Noah Stein: As I look back on the past week I spent in Browning, I keep thinking about the same word: Immersion. But what is that truly? As I’ve looked back, that word isn’t just the title of the program at Calvert Hall, or the fancy word we use to inscribe our custom hoodies. To go on an immersion trip, to immerse, is to bring yourself into something new and uncomfortable for the sake of growth and hope. Browning, Montana, to be frank, is one of the poorest places physically that I have ever been to. The houses were barely in livable condition. The roads were bumpy. The kids' clothes were raggedy, and the school was running short on volunteers. So, we immersed ourselves in these conditions. We turned towards the things we as privileged people purposefully closed our eyes too. We worked as hard as we could all week to bring a little light to the darkness we were seeing, and when we opened our eyes even more, we saw that it wasn’t all dark to begin with. See, Browning is poor physically. They had close to 170 funerals over the course of 2025. Alcohol abuse is rampant, and the grocery store prices are close to $8 for a loaf of bread. We were told that almost 50% of all people in Browning are below the poverty line. It is a community in a lot of pain. However, there is so much hope. The high school is one of the nicest buildings in the area. They value education more and more each day and want the future generations to succeed and make a real change. The Blackfeet people love, and they love hard. They love each other, include each other, and take care of each other. Browning is open to their suffering, and work to fix it. I think back home, we tend to shy away from our suffering and work as hard as possible to fix everything else, when all we need to fix is ourselves. As I keep thinking about the trip, I realize I have so much to learn from these kids, this community, and this world. The emphasis was on being present in the moment, and that changed my life and how I look at life. While I wish this trip never had to happen and that the Blackfeet people could have their land and their home and survive in their own way, I am grateful that I could try and add on to the hope and future change of a community like Browning, Montana. 

Ben Kim: I’m changed emotionally, in my faith, and mentally. My changes in all of these really show that going to Montana works. You will change. This is only if you are open and present for the entire trip. I finally had my Jesus aha moment on this trip. Funny, it was pretty much exactly how Elijah from the Bible had his. Emotionally, I have become more open to my feelings. I have learned that shoving everything down a well does not help anyone, and it sure doesn’t help yourself. It’s good to open yourself up and actually talk about yourself. Mentally, I have become stronger but also weaker. Becoming stronger meant facing my demons head-on and beating them. Becoming weaker has shown that I have become broken into several pieces. Still, now I am putting them back together in a healthier way that includes important things in my life like God, my family, my girlfriend, and healthy habits. In order to make this trip mean something, you need to be two things specifically. Open. Present. Being open and present makes the trip actually change you as a person. Being open to the fact of my phone being taken and open to the fact that I was going to change made everything. I was definitely present on this trip. It showed in the classroom, showing how I really was initiative and how I was helping these kids to the full extent of my ability. I want my identity to be rooted in the Lord’s name. I have not been that present in the Lord’s presence ever, but now I am. I am taking the extra effort to know my God, and it’s evident I’ve heard from others. I also want it to be rooted in not having to look for validation from every single important person in my life. I don’t need to feel the pressure every single minute of the day to be perfect for some people who don’t matter that much in my life. Wanting your purpose to be something is complicated. Everyone wants their purpose to be for them. But what about God? What can you do that also reflects God in your actions? I wanted to become a cologne salesman for a massive company like Louis Vuitton or Chanel, or Dior for the longest time. Now my mindset has switched. I want to help people. I want my purpose to be to help people, and I can do that by becoming a financial advisor. I also want to learn how to cut hair and do things like Vicblends does, like give free haircuts to the less fortunate people. God has been present multiple times. He has really been present during reflection, in the classroom, and also in Adoration. In reflection, it was a time to sit down, calm down, and relax. Mr. McCormick and Ms. Fasy made it obvious in the questions that we need to see God in what we were doing. It was difficult to see it at first. That leads me to the classroom, one of the questions was where do we see God in the kids. I personally did not see him in the kids directly, but in their minds. They were so strong in their minds. Also, seeing God in adoration was a crazy experience. It was exactly how Elijah did in the bible. Putting on my jacket, sitting in the heat and the silence, I felt God directly. Overall, this trip has changed me and guided me in such a way that I cannot explain, but know that it will benefit me so much in my and my peers' futures. 

