On Friday, June 23., ten children from Plovdiv arrived in Kazanlak with sister Magdalena. The children were divided into two groups and started the day in Kazanlak with a stage game. As a reward for the games, they received a piece of a puzzle, with which, piece by piece, they made an icon of Jesus. During the Sunday Holy Liturgy, they handed the icon over to the priest, who placed it next to the altar.
A program on Friday began with a game – the children looked for the text of the Sunday Gospel, which was cut into small pieces of paper. The whole weekend was directed in this spirit – to think whether we serve mammon – the devil more or to Christ.
On Saturday there was morning prayer with songs. After breakfast, the children tried how difficult it is for a person to walk blind – blindfolded. This game reminded us that it is mostly up to us what we want to watch and see, and what we want to pay attention to. Then the children acted out plays in which they expressed how a person can act thanks to the temptation of evil and how when he listens to the voice of God, the voice of his conscience.
On Saturday before lunch we had the Holy Liturgy, and after lunch the children went to look for the motto of Saint John Bosco – “Love one another as brothers. Do good to everyone and bad to no one.” We played this game in Tulbeto Park. The children participated with great enthusiasm. On the way back, we stopped at a small workshop where an old man shared his experience in working with copper and showed us some interesting copper vessels he had made.
When we got home to the parish house we played football, table tennis, backgammon, billiards.
In the evening there was a nice game called “Activities” in which sister Magdalena participated with great enthusiasm. We laughed a lot.
After the evening prayer there was a word of good night, according to the tradition of the Salesians. On Sunday we visited the grave of Fr. Martin, where we prayed for him. After lunch, we said goodbye to the children, who returned home tired but happy.
It was very joyful for me, how within a few days, the children changed – in the end they were much more alive. I believe that the children got to know each other better and had a good experience in the community of young Christians. Will any of them sign up for the animation course? Aneta Strakova, volunteer
