education
Where do you serve now:
John Paul II Junior College and Our Lady of Mount Carmel High School Benque, Belize
How long have you been served with SOLT: 2 years
How did you find out about SOLT: FOCUS mission trip
How did God call you: I went on a FOCUS mission trip to Belize city and Fr. Mark a SOLT priest happened to go with us. He talked literally every day about Benque and basically that its where is heart is and how much he loved serving there. I was very unprepared spiritually, mentally for the trip but was still excited. The Lord used that is ways I never imaged. We took a day trip to Benque and went to MCHS and JP2 and I think the Lord was calling me to a radical change. Then I prayed to sit by Fr. Mark on the plane ride home and it happened! We talked and he emailed the priests in Benque when we landed and 2 weeks later I started the best "yes" of my life to serve in Belize! (in short: The Lord called me through a mission trip and I gave my life to Him on it and said my first real "yes" to Him and I'd had the best year and a half of my life since!)
Favorite part of mission life: The love and joy I get to be a part of in the other missionaries lives and community friends. There are always people to hang out with, talk with, grow closer to Christ with, play sports with and just enjoy the blessing of being in Benque with.
hear the call?
fill in the form below to get more information
OR CONTACT THESE NICE PEOPLE:
Sr. Mary Elizabeth, SOLT
Fr. Mark Wendling, SOLT
SOLT Volunteer Team
701.389.1563
soltvolunteer@gmail.com
www.solt.net/volunteer-programs/
Facebook: /SOLTVolunteer/
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