Girls filling the plastic eggs with candy Freiwillige Helfer beim Füllen der Plastikeier

Searching for an egg ... Auf der Suche nach einem Osterei ...

The fruits of a big labor in the cold weather Der Lohn der schweren Arbeit in der Kälte

Games: Egg-hunting - Moms also got a chance to play Spiele: Eierlaufen - Auch die Mütter durften mal mitspielen

Crowd cheering! Anfeuern gehört auch dazu!

Fotos: Sr Teresa, Schoenstatt USA © 2001

(Sr. Teresa) On Monday, April 16, 2001 the annual Easter Party took place at the retreat center in Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA. More than 140 children joined in the big egg hunt just before it began to snow. Games and a prayer service in the house chapel were part of the program for the children and their mothers.

This year, the preparation for the Easter party was very exciting, because: "We did not know what God the Father had in mind for us! On Easter it had rained very hard! On Monday morning, the day of the Easter Party, it was a little bit cold. We were wondering what Divine Providence had in mind for us. By noon it was getting really cold!"

Easter Prayer Service for All

Due to the unuasually cold weather, plans had to be changes a bit. At 2:00 PM families with many children arrived at the center. Moms brought some candy and gave it to the sisters and helpers so that they could distribute it for the different ages. Some of the girls helped to fill the plastic eggs with candy so that they could be hidden outside!

The original idea was to start the Easter Party in the shrine, but it was really getting cold, so the decision was made to have the introduction and prayer service in the House Chapel. The mothers, children, sisters and other helpers of the Easter party sang Easter hymns and also renewed the Little Consecration "My Queen, My Mother." After that the children with their moms watched a short Easter movie and some sisters and helpers went outside to different areas to hide the plastic eggs with all the candy!

Highlight: the Egg Hunt Outside

The "areas" of the egg hunt were divided according to the ages: 0 - 1 stayed inside of the house; 2 - 4 went just in front of the house; 5 - 7 went on one side in the back of the house, while ages 8-10 went to the other side and the big ones 11 and up went to the woods!!!!!! There were around 140 children in all searching for the eggs! Each sister took a group and they all started at the same time: "You would not believe how fast they found all the eggs!!! And there were many!" After that all came inside where Sister Margarite was waiting

for them with a lot of games. The children were divided by ages. They all played games and even the moms did! It was a very beautiful afternoon. Suddenly it started snowing! Big snowflakes fell on the ground, but it was just perfect because the egg hunt had finished! "God was so good to us! It was a very beautiful afternoon which we could all enjoy as a family, the children with each other playing in teams and also with their moms which I believe were the ones who enjoyed it the most!"