For the 13th year, Northern Illinois University has joined forces with the PVs for their spring break service. We met the students last night as they arrived in Pineville at the new Arby’s. (Yes, you read that right there is now an Arbys in the heart of Pineville.) After a quick set of hellos they piled back into their cars and we took them out to Baileysville Community Center, the place they will call home for the next week.

We are happy to report that all clocks were moved ahead correctly and all arrived at Holy Cross on time for Mass this morning. Once again the Holy Cross community welcomed in the PVs with welcome arms. We are always greeted so warmly by the parish and feel right at home, they are a special group of people. After Mass the students headed over to the Pineville Biscuit World for lunch. (Yes, you read that correctly too, there is now a Biscuit World in Pineville. The number of restaurants in Pineville seemed to have doubled over night!) After a quick grocery shop, the group headed up to Twin Falls for a little community bonding. While they were up exploring the beauty of Twin Falls, We (Jenny, Dan and Jill) went out to check out sites that they students will be working on this week, as well as the volunteers this summer.

The evening came to a conclusion with an orientation for the NIU students and the PV Commissioning Service. Each student was anointed and given the PV cross connecting them to greater PV community.

Please keep checking back for daily updates and keep the students in your thoughts and prayers.

For the 13th year, Northern Illinois University has joined forces with the PVs for their spring break service. We met the students last night as they arrived in Pineville at the new Arby’s. (Yes, you read that right there is now an Arbys in the heart of Pineville.) After a quick set of hellos they piled back into their cars and we took them out to Baileysville Community Center, the place they will call home for the next week.

We are happy to report that all clocks were moved ahead correctly and all arrived at Holy Cross on time for Mass this morning. Once again the Holy Cross community welcomed in the PVs with welcome arms. We are always greeted so warmly by the parish and feel right at home, they are a special group of people. After Mass the students headed over to the Pineville Biscuit World for lunch. (Yes, you read that correctly too, there is now a Biscuit World in Pineville. The number of restaurants in Pineville seemed to have doubled over night!) After a quick grocery shop, the group headed up to Twin Falls for a little community bonding. While they were up exploring the beauty of Twin Falls, We (Jenny, Dan and Jill) went out to check out sites that they students will be working on this week, as well as the volunteers this summer.

The evening came to a conclusion with an orientation for the NIU students and the PV Commissioning Service. Each student was anointed and given the PV cross connecting them to greater PV community.

Please keep checking back for daily updates and keep the students in your thoughts and prayers.

Just a reminder that t-shirt sponsors are due one week from today, March 15th. If you have a sponsor please let us know!

The 2012 LWP is only 50 days away! Events are being planned from coast to coast, and places in-between. Please let us know when you have an event planned so we can add it to our list and help you promote it!

In our March PV Newsletter, we included a reflection written by Jenny Wiley about the role that PV reflection has played in her life in the last 20 years.

Reflection, just that word was enough for me to dread the evening hours during my first year as a PV Volunteer. Who would have ever thought that twenty years later I would be singing its praises? I joined the PV Volunteers to do service, to help others, to change the world; little did I know that the greatest change would occur in me. Oh sure, as a PV Volunteer I can proudly say that I have had a positive impact on the lives of many, but as usual Katie LaCurrubba was right. “We don’t come to evangelize,” Katie often said, “what we find is the experience evangelizes us.” When I think of my feelings about reflection, I once again go back to Katie’s words and think how true they are.

Nothing has had a bigger effect on my life than PV reflection. Every night we gather, summer after summer, to reflect on our day and experiences. Every night we share our stories with each other and every night I hear something that moves me. It is in the sharing that we are changed. Sharing is difficult. Allowing oneself to become vulnerable is not an easy thing. It takes a great deal of trust to open oneself up and pour out one’s innermost feelings. I am not good at it. I am a private person; I say that all the time. I don’t always want to share want I am thinking, seeing, feeling. I resisted reflection for a very long time. I don’t even remember when my defenses began to slowly break down. All I know is somewhere along the way it happened and I am most grateful.

Why am I grateful? That answer is easy. It is what I learned in reflection that I have carried with me all these years. We all experience pain, suffering, loss. It is part of our life. Like everyone, I have had my share of sorrow. Years ago, I used to think I had to keep all the pain inside. I didn’t trust others enough to share. But after twenty years of sharing, twenty years of listening to others, twenty years of nightly reflection, I see what a change has happened in me. The PV Volunteers have brought so many wonderful, caring people into my life. I have long known that. But what I think I have finally learned is the true beauty of reflection, in my PV life as well as my daily life. When a PV calls and ask how I am doing, I can answer honestly. I can share my grief because I know that I can trust that friend to listen and not judge. I used to be so afraid of opening myself up to others, but reflection has taught me that it is in the sharing with others that we begin to heal and to grow.

In our March PV Newsletter, we included a reflection written by Jenny Wiley about the role that PV reflection has played in her life in the last 20 years.

