This summer a group of 41 students and 8 adults from Shiner loaded the bus at 4:30 am on June 18 and headed to Oklahoma City to join hundreds of other young people on a mission trip with Catholic Heart Workcamp (CHWC). CHWC is a national organization that promotes love and service across the nation. Their mission statement is: To share the love of Christ as we serve the neglected, brokenhearted and the marginalized in any way needed. Equally, to inspire participants to live as disciples of Christ through serving others as a way of life; and to foster the Catholic Faith of each participant through the sacraments, prayer and involvement in social service. Catholic Heart Workcamp along with Catholic youth ministers and teens, have formed this ministry across the country and beyond. 13,000 strong this summer, in over 50 different cities, parish youth groups and schools have joined together to serve as Christ modeled. As bold Catholics we embrace this challenge to put ourselves aside to serve and restore homes and hearts, feed the hungry, lift the spirits of children, give hope to the disabled, and provide help through partnerships with social agencies. CHWC provides all you need to offer your young people a positive life changing experience. You prepare at home and once you arrive…a college team of students, a manager, a director, priests to celebrate liturgy and confession, and a nurse are all ready to serve you, so that together, others will be served. CHWC is a youth friendly, Christ centered ministry which faithfully and enthusiastically honors the Roman Catholic Church and its teachings. It is a powerful opportunity “to love the least of these”. And this is exactly what the group from Shiner did. The majority scraped and painted homes for the elderly and the disabled, while some did yard work. Other groups visited and worked with the young and disabled people. It was all worth it to see the smile and the tears that came from those who were helped when the week was over.