St. Agnes Academy Senior Gracie Fogarty served at a Texas refugee center this summer.[/caption]
The book of Proverbs says “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.”
We see this verse in action as the students of the founded educational ministries of the Dominican Sisters of Peace build peace in their communities every day. Gracie Fogarty, a student at our St. Agnes Academy in Memphis, TN, learned to build peace at a refugee center in Texas. She tells her story here. Tic-Tac-Toe — a game loved by children everywhere — will now forever hold a special place in my heart. I know that it may seem a little peculiar that such a simple game could hold such importance; however, once you hear why this game changed my life, it may hold a new meaning for you, too. On June 30, I was asked by the Religious Education Director at my school, St. Agnes Academy, if I would be interested in joining the Catholic Charities of West Tennessee team on a mission trip to Texas. She told me that we would be working at a respite center that welcomed refugees who are entering the United States for better living conditions and that we would leave in four days. All I could say was, “Wow. Why me?” My heart was saying, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” But my mind was hesitant. It all felt too sudden. I then remembered a quote that has been my motto for a while now: “Let your faith be bigger than your fear.” I like to believe God was the one telling me, “yes,” and after this experience, I know full well that God was the one calling me and tapping on my heart. God was calling me to help God's people, to do God's work, and to spread God's love. I knew I had to go and do God’s work and bring others closer to God as I shared God's love. One way I made known God's love was through the simple and well-loved game of Tic-Tac-Toe. I know it sounds farfetched, but I uniquely discovered it to be a gateway for new friendships. While I created many friendships through my mission trip in Texas, three stand out, and they all began with this child’s game. First, I met a nine-year-old girl who spent a lot of time talking with me. I came up with the idea to teach her how to play Tic-Tac-Toe, and she thought it was the best thing ever! I asked her if she had any favorite games, and she replied, “This game!” It made my heart so happy that I had brought her some joy. I was intrigued that something so simple could bring so much joy to a person. The next day, some of the other Memphis group members were talking with a young man when I walked into the room and they introduced me. He asked me to play Tic-Tac-Toe with him. He was a remarkable man. We all got to know
him really well that day. He told us that he would never forget us and that we were his best and first friends here in the USA. He even drew a heart on a piece of paper and began to write something inside it. Once he finished, we saw that he had written “amigos” on the paper inside the heart. He told us that we have created that meant so much to him.