Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Week 1)
Hello all! For the first two weeks of mission, my team and I were in Baton Rouge, which is about an hour and a half Northwest of New Orleans. Nate, Toby, Allie, David and I received our first mission group on June 1 and got straight to it.
Baton Rouge is a diverse town in terms of ethnicity and socioeconomic status. One area of town may have custom-built homes but driving 2 blocks down the road you will suddenly see nothing but run-down, unoccupied buildings with a homelessness rate of over 80-90%. During our time here, the girls stayed in the Missionaries of Charity convent that is a part of St. Agnes Church. Being so close with the sisters and helping them was nothing short of amazing. The wisdom, joy, and laughter were incredible, not to mention getting to hear stories about St. Mother Theresa while she was at the convent. We served them for a little bit, helping them tidy up the bedrooms and repaint drawers.
Our team worked with several organizations for the two weeks that we were there, such as Catholic Charities and Rebuild Baton Rouge. Our main work projects consisted of repainting some low-cost apartments that are offered by Catholic Charities to help people and families get back on their feet. The one that we painted was in the worst condition, but the before and after was like night and day. Although we did not interact with many people in the area since it was unoccupied, being able to converse with the supervisors of Catholic Charities was a blessing.
On the other hand, those that worked with Rebuild helped install insulation and drywall in a home that had been previously destroyed by a fire. The locals in the neighborhood were so kind and easy to talk to, and the owner of the house we were helping repair was beyond grateful that we were there to serve.
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Week 2)
The second week of mission was also in Baton Rouge. Our good friend Darren joined us as a leader this week, and we were all so grateful for his leadership and calming presence. Here’s a glimpse of one of our CMT Olympic Games that we play throughout the week: these were floor art and electricity!
During this week, Noelle, our contact with Catholic Charities, graciously let us and our mission group stay at the dormitories on the diocese campus for free. What an incredible blessing! We were all so grateful to have A/C and good showers amongst the humidity. There were several work groups this week, one continued on the house with Rebuild and successfully finished all the drywall by the end of our stay. Hooray!!
Our other groups finished painting the Catholic Charities apartment, and the other one helped alongside St. Vincent de Paul, an organization dedicated to giving shelter to the homeless and providing emergency buildings in times of natural disaster. We helped declutter and clean one of these shelters to get it up and operational, and the sheer gratitude and joy on Mr. Chris’s face was worth every second.
We also helped at another one of their locations, where they had current occupants living there. We drew with the kids and played all kinds of games, from hopscotch to long jump competitions! The time we had with these people was priceless, and being able to experience the overwhelming joy that they had while having so little touched my heart so deeply. It gave me a reminder of what really matters: God and the people around you.
While some of our team was on a swamp boat tour on our free day, this beautiful family from Washington State wanted to use their free day to continue serving the community. So, we did just that. We helped scrape and repaint the ceiling of an outdoor clothesline/patio area in the sister’s convent, and the before and after was amazing. The joy, jokes, and laughter amongst us and the sisters is something I wouldn’t trade for the world. Look at that pristine ceiling!
After our mission group left, my team and I continued to serve the sisters by helping with their soup kitchen by serving meals to the homeless of the area. They were so sweet and welcoming, and we all traded wristbands so that they could leave with some decked-out Jesus merch.
Burnet, Texas (Week 3)
Change of scenery, but still the same leaders! Our third week of mission was in the great state of Texas (I may be biased because I live here). Our mission group was our biggest yet, with the total head count being over 40 people!
Burnet, TX is down in the hill country, about an hour Northwest of Austin. This area is prone to natural disasters such as flooding; the Kerrville flood of 2025 occurred not far from here. As usual, we split into several work groups. All of our worksites were overseen by Ark of Highland Lakes, an organization dedicated to providing to the poor through donation centers, clinics, food pantries, and more. One of our work groups helped sort through donations at their thrift store on
one of the days, and we were all surprised at the amount of donations they receive every day. For the remainder of the week, we started painting this apartment to prepare for whoever will occupy it next.
Allie and Nate’s work group worked in a house that only had the framing done. They spent a few days putting up walls and teaching our mission group how to install drywall, which was a task and a learning experience for all!
Toby’s work group focused on helping a family move out of their home. One of their sons had just passed away and so their home was being torn down and rebuilt because floods in the area had turned it into an unlivable condition. After they helped them move out, we played games with their kids and connected with them for the rest of the day. The remainder of the week for this group was spent on clearing out the backyard of a woman’s house that had also been damaged by floods. All of the torn-up carpet and water-logged furniture was left in the back, so our team brought in a dumpster and cleared everything out!
Overall Thoughts/Takeaways
This was my first time on a mission trip, and the experience was so eye-opening. One little act of kindness can change the course of someone’s entire life. God doesn’t require the grand things, but the small “yes” that builds up over time. He can take a small surrender and do unimaginable things with it.
I’m a convert as of this 2026 Easter, and so this trip also deepened my faith and love for the Church in so many ways. From daily Mass to simple evening and night prayers, this trip and the people on the leadership team with me have deepened my love for service and Christ all the more. Until next time!
– The team 🙂
You are an important part of the mission!
Please pray for our team, the work that God has called us to do, and the people He has brought to us to show His great love and mercy. Support the work of CMT as a Mission Partner by making a donation. To learn more, email Belinda at belinda@catholicmissiontrips.net.
