Rest? What's that?

Tonight was a great night for everyone to sit back and relax :) This morning, we practiced (even more) directions. You'd think I'd have the hang of them by now, yet practice is still necessary. After directions, we made our way to another ministry site where we were able to serve in a soup kitchen. I love being able to visit the sites before we bring our groups there, it's awesome gathering our bearings so that we can let the groups see that we know what we're doing...most of the time :)

Later on in the afternoon, we were able to go to Baltimore for an Orioles game. I've never been to Baltimore before, and I must say. I was very impressed. The second picture is the Baltimore Harbor. In an odd way, the area we were in kind of reminded me of Boston. The architecture was very similar, and being on the water certainly helped :)

After dinner, we made our way over to the Orioles stadium. At Orioles stadium, you can bring food into the stadium, without having to make your purchases in the stadium itself. This is great because it changes the whole atmosphere of the stadium. People will set up tents for 3 blocks outside of the stadium and grill food to sell to fans hours before the game starts. I ended up with a homemade Maryland Crab Cake...and was sold. It was absolutely fantastic.

The Orioles ended up losing, but I ended up being able to see a city that I had never visited before. The parts of Baltimore I visited were beautiful, and I loved being able to have a relaxing afternoon. We just got back to DC, and it's late. Needless to say, our week ended simply, but very well :)

While We're on the Topic of Contrasts...

Growing up, I would watch the Amazing Race with my family regularly. It wasn't uncommon for me to talk about how much I would love to participate in that show. This afternoon, I got a taste of what it would be like. The staff was sent on an "Amazing Race" of the city. We divided into 2 teams of 4 and were given 10 locations to try and go to during a period of 6 hours. That's a lot of numbers...but you get the picture :)

During one of our stops at the Ebenezer Cafe, we ate lunch at Union State. The picture on the right is the view from our table. Halfway through our meal, I took this picture because all of a sudden I saw the contrast. If you look below where the floors are divided, you see a pretty generic tourist cafeteria. It has generic tables, colorful columns, and fast food. But...if you look above the dividers, you see the beautiful architecture that Union Station is known you. There are umbrellas in front of restaurants, (clearly for aesthetic purposes...since I doubt it rains inside). There are trees instead of murals on columns, and there is an elaborate, and beautiful ceiling. I've been to Union Station multiple times. These differences between the first floor and the second floor have always been there, the station hasn't changed. I just didn't see the contrasting levels of a luxurious eating area and a common cafeteria coexisting until I looked for them.

This changed my approach to the rest of the afternoon. As we guided ourselves around (literally) the whole city...I started to see the contrasts that I have been passing everyday, because today I decided to look for them.





The picture on the left is the backyard of the Anacostia Art Gallery in Southeast DC. This afternoon, my group walked into the Art Gallery and had a great conversation with one of the owners of the Gallery. She was wonderful, and has a heart for poetry and travel. On the right of the picture is a stage with an African theme for decorations, and the garden is actually an ancestral garden. Southeast, and especially Anacostia can sometimes have to battle a reputation of being a rougher area of the city. This reputation isn't entirely true...in fact some of Capitol Hill is technically considered Southeast. Regardless, this oasis in the middle of Anacostia was beautiful, and so unique to it's neighborhood.

The picture on the right is the front of a house near the National Cathedral in Northwest DC. The location alone, in comparison to Southeast DC should give you an idea for it's reputation. It is about as far away from Southeast as you get. This neighborhood has affluent houses, and is held in much higher regards than Southeast. In fact, from this neighborhood, and the National Cathedral, we were able to walk to the Naval Observatory, which houses the Vice President. Down the street is Mass Ave, which is also named Embassy Row, because it is the major location for a majority of the embassies in DC.

As the picture show, and hopefully my explanations articulate, DC most certainly has contrasts. Today, as we navigated ourselves around the city, I saw sites that I now see regularly. However, today I saw rich and poor segregated by their neighborhoods. I saw white and black on different bus routes I rode. I saw Catholic and Protestant as I went to the Cathedral, the Basilica and Ebenezers cafe (which houses a church in the basement). I even saw Political and an NGO as I volunteered at Food and Friends (providing ill people with healthy foods) then walked by the Capitol building.

