Our friends from the other side of the country have arrived yesterday in one piece. Tina Smith and her group of students from Newfoundland’s Booth Memorial Secondary School arrived safe and sound after 12 plus hours of traveling. One of their first requests was to put their feet in the Pacific Ocean. So, on our trip from Los Angles to San Diego, we stopped at the beach and they did just that, well some put a little more than their feet 
in the ocean. Brrr! After spending the night at the hotel in San Diego, this morning we are heading down to Vicente Guerrero, Mexico and will start building tomorrow. It is going to be a fun filled trip and I am looking forward to working with this amazing group of students!
~ Andrew Bernardi, a Hero Holiday Staff Member
Hi Kathryn,
So glad you all arrived there safe and sound…you survived the plane ride…good for you! It’s so nice to see pictures posted already. I’m so pround of you and love you very much! Have a fantastic week!!! XXXXOOOO
Kathryn,
You know me and computers…not sure if my first response went through….so here I go again! Love you, Miss you and I’m so proud of you!! Have a fantastic week! Love MOM!!!XXXXOOO
Good luck on your first day tomorrow!
Hey guys!! glad to here you got there safe
We all miss you here, but of course are very proud of you all!
I’m sure you’ll have an amazing time, and i’ll see you when you come back
Don’t forget i’m there in paper form
LOVE AND MISS YOU!!
-Manda
Dear Andrew:
Hope they don’t give you too much trouble. Make sure they work hard. The guys are tougher than they look. And the girls all love a challenge. Hope things go super. Have fun .
Glad to hear you made it safe and sound. Now the real work starts. Not surprised to see Adam in the back of the bus. Poat lota of pictures and have fun.
Hi Gill: happy to see you have made it to the West Coast, looks like fun already. Love Mom, Dad, Chris and Zoey
Hey Brittney,
I see you are staying away from poor Mike. He still does not look well. I hope you both have a great time and Mike, make sure you drink plenty of fluids and rest when you can.
Brittney, don’t forget lots of sunblock and a hat!
Love you and Miss you both.
MOM
WOW you are there and what a wonder experience it will be for you and your group. Enjoy every minute of it, even the early mornings. I guess Neil you were one of the group that put more then your feet in the ocean. Ha! Ha!
Keep smiling!!! Love Mom & Dad
Hi, Sarah, glad to see you all arrived safely - you guys look great! Also glad I could figure out how to find this site and will check for news (but email me too if you can!). Miss you already (guess what I am doing). Stay safe and well - love you bunches, Mom.
Great to see you on the way. I am sure that you will have a great time and do us proud.
Hi Meghan,
So happy that you all arrived safely.How was your first day of work?(haha)Hope you have a wonderful week.Miss you lots.The pictures that were posted,especially the beach looked lovely.Happy Easter to all of you.Hope to hear from you soon.Loves ya. Mom,Dad and Cuddles
Congrats everyone - you’re there! I know you will accomplish your goals and don’t forget to take care of yourselves too!!
Ms. Z.
Hey Kenny,
I just put the turkey in the oven and will be thinking about you as I eat your stuffing!
Been cleaning out your room to redecorate. Wallpaper going up shortly. Hope you like it when you get home.
Wear lots of sunscreen and don’t forget your drops.
Luv you lots.
Ya Mudder
Hi Kath, How’s the first day of work going? Hope it’s not too hard. It’s raining cats and dogs here!! It’s Aunt Judy’s birthday and we’re headed down now to see her. Hope all is well. We all miss you…..cat’s included!!! Lots of love. Mom XXXXXXOOOOO
Hey Kenny
Moms gonna be maken me help redo your room i’m gonna pick a nice color wallpaper for you =P
Hi Bob,
So now we do know for sure, that you arrived safe and sound. We were so glad to see the pictures, can’t wait to see more! Hope you’re having fun and working hard…lol Say hi to Amy and we wish you all a very Happy Easter. Krista’s says hi and don’t forget to get her something….lol
Loves ya , have a great trip. See you when you get home.
