Ecuador Immersion Trip – meet the participants
The group led by Judy Callahan, BVM, set off for Ecuador on April 25th and they will return on May 4th. Here is a little bit about the participants.
Judy Callahan, BVM: I’m 75 years old from an Iowa farm near Cascade originally, and have been a BVM since 1958. I was a teacher/principal for 25 years, and then lived and worked at the Working Boys Center for 5 years. After that I worked in Hispanic Ministry for 16 years out of Joliet, IL, and then 5 years in the Archdiocese of Dubuque. I serve on the US Board for C4WF (Center for Working Families). I volunteer at Mt. Carmel in Dubuque, and live on the Mt. Carmel campus. I have 11 brothers and sisters (8 living), 42 nieces and nephews, and two cats. I have taken several groups to Quito, and look forward to our trip.
Brigitte Connolly: I am 50 (entering a whole new chapter of my life), a mother of 5 and currently work as a Parent Educator for Four Oaks in Dubuque, Iowa. I studied Spanish while obtaining my bachelors as a non-traditional student but have forgotten much of what I learned as I don’t have much chance to practice speaking the language. Much like the rest of you, I enjoy traveling and meeting new people. In addition to travel in the states, I have traveled to Norway, Cuba and Canada and have crossed the border into Nogales to shop and see what a “border town” is like. For me, that humbling and eye-opening experience of not speaking the language, being the only gringos around for some hours and feeling the outsider is something I will not forget. I look forward to this immersion experience as I will undoubtedly meet some fun and interesting people, learn a lot and grow spiritually and personally.
Ellen Dettmer: Hello everyone! Many of you may know me as the Communications Specialist working for the Sisters of Charity. I am originally from Ryan, Iowa and currently live in Dubuque, Iowa with my husband and two cats. I am 25 years old and have done some traveling of the world already, and am so excited to add Ecuador to my list! Working alongside the BVM sisters for the past two and a half years has taught me the importance of service and humility and I cannot wait to see firsthand the impact they’ve had on the Ecuador community. I look forward to meeting everyone and learning as much as I can from this opportunity.
Marguerite Murphy, BVM : I am definitely a California native. I was born in San Francisco, but I’ve spent almost all of my year years of ministry in the Los Angeles area. I still drive back and forth up the coast regularly, because my family is lives in northern California. My career has been education, serving as a teacher and an administrator. I was happily working in our poorest neighborhoods, with our Mexican community for 34 of those years. Currently, I am assisting our sisters in a leadership position and I am thrilled to get to know so many more in the Midwest.
My work schedule didn’t permit time for traveling, so I am eager to go to Ecuador to get to know the culture, the people and our centers. This is my first immersion trip. In my free time, I like to garden, walk in the nearby beautiful Descanso gardens, get involved in DIY projects and until recently, have fun with my dog. (Emma died in August).
Monica Kurth : Judy [Callahan] was probably my first baby sitter… my twin sister and I were probably awful to our cousin but we just loved seeing her and her sibs who are our first cousins. I, too, am from rural Cascade but have been living in Davenport for most of my adult life.
Occupations: social worker, counselor for at-risk kids, college counselor for disadvantaged students, and, last but not least, community college math teacher for many years. I have long been involved in social action and social justice issues and am politically active. My favorite activities are biking, horseback riding (dressage right now), art work, and travel. I’ve gone on service trips to Dominican Republic with optometrists for the last 3 years since I retired and will continue to do so because it’s just an awesome experience!
I’m very excited to be going on this adventure. I’ve never been to South America and am really looking forward to cultural immersion. I’m even working on a bit of Spanish… hoping to be able to use some of it!
Bonnie Spaight : I’m Monica’s twin sister. We grew up next to Sr. Judy, one of our really fun cousins! I have 2 awesome daughters, Emily and Abbie. In addition I have 2 grand-dogs, no grandchildren though. I have been retired from a 39 year career in education for three years. I started as a third grade teacher and ended up as a k-12 math facilitator and loved every step along the way! My interests include water color, golf, biking, travel, and just having a great time with my friends.
I’m really excited about this trip to Ecuador… It will be great to learn about the culture and be of service in some way! (I’m also looking forward to straddling the equator!)
Peggy Geraghty, BVM : I have just retired from a BVM assignment in leadership after 6 years. Love not having to set an alarm clock! I’ve been in education most of my life: math teacher, principal, program coordinator.
I look forward to seeing Quito again 35 years after my first visit in 1981 when I spent the summer there on a third-world grant from the BVM congregation. We were at the downtown [Working Boys] Center; the second center was under construction, but not finished yet. Also, Sr. Annie hadn’t begun her work at Damien House yet. So there will be new experiences waiting for me!
I also look forward to seeing Pat and Sonia’s inspiring work at Nuevo Mundo. I’ve read and heard so much about it over the years.
Katherine Moris : I’m originally from rural Waterville, Iowa and now live in Bloomington, Wisconsin with my husband and cat. I work for the National Park Service at Effigy Mounds and thoroughly enjoy the outdoors. I’ve never done a service trip before, but I’ve studied abroad a bit and love getting to experience new places and people. I chose to go on this trip to work and learn alongside the sisters to experience a new culture and learn from what it has to offer.
Ellen O’Connell : I grew up on a farm near Spillville, Iowa, and now live out in the country by Bankston. I’m married to Dan and we have 26-year-old twin sons who are living in Montana. I work at Goodwill in Dubuque as a vocational evaluator. I enjoy the outdoors and music, reading, playing the piano and currently trying to learn to play the flute! I’ve been on service trips to Mississippi, Kentucky, Honduras and Jamaica (through Divine Word). I love to travel and experience different cultures. I look forward to meeting everyone and being able to share this opportunity.
Shannon Shovlain : I am currently a sophomore at Clinton Community College in Iowa. I grew up in Clinton, but will be moving to Ames next year to study at ISU. I chose to go on this trip because I think it will be a very memorable experience and I hope it makes me appreciate the opportunities in my life more. I am the baby of the family, I have two siblings. My brother is 29 and sister is 28. I work part time at a rec center while taking classes at CCC. This trip is part of one of classes, which is sort of an independent study. I am still deciding on what I want to major in and I really hope this experience will give me some insight.