What I saw when I actually opened my eyes today was absolutely amazing to me . To say the least, I definitely had a wake up call as I go about the city these next couple of months. Today, I saw how my preconceived notions interfere with my perceptions of the city and it's neighborhoods. Hopefully, I'll be able to find a way to overcome those obstacles in the future so that I can truly experience the city :)

"You Should Name Your Next Blog Ebony and Ivory"

Just like every other day, today was great :) This morning, we went to S.O.M.E (So Other's Might Eat) to serve breakfast. It might have been my favorite site we've visited so far. Later in the morning, we practiced our prayer tour so that we could comfortably bring groups around the city when they get here Sunday. Later in the afternoon, we practiced more of the prayer tour, met with another ministry site and had dinner in Virginia. Overall, it was a great day :)

Tonight, half of the group went to a Nationals game and half of us hung back. As the 4 going to the game were heading out the door, Brenda (in the picture on the left) said that I should name my next blog 'Ebony and Ivory.' So, I did :)

I realized that I have written a lot about the staff, but I hadn't necessarily shared any pictures yet. Everyone is on the right. On the top is Lauren, in the middle row is me and Rita, and on the bottom is Brenda, Ashley and Shaina (left to right). The guys are Craig and Lukas (left to right again).

Each of them is truly amazing. Lauren is great at getting conversations started. She is from Queens, and is usually a little bit quiet, but when she speaks, she demands attention, and people listen to her. Rita is just great. She's from L.A. and has great one-liners that crack me up. She's such a sweetheart. Brenda brings most of the energy to our group. She's from metropolitan DC, and she usually makes me laugh until my stomach hurts. Ashley is a great balance, from York, PA. She's easy to get along with, and is quiet at times, but she's awesome to talk to. Shaina is an absolute gem. We always joke that it's not possible to get mad at Shaina, because she wouldn't do anything wrong. She's from Illinois, and she has one of the kindest hearts I know. Craig is great, and he helps to keep the conversation going. He's from Ohio, and always knows how to keep everyone in a good mood and laughing. Lukas is one of the funniest people I have ever met. He is from NH and has a true passion for what he is doing here in DC. Literally, everytime Lukas opens his mouth to talk, I laugh SO hard, he's awesome.

That's a quick sum of everyone. As for 'the ebony to my ivory,' Brenda is amazing. She makes me laugh so hard (not that that's hard to do). She also has such a passion for God and keeps me so entertained. Brenda is always up for a great serious conversation, or one of those 'dumb conversation' where there seems to be no train of thought, but laughter dictates everything you say.

That's a two minute blurb about our staff. I love them, they're great, and I'm so excited to host with them this summer :)

The Difference Between a Homeless Breakfast and Banana Republic

This morning, the whole staff got to work at Charlie's Place. Charlie's Place serves breakfast to homeless men and woman every Tuesday through Friday morning. Our commitment to serve at Charlie's came with a subsequent commitment that everyone would be out the door and starting our day by 5:30 am. Happy Tuesday! :)

Charlie's is great because they also provide up to 3 articles of clothing to the people attending breakfast. Once everyone is settled down, the men and women attending the breakfast can form a line, and systematically provide their name. As they give their name, they can request 3 articles of clothing. A volunteer will write their name on a small white sheet of paper (just like in the picture), along with their 3 requests. The requests are then passed on to more volunteers, who go to a separate room in the building with donated clothes. There, they search to meet the requests. After they have as many matches as they can muster, they bring the clothing down to the breakfast room and personally hand them to the man, or woman who requested the clothing.

My job today was to take the white sheets of paper and try and meet as many requests as possible. The picture is a couple of the requests that I received. If you're can't read them, together they are: 4 T-Shirts, 3 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of underwear, 1 backpack, 2 hoodies and 1 pair of pants.

During this time, I made three observations that struck me hard:

1.) Not every attending the breakfast asked for clothes. This world is so different than the world that I have been raised in. At home, it is so common to always want new clothes...whether you need them or not. At Charlie's place, it was only the adults who TRULY needed clothes that requested them. And even of those select few, they didn't all request 3 items. They still only requested what they truly needed. Some only asked for 2 articles...or even one. That mindset, which is regular in Charlie's Place is foreign to me.

