By Dcn Jhoni Chamorro, SDB

I feel blessed to be part of a different experience this year for the summer! Thanks to Fr. Mel for allowing me to be a part of the Seville Province’s summer program for 2023. 

I flew from Mexico City on June 27th to Madrid on my first experience crossing the ocean, thanks be to God! The trip was at night and with the plane’s window shutter closed. I arrived in Madrid the following day, June 28th. Fr. Juan Jose Bartolomé, a good friend and bible scholar, picked me up at the airport and hosted me at the Provincial House in Atocha since he lives there due to his work as Vocation Delegate of the Madrid Province. 

After spending the night there, I experienced my first service as a deacon during the community’s morning Eucharistic celebration. I was so nervous, but the Youth Ministry Delegate who was supervising the trip was reassuring. That morning after breakfast I took the AVE (Alta Velocidad Española) Train towards Seville. David Sanabria, who came in the past with his wife Monti to help at Camp St. Francis Summer Camp, dropped me off at the Provincial House where Fr. Fernando Miranda (Provincial) welcomed me. I spent a few days there. We began training days on Tuesday, July 4th. I traveled with Carlos, a Salesian Cooperator, from Alcalá towards Puebla de la Calzada at Badajoz. During our celebration of the Eucharist I also came with a special intention to celebrate the USA’s Independence Day. 

The kids who are attending Camp are from different places from the Seville Province, as part of ADS (Amigos de Domingo Savio – Friends of Dominic Savio ) are wonderful! I had my first service leading a celebration they prepared, and even though they  laugh during my creative homily and maybe from my nerves, I am grateful. They still remember that they must be salt and light to other youth in the world. I appreciate the kindness of Fr. Fernando, the Provincial, and Fr. Antonio Ortiz, Camp Director, for this great opportunity, serving as a deacon to young people. This camp reminds me of many of the great, late-night activities from Camp St. Francis. On our third day of Camp, we had “velada” that brings activities for the teens, who were kept entertained until around midnight. 

I truly miss the summer camps in our province, but I am learning so much from other Salesian places like here in Badajoz, and it is giving me fresh ideas to share in our summer programs for the future, God willing, when I get back to the Province. I hope you like my short sharing of what I am doing as a new deacon, and why I am currently in Spain. 

I want to thank Fr. Peter Lee, also for letting me send this to publish in Intouch. These are also some pictures from the activities of this first week of Camp. God bless you all, be safe and enjoy your summer assignments!