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January 26 - Discovery & Simplicity
Upon the completion of our first full day in Montana, we challenged the boys to think about the themes of Discovery & Simplicity. Click below to see some of their insights...
We woke up when the day broke, peering out our windows to amass the beautiful Montana landscape for the first time. On day 1, the food was plentiful, and we set off to visit the De La Salle Blackfeet School that we were eager to serve. We walked in to see the principal, Brother Dylan, who greeted us and showed us around the school. We helped decorate the school with ribbons and balloons before going to Mass. At Mass, it was interesting to see all the unique architecture that represented their culture and listen to the Deacon’s message circled around Paul’s conversion. After communion, we were prayed over by the church community for guidance throughout the week. Immediately following the mass, we served the congregation breakfast in the neighboring school. Once everyone was served, I sat down to eat with one of the locals, Billy, who told me stories about his son who had a brief future in horse racing, and the struggles that came with it. We were then given a presentation on the Blackfeet school, which reminded us how to act in the classroom for the coming days. We traveled home with the opportunity to explore the land around the bunkhouse. Mateo, Ben, Luke, and I crossed rivers, peaked mounds, and treaded ice with the Brothers’ dogs in the short time given. We ate dinner afterwards and shared our first evening prayer session. The day ended in awe with us looking at the stars and sharing great moments during our late-night hot cocoa Council. -Gavin '26
After the first 24 hours in Browning, we’ve all grown pretty comfortable in the bunkhouse. We were instructed on house rules with many stories of “ding-dings” who broke things in the house, generously told by Brother Jim. Our first nightly reflection was interesting but cut a little short by an unplanned excursion. We drove for 5 minutes down the road, turned off all the lights, and looked up at the stars. I thought the mountains were unimaginably huge, but a clear sky in Browning would beat it every time. A couple of guys and myself are planning to go on a run tomorrow morning before we leave for the school at 7. Hopefully the sky at five in the morning will look exactly like it was tonight. Three of the Brothers’ dogs follow us around every time we go outside, and our favorite is Ghost who looks old and is blind in his left eye. We followed him for an hour across a stream and up a mountain where we could see the mountains for miles around. We know we won’t have as much free time during the week but are comforted by the fact that very soon we’ll finally meet the kids. -Mateo '26
After the first 24 hours in Browning, we’ve all grown pretty comfortable in the bunkhouse. We were instructed on house rules with many stories of “ding-dings” who broke things in the house, generously told by Brother Jim. Our first nightly reflection was interesting but cut a little short by an unplanned excursion. We drove for 5 minutes down the road, turned off all the lights, and looked up at the stars. I thought the mountains were unimaginably huge, but a clear sky in Browning would beat it every time. A couple of guys and myself are planning to go on a run tomorrow morning before we leave for the school at 7. Hopefully the sky at five in the morning will look exactly like it was tonight. Three of the Brothers’ dogs follow us around every time we go outside, and our favorite is Ghost who looks old and is blind in his left eye. We followed him for an hour across a stream and up a mountain where we could see the mountains for miles around. We know we won’t have as much free time during the week but are comforted by the fact that very soon we’ll finally meet the kids. -Mateo '26
