Driving through the mountains of New Mexico was a different experience for some, but none were prepared for what was to happen in the coming week. Twenty-four teens and adults traveled to Gallup, NM, to serve Christ through the Young Neighbors in Action Program, which facilitates a weeklong service retreat for 9th-12th grade students. We were joined by other youth from Arizona and Wisconsin. Throughout the week, we learned not only about the community that we were serving, but also about the Church’s position on social justice, which was taught during the evenings.
   YNIA sponsored many worksites, but Holy Family Youth was split up into two groups. Half worked with the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order of sisters whose main focus is on charity. After re-striping their parking lot, trimming back brush and picking unwanted weeds, we visited with the elderly patients that the Little Sisters cared for at their assisted living home.
   The other half went to work with a local Navajo family, re-tiling a floor, scraping and painting two decks, and learning more about the Navajo culture. Together, we worked to help bring social justice to the community of Gallup while learning more about serving others in the love of Christ.
-- Penny Pope, Youth Coordinator, ABilene Holy Family