Lori Hubacek Koziczkowski shares her mission experience.

The June 2024 Los Toros YAME was a tremendous success! YAME is the annual Young Adult and Adult Mission Experience. During this very busy mission trip we helped the community in many ways.

During the YAME mission, dental clinics were held where we provided toothbrushes, toothpaste and floss to children and showed them how to properly brush their teeth. At the special medical clinics, doctors from area communities in the Dominican Republic came to Los Toros to treat the sick, and those who are pregnant. We helped a family that lacked resources to replace dirt floors with cement floors. We taught English, math, and computer classes. We held fun-filled camps for kids. The Dominican volunteer missionaries went door-to-door to invite people to the YAME activities and to the regular parish activities. We provided Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day gifts to the parents after Sunday Mass.

We did so much that I am sure I forgot something! It all helped to build stronger ties between St. Joseph Parish and the Los Toros community.

I want to thank my host family, Bimbo and Rosita, who are so special to me and treat me as their American daughter. Thanks to Pedro for always helping me by translating. And to my YAME traveling partners. It was a very good trip, and it couldn’t have happened without them. And thank you to my family and friends and St. Joseph Parish members for all your donations of supplies and money which are so much appreciated and needed to do this mission. Thank you!