Will: During this trip there where many highs and only a couple of lows. One big high was the bond I made with the kids and the connection I had with them. Which relates to one of the lows which was leaving them at the end of the trip which was sad in a good way because it felt like I really cared for these kids. Also another high is just meeting new friends I will have for a life time on this trip and experiencing the Calvert hall brotherhood. I think God's in this all because you can see it in every kid and also the work we are doing. Especially with the kids coming from a hard home life they still seem to put a smile on their face every morning. Also we all did God's work this week and working for the poor and vulnerable like are school teaches us to do. I think I am coming back with brothers not friends and also more ability to put myself out there in the world and find the lost sheep. Also, I have a new great found respect of teachers and all their unnoticed hard work. I think my identity is rooted in my beliefs in God and my values I hold. I also believe it’s deeply rooted in my creativity which is a gift from God.  Overall, it was a life changing experience. 

Noah Myers: I have to learn that the church's mission is to worship God by teaching faith and spreading the gospel. Worshiping God means to love, trust, and try to live as he teaches. Many people (include my old self), think that worshiping God is just praying, singing, or reading the bible. But the Bible actually teaches that true worship is done through spreading love to others, forgiving, acting justly, and helping those who are in need. Worshiping God is done by loving God and showing it through how you live your life. I am going to use this experience to make me better by remembering these memories when I face speedbumps / obstacles in my faith journey, having more patience towards others, keeping my family relationships close and strong, and using these lessons to spread God's word to others. I went because I truly believed that from how much Ms. Fasy was asking me about going; it would be an influential trip on my life. But my gosh did I underestimate how much this would truly help me. I mean I was not even thinking about the friends I would make or the lessons I would learn. I am writing this in the comfort and warmth of my own room, but I truthfully wish I was still there right now. I already miss being around everyone on the trip, and even more the reflections. I will miss this trip for a very long time. God is right beside me. He was with both Mr. McCormick and Ms. Fasy as they guided and comforted me during reflection, with the students and faculty at De La Salle as they challenged me the whole week to be the best version of myself, with the brothers who graciously gave a place to rest and food to eat, with the community of people that back the school and appreciate what it is doing for the town of Browning, and of course in the beautiful Glacier National Park which made everyone in the group look at the mountains with awe. God is also with us as we return to our "normal lives", helping us remember all the memories, people, and lessons we learned. Gosh, he's even with me as I'm writing this, wishing I had more time around those kids and with my brothers. But I know now that I need to use everything this trip has taught me; to make a difference towards the people I interact with every day. Whether that be through teaching faith or just showing compassion. Because if I have learned one thing from this trip, it is that everyone has an answer for a perceived flaw, and that I should never judge someone until I truly know the whole story. And I know that God will continue to be with me every step of the way to remind me of that.

Stecco: I have learned a lot more of how much potential I have if I apply myself and my identity as a person which was the word assigned to me ironically. I learned that the people who pass your vision the most and you tend to always see but never go up to for whatever reason tend to be your people and they in all can build a true community. One of the best things that I got reminded of was that we are all human and all of us have our own flaws, strengths, and poverties. Whether that is materialistic or more deeply enveloped. I have been truly mentally strengthened and guided by God on this trip. I’ve found so much wisdom and new perspectives that I definitely hoped I would get but didn’t know how I would come by them. This trip has strengthened me as a man and has strengthened my faith in God and believe it or not; my belief that people aren’t so bad and all I have to do is go out of my comfort zone and grow with an open mind. I went in with a somewhat clueless ready mind. Ready to face whatever challenges were thrown at me. I also went in with an open mind to criticism of my actions or things that I need to improve. I also just wanted to truly help and connect with these kids, which I think I was able to achieve. My purpose did slightly change but not for the worse, I think God guided me on a better path and outcome for this trip also I accomplished more because of that. I found God all over this trip in the CHC guys and staff, in the struggle, and most influentially found it in the kids of DeLaSalle Black Feet. These kids are so immensely connected to God, and they just have such a heart once they allow you into it. One of my favorite students was struggling with one aspect of his work but then when it got to Religion class, he was raising his hand left and right and had so much wisdom in his workbook responses. Many say they’re in poverty, but I’d couldn’t disagree more. They have all they need..., which is God. If you have God, then you have all you need. They are covered in that reality, and it’s a true blessing to have built a relationship that I’ll miss every day. God Bless, Evan