Reflection, just that word was enough for me to dread the evening hours during my first year as a PV Volunteer. Who would have ever thought that twenty years later I would be singing its praises? I joined the PV Volunteers to do service, to help others, to change the world; little did I know that the greatest change would occur in me. Oh sure, as a PV Volunteer I can proudly say that I have had a positive impact on the lives of many, but as usual Katie LaCurrubba was right. “We don’t come to evangelize,” Katie often said, “what we find is the experience evangelizes us.” When I think of my feelings about reflection, I once again go back to Katie’s words and think how true they are.

Nothing has had a bigger effect on my life than PV reflection. Every night we gather, summer after summer, to reflect on our day and experiences. Every night we share our stories with each other and every night I hear something that moves me. It is in the sharing that we are changed. Sharing is difficult. Allowing oneself to become vulnerable is not an easy thing. It takes a great deal of trust to open oneself up and pour out one’s innermost feelings. I am not good at it. I am a private person; I say that all the time. I don’t always want to share want I am thinking, seeing, feeling. I resisted reflection for a very long time. I don’t even remember when my defenses began to slowly break down. All I know is somewhere along the way it happened and I am most grateful.

Why am I grateful? That answer is easy. It is what I learned in reflection that I have carried with me all these years. We all experience pain, suffering, loss. It is part of our life. Like everyone, I have had my share of sorrow. Years ago, I used to think I had to keep all the pain inside. I didn’t trust others enough to share. But after twenty years of sharing, twenty years of listening to others, twenty years of nightly reflection, I see what a change has happened in me. The PV Volunteers have brought so many wonderful, caring people into my life. I have long known that. But what I think I have finally learned is the true beauty of reflection, in my PV life as well as my daily life. When a PV calls and ask how I am doing, I can answer honestly. I can share my grief because I know that I can trust that friend to listen and not judge. I used to be so afraid of opening myself up to others, but reflection has taught me that it is in the sharing with others that we begin to heal and to grow.

In our March PV Newsletter, we included a reflection written by Jenny Wiley about the role that PV reflection has played in her life in the last 20 years.

Reflection, just that word was enough for me to dread the evening hours during my first year as a PV Volunteer. Who would have ever thought that twenty years later I would be singing its praises? I joined the PV Volunteers to do service, to help others, to change the world; little did I know that the greatest change would occur in me. Oh sure, as a PV Volunteer I can proudly say that I have had a positive impact on the lives of many, but as usual Katie LaCurrubba was right. “We don’t come to evangelize,” Katie often said, “what we find is the experience evangelizes us.” When I think of my feelings about reflection, I once again go back to Katie’s words and think how true they are.

Nothing has had a bigger effect on my life than PV reflection. Every night we gather, summer after summer, to reflect on our day and experiences. Every night we share our stories with each other and every night I hear something that moves me. It is in the sharing that we are changed. Sharing is difficult. Allowing oneself to become vulnerable is not an easy thing. It takes a great deal of trust to open oneself up and pour out one’s innermost feelings. I am not good at it. I am a private person; I say that all the time. I don’t always want to share want I am thinking, seeing, feeling. I resisted reflection for a very long time. I don’t even remember when my defenses began to slowly break down. All I know is somewhere along the way it happened and I am most grateful.

Why am I grateful? That answer is easy. It is what I learned in reflection that I have carried with me all these years. We all experience pain, suffering, loss. It is part of our life. Like everyone, I have had my share of sorrow. Years ago, I used to think I had to keep all the pain inside. I didn’t trust others enough to share. But after twenty years of sharing, twenty years of listening to others, twenty years of nightly reflection, I see what a change has happened in me. The PV Volunteers have brought so many wonderful, caring people into my life. I have long known that. But what I think I have finally learned is the true beauty of reflection, in my PV life as well as my daily life. When a PV calls and ask how I am doing, I can answer honestly. I can share my grief because I know that I can trust that friend to listen and not judge. I used to be so afraid of opening myself up to others, but reflection has taught me that it is in the sharing with others that we begin to heal and to grow.

You can now help support the PVs by donating a set amount each month, via PayPal. Just click the subscribe button on the right side of the blog and choose which level of monthly support you would like to offer. Plans start at just $5 a month. Every little bit helps!!!

You can now help support the PVs by donating a set amount each month, via PayPal. Just click the subscribe button on the right side of the blog and choose which level of monthly support you would like to offer. Plans start at just $5 a month. Every little bit helps!!!

You can now help support the PVs by donating a set amount each month, via PayPal. Just click the subscribe button on the right side of the blog and choose which level of monthly support you would like to offer. Plans start at just $5 a month. Every little bit helps!!!

The date has been set for the 5th Annual Live with Passion and now let the planning begin!  We hope you consider joining in the LWP movement. This is our largest fundraiser of the year. Last year we raised $15,000 to help support the efforts of the PVs.

Hosting an event is fairly easy and a lot of fun. We encourage you to look through this blog to get ideas of what events have been done in the past. It is time to use your creativity!

We also are in need of sponsors for the event. If you and/or your employer would be interested or if you know of someone that would like to help sponsor the event, please send them our way. Sponsorship starts at $50 and includes a logo on the LWP t-shirts as well as a t-shirt itself. In order to get the t-shirts to the printer on time, we must have all artwork to us by March 15th.

We will be continuing to add new information to this blog. Please keep checking back.