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Staying Involved

Now that you’ve seen some of the ways Rostro de Cristo is making difference in the lives of the people of Ecuador, there are many things you can do to help Rostro de Cristo continue working and keep yourself connected to your experience. 

Share Your Experience

Start by sharing your experience with people who supported you trip.  Your family, friends and sponsors will love to hear about what you did and how the experience affected you, this is also a great way to thank them for helping sponsor your trip.  They supported your trip in a financial way and will most likely be very excited to know how the retreat impacted you and what their support contributed to.

Write A Reflection

Part of your Rostro de Cristo experience was, of course, the spiritual aspect.  Take some time to think about the meaning of your spirituality and how, if at all, your faith and/or relationship with God have changed. For some people it can be difficult to try to share their experience.  However, talking about what you did and what you felt and experienced can be one of the best ways to process your experience and make meaning for your life. If you are interested in sharing your experience with others through a reflection, contact the RdC Fellow.

Live Simply

One aspect of the Rostro de Cristo retreat that you can work into your life here at home on a daily basis is the concept of simple living.  Ask yourself the following questions for continued reflection on how your experience in Ecuador can continue to stay with you.

  1. Has your idea of simple living changed since you’ve been back?
  2. How can you incorporate simple living into your life here in the U.S.?
  3. Do you feel the same or differently about material possessions?
  4. What did it feel like to live for a week on very little?
  5. How was it to live for a week without TV, cell phone and other distractions? Did you find yourself spending more time in quality conversations and if not, how did you spend the free time in the evening?
Stay Connected to the Community

Staying involved can be difficult when returning to the states.  Some people worry that with life’s daily activities such as school, job, family, friends, that there is the possibility to “lose” the feelings and ideas you had in Ecuador.  There might be a fear that your experience will become something that is only kept in pictures that you occasionally take out and look at.  This does not have to happen.  How can you stay involved and make life choices to stay involved?

  1. Connect with Rostro de Cristo on Facebook.
  2. Get involved in your campus ministry office.
  3. Stay in touch with what is happening in Arbolito and Mount Sinai, and read our volunteer blogs.
  4. Stay connected to those who shared your experience.
  5. Check out Catholic Relief Services website and click “get involved.”
  6. Incorporate what you learned about another culture into your daily life.
  7. Become aware of people’s differences and how you evaluate and react to them.
  8. Try new experiences at home like you did in Ecuador.
  9. Most importantly, remember what you learned and allow it to continue to breathe new energy into your life here in the U.S.