2.) In my world, when your requests aren't met...it is common to respond with irritation and anger. In clothing stores (Banana Republic is the example from my title-nothing against the store), if a store does not have the clothing you request, it is somewhat regular to be frustrated that you didn't receive what you asked for. However, with everyone this morning, when I was unable to meet their needs because we didn't have the resources, there was never anger. There was instead only gratitude for my efforts. The first time it happened, I didn't know how to respond because I was so shocked by thanks, when I had expected what I thought would have been justifiable frustration.

3.) Because I got positive responses for my efforts, instead of negative responses for my lack of ability to meet needs, I noticed a change in my attitude. The gratefulness that I received for providing someone with a pair of socks, that was donated from an anonymous source encouraged me to try harder. I was more eager to meet these people's needs. They were asking for such simple items with the most grateful attitudes, and it was hard for me to grasp that.

Reflecting on it has only made me appreciate my experience even more. Who would have known I would have learned so much in such an early morning?

I Got My Driving From...

Today, I discovered what I expect to be my biggest obstacle this coming summer. I definitely got my directions from my Dad. I'm not saying this in a derogatory manner at all. If I were, I would basically be insulting myself. My dad is one the biggest influences in my life, and I turn to him for advice, and good company regularly. I appreciate my Dad more than anything.

Back to my directions, this morning, everyone gathered for devotions at 9 am, and we were out the door by 10. From 10-5, we drove. When I say, we drove, I really mean that we drove. From 10-5. We got an hour break for lunch, and two quick tours of sites we'll frequent this summer. If you do the math, with the amount of time that we spent in the car, I we could have almost made it to Boston.

The picture on the right is essentially, what I saw today. As for what I learned...I learned that "I have many talents...directions just isn't one of them." That will have to be my morale booster this summer, I'll just make sure to not share it with groups as they arrive. My mom is incredible at directions. She has this amazing ability to get anywhere...on time. If you tell Mom where you need to be, she will get you there 100% of the time. Clearly, I did not grab those genes.

As for tomorrow, I'm lucky enough to be part of a smaller group that gets to practice our driving around the city. My outlook right now is, if directions is the scariest obstacle I've had up to this point, I'm in pretty good shape. I'm going to be looking over my map, and I will be extra careful as groups arrive.

Needless to say, one thing is sure...the 'passing of directions' from Mom to Daughter just did not take place. However, other things did, and I"m grateful for the other genes I am lucky enough to have gotten, from both Mom and Dad...I wouldn't trade those genes for directions any day :)

Coming Full Circle

Sunday's are always great :) I love the Sabbath. You can't be unhappy with a day that God said I have to rest. Sunday's are always good days. To celebrate our first full Sunday in DC, our staff was invited over to Jason's house to meet his wife, and daughter Hannah (who is absolutely adorable). They opened their house to us, and gave us a great home cooked meal.

We also got to spend some time hanging out. As our time was winding down, we turned on the Soloist, and watched the last half of it.

The first time I watched that movie was over spring break. I remember watching it with mom and dad, and it having an impact on me that was stronger than most movies. There was something about Robert Downey Jr.'s character that I could relate to. He's a little lost, and a little confused. He's also successful in his appearance, trying his hardest and he has a love for Jamie Foxx's character that most people don't understand. I also remember watching Jamie Foxx's character and relating to that. He is stricken with poverty, but he knows his passion. I clearly haven't ever been poor, but I understand how he is content pursuing his passion.

Little did I know, 3 months after spring break, I would be watching that movie at my bosses house while I was preparing for a summer where I would face Urban poverty head on. The biggest difference between watching the movie the 1st time and watching it the 2nd time was the way that it changed my mindset. The first time I watched that movie, I thought that I could be a superhero to the poor. Robert Downey Jr.'s character seemed relatable to me. My thoughts were that I could 'save' someone, just like he wanted to do with Jamie Foxx's character.

Watching the movie the 2nd time, my mindset changed. It is more appropriately phrased by the last lines of the movie. Robert Downey Jr.'s character is reflecting on Jamie Foxx's character (Mr. Ayers), and says: "There are people who tell me I've helped him. Mental health experts who say that the simple act of being someone's friend can change his brain chemistry, improve his functioning in the world. I can't speak for Mr. Ayers in that regard. Maybe our friendship has helped him. But maybe not. I can, however, speak for myself."

