Appreciation

I believe that yesterday was one of the best days of the trip for many of us pilgrims.  Even though we did not make it to the catechetical session, the rest of the day's events made up for it.  The Love and Life Center, which is the center for all English speaking pilgrims, is full of life and people who are on fire about their faith.  A group of us (Karen, Mike, Devon, Laura, Gabbie, Carla, my mom and I) had to wait outside for about an hour in order to be let in for some of the events. And while many would think that waiting in the hot Madrid sun for that long would be terrible, it was a truly beautiful experience. We talked to people from all over the United States and even the world.  We traded trinkets like bracelets, buttons and key-chains.  Many of us came away with gifts from groups from Malaysia, Australia, and Canada. Cheers were constantly heard between groups across the square outside the Love and Life Center. The talks in the center have been wonderful with speakers who are full of life and are very excited about being Catholic.

With all that said, I have to admit that the best part of the day for me and for most of people in the group I was with all day was when we finished lunch and walked outside to find an elderly woman passing us.  She stopped when she saw us and asked in very rapid Spanish where we were from.  With our broken Spanish, we were able to hold a brief conversation.  As she was leaving, she said something to the effect of  "Thank you for bringing God to Spain.  I love that the Christians are here.  Welcome to Madrid!"

Emily Barbieri