Here they come...run!

We were getting ready to leave St. Francis as the morning classes were finishing up. A few of us were still holding bowls with just a few M&Ms left in them when the students came rushing out of their classrooms. Anticipating the wild reaction we'd get, we tried to keep the candy out of sight and quietly put it into the van before the kids realized there was any left.

Father Wayne didn't stash his bowl fast enough, however, and was quickly swarmed by this huge crowd of children. As he held the bowl high into the air, amongst all of the kids' jumping and shouting and laughing as they tried to reach the M&Ms, I couldn't help but notice the big smile on his face. I can close my eyes and still see it. And I laugh every time I look at this photo.

I wanted to include the two below photos because they capture the spirit of these little boys so well, and their calm and shy demeanor was in such contrast to all of the excitement. Despite their perch on the sidelines, they were open to letting us give them some attention and generously smiled when we greeted them and took their pictures. We were grateful.