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Summer began, as it has each June for the past several years, with our involvement in the Saint Francis High School San Jose Immersion. Ten students, who will enter their senior year in August, spent a week working with people whose lives are very different from theirs. We met men at the St. Joseph the Worker Center where they go to find work, take a shower, or eat a meal. We ate with the clients of Loaves and Fishes Soup Kitchen. We prepared meals for and visited with the ladies who reside at the Catholic Worker House. We spent a day at the First Christian Church doing some odd jobs and later fixing dinner and meeting with the houseless residents to hear their stories. We helped the elderly at the John XXIII Day Center. We worked with the children at Washington school and spent some quality time with the teens at Washington United Youth Center (where we had a very spirited game of indoor soccer!). We spent the whole week working, playing, laughing and praying together. Mostly that week we built relationships and broke down barriers that seem to separate us from so many people in need.

Our final challenge to the ten students came from some left over bottles of water. On the last morning of the Immersion, each student received two bottles and we asked them to give those bottles to someone in need over the weekend (water is a rare commodity for the poor on the streets of San Jose). We can hardly wait to meet with the students in August to hear their stories.

Summer continued with an amazing summer trip which included a visit to the Tohono O’Odham Nation in Arizona. We were present on the opening day of the 22^nd annual TOTOL (Tohono O’Odham Truck of Love) Day Camp. The opening blessing was given by an O’Odham woman, Verna. She emphasized reverence for life and the sacredness of each person. We needed her message and her presence because just a week prior to camp one of our O’Odham counselors had been killed in an auto accident. Verna helped us to acknowledge the loss of Leah and to honor her memory by being present at one of the things Leah loved – TOTOL Camp.

Following Verna’s blessing, Stanley Cruz, Pisinemo District Chairman welcomed all the campers and counselors. He first spoke to the children in their native O’Odham language and then continued in English. He told the children how important it is for them to hear their language and learn the O’Odham customs. He told the children to ask their elders about the sacred mountain in each of their districts. He emphasized how important it is for the children to understand where they have come from so they can know who they are.

He also spoke of the TOTOL Camp experience. He said that this year the Pisinemo District granted the camp a four year automatic extension of permission to be in Pisinemo. This is a great honor because we have gone to the district council each year to receive permission to come to the Nation with camp.

For the second year we were able to conduct camp in the Pisinemo Recreation Center which is under the direction of Samuel Fayaunt. This is a beautiful new center which makes everything about camp easier – there is even air conditioning! We are very thankful to Samuel and his dedicated staff for welcoming us into this space.

We saw many old friends who have been at camp since that first year, 22 summers ago. There were several campers who are children of previous campers and many counselors who have graduated from camper to counselor and a dedicated kitchen staff. Camp cannot function properly without the timely, efficient kitchen crew who prepare two tasty meals each day for 180 people! The dedication of the O’Odham and the visiting counselors is inspiring. Days begin between 5 and 6am and often go until 11pm when exhausted staff fall onto the ground under the stars for a short, warm night’s sleep (unless they are awakened by the summer monsoons that dump like a waterfall on unsuspecting sleepers!). We’ve always said we can do anything for a couple of weeks!

We have been blessed over the years to meet and work with people of many different backgrounds and beliefs. We find ourselves at the end of this summer embracing a deep gratitude to God for directing us and supporting us. We find God through the presence of each person we meet. Each of us comes in need. Each of us has some gift to offer. Each of us benefits from our relationship with the other.

It can be as simple as the man who knocked on our door last night. He rides a bike because he has no other means of transportation. He had fallen off the bike and scraped his hand. When we opened the door he showed us his little wound. We brought him in, washed his hand, put a tiny band aide on the cut and sent him on his way. He just needed to show someone who would care, to talk to someone who would listen, to receive a tiny bit of comfort. Each of us can do that.

Pete’s book, “Old Men Dream”, has been getting rave reviews.

People are saying: “I couldn’t put it down, but I wanted it to last forever.”; “I cannot find the words to express my love of this book.”; “Would you please send a copy to my friend who was visiting and read only half way through….” ; “I want God to be that real in my life again.”

This book is the result of the diary that Pete kept when he made a trip eleven years ago as a homeless person. This is a story of what happens when we respond to God’s invitation. Let us know if you’d like a copy.

Media Coverage of the Truck of Love