Love Mom,Dad and Krista
Hi guys! Glad to see you’re settling in - away from our R,D & F. You’re doing a great thing and being great representatives of our school. Take care.
BOOTH WHA!!!
Hey Meg,
Hope your having a good trip so far….don’t work to hard..lol..have fun and enjoy the sun…take care.
P.S. Can’t wait to see the pics of you doing construction work..lol.
Gina, Aunt Dort, Uncle Glen
Hey Kenny,
Lookin good! It’s obvious this in not the first time you held a hammer …. I’m remembering all the go carts and forts you built when you were younger.
Kyle brought home your report card. Love that 98 in Electronic Systems, the 91 in Math, 88 and 84 in Earth Systems and History. We’ll talk about the others.
Hope you are having lots of fun and making memories.
Luv you
Ya Mudder
Hi Meghan. I just finished looking at the slide show pictures of your first day of building. I am sure that it will be such a rewarding experience when the house is finished.Hope that all is well with you and that you are having a wonderful experience.So very proud of all of you. Miss you lots.The house is very quiet without you.Everyone back home is thinking about you. Loves ya Mom, Dad and Cuddles
Hi Sarah,
Just looking at the pics from the first day of building - looks to be moving along well (a few nails gone astray?). Where’s the hat? and the sunscreen? (Okay, I’ll stop nagging now…). Seriously, looks as if you guys are having a great experience and the kids are into it too. Meghan’s Mom said she had an email last night (hint,hint). Stay safe and well. Love you bunches. Mom.
Hi Rebecca
I miss you already but I’m glad you’re have a great experience with your group. It was along trip. Dinner at Nan’s tomorrow, won’t be the same without you here. Happy Easter to all of you. I hope you have fun doing your egg hunt in the sun. Watch out the chocolate don’t melt into a gooy mess. See you when you arrive home.
Love
Mom
Hi Ms.Smith,
Special thoughts of you,your students,Rita and her family on this Easter Sunday. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. What a giant step you have taken by providing your students with such an awesome learning experience! I am sure the time the students spend in Mexico will be further enriched because of you. Hope that each new day brings a greater joy than the previous one. I am guessing that you have brought lots of tissues for the most treasured and rewarding moments.Happy Easter to all of you as you celebrate this special holiday by helping to create a positive change in the lives of others. We are so proud of all of you.
Hi Meghan,
We were delighted to hear from you by E-mail. Pleasantly surprised that you wrote so much. I guess the length of your message is an indication of how much you are enjoying this trip. I still need prove of all the chores you are doing.(HAHA). Just kidding!! It will be interesting to see if you can put all these new skills to good use when you return home. On a more serious note,thinking of you on this Easter Sunday and to let you know how proud we are of you and what you are doing at this time. Happy Easter. Hope the Easter Bunny fills your basket with lots of treasured moments that you can share with us when you return. Thinking of you. Miss you lots. Love Mom,Dad,and Cuddles
Hey Kenny,
So looking forward to seeing new pictures of your second day on the job. I see some of your friends are sending emails home hmmmmmmm???????? hint hint!
Your room is coming along nicely …. the pinks and purples look really delicious …. lol!
We miss you terribly but are so glad you could have this experience. A very happy Easter to everyone!
Luv you always
Ya Mudder
Bob, I’m checking my e-mail every half hour!!! I see that some kids must have access to the internet…. Oh Well, no Easter eggs for you. Happy Easter. Have fun and take lots of pictures. We are so proud of you and your friends. Nan and Pop wish you all a Happy Easter as well. Loves ya, See ya when you get home.
Mom
Happy Easter everyone. Hope your day was warmer than ours, although the sun did peep through for a while. The Easter Bunny was very forlorn with all of you not here. Maybe s/he paid a visit to your place instead? Hope the building is going well - some new pics would be nice.
Sarah: Had Easter brunch here today - Erica, Jenn and everyone (they love your dress!). I’m still folding laundry. Stay safe and well. Love you bunches. Mom.
