Friday, July 4, 2008

The Journey Begins.....

Hello from SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA to everyone back home!

We hope you are all doing well this Fourth of July -- have fun, enjoy the fireworks, and eat extra hot dogs for us! :)

On our side, we spent the 4th of July getting to know Sydney a little bit better. After about 20 hours of traveling (more in Michael's case), we finally landed in Australia at around 8:30am this morning. After going through customs and baggage claim, we were all very excited to begin this pilgrimage and experience all that Australia has to offer. We were met by one of the Magis volunteers at the "aeroport" and he drove us (on the left side of the road) to St. Ignatius College in Riverview (a suburb of the city).

Despite a bit of rain, we were all able to get settled in and do some exploring around campus and the city. Even though we're a bit jet-lagged, we still did so much in only a few hours.... We had mass in one of the tiny chapels on campus, presided by a newly ordained American Jesuit named Fr. Phil. We even were already able to see and take pictures at the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the Sydney Opera House.

Overall it was a wonderful first day in Australia and an excellent introduction to this wonderful continent. Tomorrow, we will all be leaving at 5am and heading to Brisbane where we will be splitting up to do our Magis Experiments. We pray for your continued support and thoughts as we find communion with other Catholics around the world, while simultaneously strengthening our own Fordham community. God Bless you all, and thanks for all the love!

-Roxanne
P.S. Happy Birthday to my sister, Andrea, who is turning 20 on the 5th!!!

4 comments:

Richard dela Fuente said...

HI, Roxanne! We're David's parents. We are thankful that you are settled in St. Ignatius College, have done a little tour of the city and are about to embark on your Magis Experiments. Please extend our love and best regards to David and the entire Fordham team. We pray that the Lord will bless your visit to Australia with abundant fruitfulness.

May God's presence accompany you always,
Richard & Lee

Anonymous said...

Hi Roxanne....Daddy and Mommy here. We are so glad that you are not only enjoying your time over there but moreover, being able to live your Catholic faith each day. Hope everyone is in perfect health. We continue to pray for your whole Fordham team as well as all other participants at the WYD'08. God bless

Rene and Jo De La Torre

Ang said...

Hi Rox....

Say Hi to everyone.... and I can't wait to see the pictures you have taken...

Stay Safe....

Anonymous said...

Hey there Rox!
I am so glad that you're enjoying your time over there and, hopefully, learning and growing with each day. I did some research and read a little about Magis Experiments-sounds very much like a term from Harry Potter by the way-and I hope that you are, indeed, challenged and enlightened along the way. You were missed last Saturday during Andrea's birthday celebration but, trust me, we ATE a lot of food in your honor! Jason, Justin, Mom, Uncle Joseph, Jackie, Hilton, Mama Cel, Mama Jean, Papa Manny, Mama Lai, Unlce Oggie, Rex, Rich, Manang Buddha, Manong Cesar, Papa Jimmy, Mama Helen, Simon, Cole, Mayang, Mark, Rhea, Frisbee and Harry all send their hello's and warmest wishes to you. I can speak for all of them when I say; we are so proud of you-my cousin. Take care and may God always, always be with you.
toujours bon chance...Jay