The Light of Community Lives in Us

The Hikari Camp at Bicoca
The Light of Community Lives in Us
Giovanni Grossi in the swimming pool during the "Hikari" camp of Faith and Light

The summer vacation at Bicoca arrived right on schedule, after the first session. When Alessandra Ruggeri called me, I knew everything — what to pack, from clothes to my swimsuit. When I'm about to leave, I'm always ready. There's the impatience as the hours pass, and then the final wait before the exact moment arrives. At 4:00 I was standing outside my house, and when she and Roberta pulled up, I was ready to get in the car. We didn't stop anywhere. We drove straight to the place, far out in the country, surrounded by green fields and beautiful mountains. We stayed in rooms — some inside the main building, some in little cabins outside — with four beds each. I've never been happier at a camp, maybe because I haven't been to camps from other communities to compare. But with the people who were there I did well, I behaved well, I was calm and quiet, I listened to what they told me to do, and then afterward I had the freedom to go anywhere I wanted.

I didn't like the thermal baths — I got wet and the smell I don't like was strong — but I managed, and I came out with them at the end. I took Gianni to the bathroom; his mother was worried and wanted to know where he was, and I told her "he's right here!" Then I went horseback riding, which is a beautiful thing for me — to know how to climb up on a horse and have a girl to talk with. I can talk with anyone, I've made that my serious goal, and I saw people getting on horses, and the people at the riding school were good, both men and women. I ate ice cream. I listened carefully to the stories they told in the circle — fairy tales about a girl to be married, and about a mouse to be married. Then I sang, went swimming, and I saw Lake Bolsena at Marta. I ate well, I talked with people, and I was ready to help anyone who needed my help. The light of community lives in us!

Giovanni Grossi

Giovanni Grossi

I was born in Rome in 1970, to Lorenzo Grossi and Paola Pisenti. I attended kindergarten in Milan and in Pomigliano D'Arco, elementary school and first year of middle school in Pomigliano D'Arco, and…

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