The New Wine Press vol 26 no 1 September 2017 | Page 16

Precious Blood Volunteers Leah Landry, John Lee, Hector Avitia, and Lota Ofodile completed their Volunteer Orientation in August at Creighton University in May. She will be serving at Precious Blood Ministry of Reconciliation in Chicago and living in community with the Dayton Precious Blood sisters who live and serve in Chicago. Her term of service will run from September 2017 to June 2018. Martin Echtler Martin Echtler grew up in Bernbeuren, Germany, a village in rural Bavaria near the Austrian border. He currently resides in Munich, Germany. He will be serving for six months in Kansas City at St. James Place living in community at Gaspar Mission House. He has received a Master of Science and a Bachelor of Science in human resource education & manage- ment along with Catholic theology studies from Ludwig-Maximillians University in Munich. He also has degrees in business management. Martin worked for several years in the banking industry in Germany before returning to school. Alia Sisson Alia Sisson was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Dayton in 2013. Alia graduated from the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law with her Juris Doctorate in 2016. She plans to serve the poor and practice public interest law as her vocation. She was recognized for completing over 200 hours of pro bono student legal service. In her free time, she loves to sing and play guitar. Alia will be serving from September to at least June of 2018 at Legal Aid of Western Missouri working with their domestic violence division.  14 • The New Wine Press • September 2017 pbmr, continued from page 12 I experienced all this at the age of 23 by partici- pating in the life of pbmr. I experienced the strength of suffer- ing and realized that it is an extraordinary wealth. I experienced joy, which has its roots in the pain, which makes it only more beautiful and true. I experienced love despite weak- ness. I experienced a life of reconciliation, which will not be forgotten until the end of my life.  Peace & Justice, continued from page 6 to speak for those who struggle to find their voice. In the words of the prophet Amos, we must use this right to “Let justice surge like water, and goodness like an unfailing stream.” The challenges are great, but so is our strength if we work together and stand as one. 