Hi Meghan,
Happy to see some new pictures.You don’t look very warm on the beach(HAHA).I guess that if you are on schedule with the house,tommorrow you do the final touches and the dedication of the house. Everyone have lots of tissue to take with them?????? Thanks for the E-Mail. I have sent you a reply.I also sent a response to Kathryn’s story on the blog. I do apologize if it is sent twice as I think I may have hit the submit button twice. Computer skills have not improved since you left. I have bought the ingredients for your cheesecake. Enjoy the next two days in Mexico. Miss ya lots. Love Mom,Dad and Cuddles.
To Ms.Smith and her students,
Tommorrow is the big day. The finishing touches and the house dedication. I cannot even begin to imagine the range of emotions that will be felt. Tears are expressions of feelings that cannot be put into words.This humanitarian goal that you have achieved and the life changing experience that will result from it are beyond words. As parents of these amazing teenagers we are honoured that they made the choice to create a positive change in the lives of others. We are also very fortunate that by having you as their teacher they have been given the opportunity to be a part of this experience. I am sure wherever life’s journey takes these students,you will always travel with them in their hearts.
As you dedicate the house to Rita and her family tommorrow and a tear begins to trickle,remember that you are giving to them the gift of humanity. Tears are quite appropriate because words would not be able to adequately express the feelings that will be felt by you and your students.
We will be thinking of you all… especially tommorrow.
Hi Michael,
Warm greetings from a still frosty Ottawa! I hope you are enjoying yourself along with all the hard work - group projects are usually pretty nice (particulary if they don’t involve shovelling snow)
Michael, you are a generous soul. This is truly wonderful of you to be so giving of yourself and making such a profound impact on people’s lives. Your family at home and all the gang up here are so, so proud of you! Take good care and watch out for the water.
With much love,
Aunt Jeanette & Anita
HEY MEGHAN
LOOKING AT THE PICS OF U DIDNT NO U WAS SUCH A CARPENTER , I HEAR U ARE DOING CHORES TO LOOKS LIKE U ARE HAVING FUN AND DOING A GOOD JOB, TAKE LOTS OF PICS TO FACEBOOK WHEN U GETS HOME GOOD LUCK WITH THE HOUSE TAKE CARE ,
P/S IF U WANT A SUMMER JOB CLEANING LET ME NO I’LL START U OFF CLEANING TOILETS WITH A TOOTH BRUSH HAHAHA TAKE CARE
LOVE AUNT ENE
To Ms.Smith and her students,
I guess the final touches on the house has been completed and Rita and her family are able to enjoy their new home. As a group,it must have been a life changing moment to experience the overwhelming sense of accomplishment that has resulted from all your hard work. You have created a bond between yourselves and with Rita and her family,which will keep you connected long after you return home. What a difference a week makes in a persons life!Your lives and Rita’s and her family have changed and become enriched because of the experience you have just shared. I imagine that Rita’s home was dedicated and blessed with an abundance of tears. We are so proud of all of you. Tommorrow you depart for L.A. Hope that the time you spend there is filled with fun and laughter. Have a safe trip home.
Hi Meghan,
I assume by the time you receive this message you are able to appreciate the good things that have been accomplished from all the hard work of your group, Rita and her family. I hope this experience has been all you hoped for and much more….I was thinking I may receive an E-Mail from you tonight telling me about the events of today?? Tommorrow you depart to L.A. Enjoy the time you spend there. Hope it is filled with fun and laughter. Have a safe trip. Looking forward to seeing you practise all those housekeeping skills you have acquired.(HAHAHA) Miss you lots. Love Mom,Dad and Cuddles.
Dear Sarah,
What an amazing week you have had - I expect you will come back with a very different perspective on life. You guys should be so proud of the difference you have made to Rita and her kids and I would say they have taught you a lot,too. Hope your trip back to LA tomorrow is a safe one. Enjoy the “bright lights” of Hollywood but don’t get lost in the big city. (If you get a film offer, call me and I will be there in a flash!) Can’t wait to see you on Friday. Staff safe and well. Love you bunches. Mom.