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Love Begins Here - Summer Mission Trips

Why Love Begins Here?
- In her 1979 Nobel Prize acceptance speech, St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) said, "And so here I am talking with you – I want you to find the poor here, right in your own home first. And begin love there. Be that good news to your own people. And find out about your next-door neighbor – do you know who they are?"
  
  Love Begins Here focuses on the needs right here in our own Archdiocese. While it is good to travel across the country and world to serve those in need, God has willed for us to be in this time and this place for a reason - to be His hands and feet to those directly around us. LBH seeks to facilitate an encounter between our youth and those in need in our own homes, parishes, and neighborhoods.
  
  To learn more about this mission apostolate please visit the Archdiocese's website at www.archmil.org/LBH.
2026 Mission Trip Recap
- Eight high school missionaries from Lumen Christi headed to West Bend for a 6-day mission trip, joining 25+ missionaries in the outreach program Love Begins Here (LBH), an Archdiocese-based initiative that seeks to serve those in need in our very own communities.
  
  This week of service was extremely blessed with encountering and serving many wonderful individuals, doing big and small things with great love, learning meaningful lessons from those they served and from the core team missionaries, doing all kinds of fun games and activities, spending intentional time in personal prayer, having deep conversations, making new and lasting friendships, and overall being open and attentive to each person they met.
- Reflections by our Missionaries
  
  Layla: "On LBH, I helped others, felt Jesus, and found great friends and a community that loves me for who I am in Christ. During Confession and Adoration I felt God's presence, as well as in talks with friends. My favorite parts of LBH were the car rides with my car group and all the dancing and fun we had in the evenings together, especially Thursday night."
  Jude: "On LBH, I served in West Bend by painting, mulching, and weeding in a lot of places such as the church. I encountered God in Adoration, and my favorite part of the week was Adoration and Confession."
  Julia: "On LBH, I swam, worked, met new people, and made friends. I encountered God in Adoration and the Rosary and in the people we worked with. My favorite part was serving others and hearing their stories."
  Piper: "I saw cows! Got to meet lots of cool people and made new friends!! I encountered God in Confession, Adoration, and the other missionaries. My favorite part was - EVERYTHING. And my car group."
  Lila: "I got to see cows and make new friends. I encountered God through the cows and the people."
  Neela: "On LBH I learned new things and kept old friends. I encountered God in the people I served and in the Core Team. My favorite part was serving and connecting."
  Elysia: "I painted classrooms, mulched, weeded, moved A BUNCH of firewood, and organized a crowded room. I also made new friends and grew in my faith. I encountered God during Adoration and Reconciliation and in the reactions of the people I helped. My favorite parts of LBH were getting to know my car group, helping people in need, and the dance party Thursday night."
  Lanie: "I met a lot of people and was surrounded by, and was part of, a lot of joyful moments. I encountered God through the people I served and through learning about them, their stories, and their hope. My favorite part was hanging out with a community that is funny and kind and lowkey weird but in a good way."
  Dominic: "On LBH, I did mulch at the church and at people's houses. We also helped at a nice Bible garden, and painted the parish choir room and school. I saw God in Adoration and our time in the church each night. My favorite part was being able to connect with other people and have fun with them."
- Contact Us
  
  Olivia Brotherhood
  
  High School Youth Minister
  
  262-512-8989
  olivialumenchristiparish.org
Frequently Asked Questions
- What happens on a day of LBH? (DAILY SCHEDULE)
  What happens on a day of LBH? (DAILY SCHEDULE)
  
  Lots! High School weeks span 6 days, while Middle School weeks span 4 days. The first and last days look a little different - parish groups arrive around 4:30pm on the first day and leave around noon on the last day. The full days in between typically look like this (times are approximate and fluxuate based on many factors):
  
  7:00am - Wake up, get dressed, eat breakfast, make lunches
  8:15am - Mass (depends on parish Mass schedule)
  9:00am - Head to work sites with your car group (lunch on site)
  3:30pm - Wrap up at work site, grab ice cream, swim and shower
  5:00pm - Rosary and dinner back at home base
  6:30pm - Evening fun and community time
  8:30pm - Large group sharing, talk, and prayer
  9:30pm - Parish Time (time to debrief the day with your parish group)
  10:00pm - Bedtime
- Where do we stay?
  Where do we stay?
  
  Missionaries stay at a host parish throughout the week, where we eat, sleep, and pray in community. Typically, we sleep in school classrooms (separated by gender), and eat in the parish hall. Missionaries are encouraged to bring an air mattress or mattress pad to sleep on.
- What sort of work will we do?
  What sort of work will we do?
  
  LBH emphasizes doing small things with great love. Mother Teresa said that the world longs for love more than it longs for bread, so while we work hard, the focus is much more on building relationships with those we serve. Missionaries serve at different service sites throughout the week. Our work can include weeding, painting, visiting and playing games with nursing home residents, lifting items, cleaning, raking, yard work, landscaping, sorting clothes/food for local shelters, trimming, cleaning windows, and simple acts with great love for those in the community.
- How do groups get around throughout the week?
  How do groups get around throughout the week?
  
  Teens are organized into car groups, which are led by an adult missionary for the week. Adult missionaries drive their car group (typically 4-6 teens from different parish groups) to work sites, the pool, etc. each day.
- Do I have to go the whole week without a shower?
  Do I have to go the whole week without a shower?
  
  Absolutely NOT! We work hard to provide an opportunity to shower every day on the mission field (except the first and last day of each trip, when you can shower at home). Often, this opportunity happens at a campground, YMCA, or pool facility. These facilities typically do not have individual showers, so a swimsuit is a good idea.
- Can teens or adults leave during the week for other commitments?
  Can teens or adults leave during the week for other commitments?
  
  Love Begins Here is a mission experience. Just like we wouldn’t be able to return home if we went on an out of state mission, Love Begins Here wants to emphasize how important it is to detach from our normal and chaotic daily activity. We ask that all teen and adult missionaries sleep on site and stay for the entire experience.