My mentality as I go into this summer needs to stop being that of a superhero, and start being that of a friend.

Instead of going into this summer thinking that I can 'get down on their level' and 'help with my resources,' I need to be the opposite. I need to go into this summer realizing that I'm entering into partnerships with those who are more materially poor than I am. I may have time to sacrifice, and resources to give up, but I also have a lot that I can receive. I need to realize that the people I will meet have as much to teach me as I can teach them. This is the lesson that Robert Downey Jr.'s character learned, and it is a lesson I need to be proactive on. As work starts next week, I need to realize that I am entering into a relationship where I can provide materially, but I can also gain in ways that I may not even know I need aid.

It's getting late for tonight. But this is a lesson I need to remind myself of as I enter into the next few weeks. I need to make sure that I am treating the people I encounter as a friend, or a partner, rather than a project. They are, after all humans with much more life experience than I have to share. It would only seem irresponsible to not take my time I am with them and learn from what they have lived through.

(Clearly) I'm Not Always Perfect

I had one of the coolest Saturdays I've had in a very long time. This morning, I was finally able to catch up on a (little) bit of sleep and enjoy a slow morning. It's so cheesy, but when I take the time to realize where I am, I smile :) In the afternoon, all the girls headed downtown. We grabbed lunch at the National Museum of American History, then did a tour of the Holocaust Museum after. Later on, I wandered around the mall, quickly went through a Smithsonian, and wandered around Colombia Heights with Brenda. In Colombia Heights,we eventually ended up getting Starbucks (thanks Daddy!...i used a coupon :)

The bricks in the picture with my feet are bricks that were taken from the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII and brought over to the Holocaust Museum as part of "The Final Solution" exhibit. It was insane walking on those bricks.

Needless to say, my Saturday gets an A+. Being able to wander around the city was so cool! I love not being rushed, and knowing that I'll be around for this summer to see the sights we haven't gone to so far.


The second picture in this post is a sample of the shoes that were worn by Jews who were carted to concentration camps then gassed. I couldn't even fit the whole room in my camera, it was too large. And this is only a sample, each pair of shoes representing a Jew who died.

My "thought" for the day is from the Holocaust Museum. I've been to the Holocaust Museum a couple of times, so I had an idea of what i was getting myself into. However, it's big enough that each time I go, I know that I'll see something new that I hadn't noticed before.

Today what I noticed was the Nazi's (hang in there...I've always known they existed). What I really mean is that I realized their evil and their horror in a way that I had never realized it before.

As I began to read the process that Hitler went through to bring the Nazi's to power, I was filled with an overwhelming anger. Reading the propaganda, and seeing the actual tools that the German's used to define "The Jewish Race" I couldn't help but feel angry towards the absurdity of the anti-semitism that was so common in Germany.

As my compassion for the Jews in Europe strengthened, and my anger towards the Nazi's grew, my next thoughts turned towards God. I didn't feel the typical "How could you God?" Instead my thoughts became, "How could my God love the Nazi's?"

It is easy for me to see how he could be sad for the Jewish people, the Gypsies, the homosexuals and everyone else forced into a concentration camp. That is his creation, formed in his image, being abused and destroyed. Whether they loved him back or not, I can wrap my mind around the way that God would love those who were broken during WWII.

As for my question, I don't have an answer. As the museum continued, videos were shown of Medical Experiments on humans, and Death Squads being carried out. At one point, I walked through a train cart used to transport prisoners. The next minute, I stood next to actual sleeping barracks that had been shipped over from Auschwitz. As the Holocaust became a reality, my perception of the Nazi's did too.

My immediate reaction is that they are monsters. It is so hard for me to see them as humans. On the other hand, I know that God loves everyone. I don't understand it. It doesn't make sense to me, and I don't have an answer to my question. I know that he has a love for his creation that is unconditional. I also know that his heart breaks at our fallen actions. Reconciling the way that God can truly "love the sinner, hate the sin" is something I'm still trying to work through.

As for tonight, I know that he loves me. I also know that he was hurt as he was a witness to every death that happened in Europe during WWII. The only conclusion I can come to, is that God's heart broke during WWII, and he helped my heart break a little today. But regardless of all of this, he still loves, even when we don't know how.