It’s the final day of our trip! Once again, we were blessed with a sunny day. We’re so lucky that we’ve had such beautiful weather.

After a filling breakfast of cereal, croissants, and fruit, we began with journal reflections on our first day in Felixstowe. The girls wrote about whether or not Felixstowe was as they imagined it, and how it differed from their preconceptions. The girls also had time to bond with the convent’s dogs, Teddy and Snowy, and talked with some of the sisters.

Then, the students from St. Claudine’s arrived! It was the same group of girls that we visited on Tuesday, so it was a great opportunity to build upon those connections. We started with a morning prayer service in the convent’s chapel followed by a snack in the yard. 

Following our snack, we went back to the chapel for the second session of our Finding God in a Leaf retreat program. Here, we dove deeper into the ramifications of climate change and read from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si, which emphasizes care for our common home. Following the session, we headed outside for another art project led by Sister Sheila. The girls used the flowers and leaves they’d gathered in the woods yesterday to create canvas art reflecting the beauty of God’s creation. 

We had extra time before lunch, so all the students gathered in the yard and played games, including sit down tag and Ships and Sailors (which the WSG girls explained to St. Claudine’s). Following their impromptu game session, we ate lunch and celebrated Dr. Reaves’ birthday, which is today! We then attended Mass, where we were also joined by all the sisters who live at the convent. The service was the end of our time with St. Claudine’s and their students boarded the bus to head back to London. 

The students had a couple hours of downtime (where they also had the chance to eat ice cream cones) before we took a walk to the beach to explore and eat our dinner. Felixstowe is known as a resort town, so they have a large beachfront with shops and arcades. We ordered fish and chips from a nearby restaurant, and the girls enjoyed their meal next to the sea. It was a beautiful setting for our final evening in England! After dinner, despite the cold wind at the beach, the girls also found an ice cream stand and enjoyed more ice cream! After dinner, we headed back to the convent. Before we went to bed, there was a bonfire and the girls roasted marshmallows and drank hot chocolate. 

Tomorrow morning, we’ll eat an early breakfast and head into our final worship session where our girls will lead the sisters through WSG’s morning prayer program. We’ll then say our final goodbye to Felixstowe and the sisters.

We can’t believe the trip is almost over, but we’ve truly had a fantastic time. It’s been such a joy to be with the girls as they discover London, a world class city, meet new friends at St. Claudine’s, and get to know the sisters at Felixstowe. I think it’s been an important global experience for them that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.