First off, I want to praise God for giving our group the strength to face Diamond again yesterday after a major struggle. Even though I wasn't at Diamond's...I heard a VERY positive report when they all returned last night.
In response to a meeting the night of all the trauma experienced there and after a few of us suggested that maybe some guys could go along, I believe three of our guys decided to give up what they had wanted to do (gutting and demolishing houses) to go to Diamonds to help and really provide brother type relationships to the kids. I am so proud of them for recognizing that the opportunity at Diamonds was more important. Praise God!!!!
As far as I know everything went smoothly and although it was still not easy I know that God was working through our group members.
Last night was rough for me after being in the HOT kitchen all day and probably just doing too much and not realizing that I should slow down. I think I may have gotten a dehydrated and therefore also suffered through a massive headache that didn't go away until I was able to sleep. Today I don't think we're going to take it easy by any means so I am thankful that I got a good nights rest so that I can work full throttle again today, our last day.
I haven't had as much time as I thought I would to blog and tell everyone about our joys and trials but if you want to know more our group has a blog on another page that has got updated a few times and has some great stories and even a few pictures.
Start spreading the word: Abort73 Graphics / Abort73 Shirts
Start spreading the word: Abort73 Graphics / Abort73 Shirts
Friday, May 11, 2007
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Need some prayer (lots actually)
Rough day today. Not by my account but just from a few in our group it was a sad, discouraging, and difficult day with not much hope for the next few days.
A few girls from our group went to Diamonds which is a FEMA trailer home park with about 400 permanent trailers with who knows how many occupying each one. The living conditions in general in Diamonds are pretty lousy as well. The 'homes' sit about 10 feet away from each other and there is no grass to be found. Most of the kids run around barefooted on gravel roads.
So the reason that Emergency Community (EC) volunteers go to Diamonds on a daily basis during the school week is to hang out with the kids and build relationships with them. I think it might be similar to an after school program. Basically interaction is the most important thing we can do for these kids.
(I think I may be getting off track a bit but I'm trying to remember where I was going with that...) From what I've heard (I haven't actually been to Diamonds) the kids seem similar to the one's that we work with back home at Inskip with the Good News Clubs. Only much much worse. These kids have not only been through perhaps the most traumatizing experience for them ever, I almost 100% positive their home lives are on the fritz as well. We were told at the orientation for the EC that the other thing that was very important for the groups interacting with the kids was consistency in what volunteers worked with the kids. Hence me not getting a chance to go to the Diamonds because I didn't go the first day. So I may not get a chance but after today I don't really want to go.
Anyway, about four or five of our girls went with a couple of the regular EC volunteers to the Diamonds, this being their second trip down there. I didn't hear too much about the first trip but I did hear that the kids were a rowdy bunch of misbehaved, cussing, and troubled kids. Today they had a really rough day with all the kids there. Besides the general cussing and hitting that the kids do directly to the volunteers a lot of the girls were actually fearful for their own safety and even their lives. The kids enjoy throwing rocks at anything and everything, including the volunteers. Our people came back with multiple horror stories and most, if not all, were mad and very depressed and discouraged about the whole day.
At our 'tribal counsel' meeting tonight we spent a good portion of the hour to two hours or so just listening to the girls tell us about what happened. My heart really went out to them and the kids because I can relate in a lot of ways.
Anyone out there reading this...we would greatly appreciate prayers for these kids and our volunteers that, thankfully, have not lost spirit or faith in what they are doing and will go back again tomorrow for a longer period of time with the kids. They've got a better game plan this time maybe but I can tell that a lot of them are still nervous and frustrated about the situation. We need a lot of prayer!!!
In other news, tomorrow I'm looking forward to possibly going back to a sweet old ladies house that I went to on Tuesday to do some tilling of the soil in her garden beds. We weren't able to finish the job because of a lack of tools and because Miss Helen is very talkative and enjoys a good conversation which mainly consists of her talking while we listen attentively nodding and smiling and laughing at her antics. I love her!! She's absolutely fabulous and if I were to use one word to describe her and all the other people, the residents, that I have had contact with is RESILIENT. One doesn't realize what that word truly means until you see it put into action. It's amazing down here. I wish you all could have this experience. I wish that I could stay longer than 5 days. Miss and love you all!! see you very soon.
A few girls from our group went to Diamonds which is a FEMA trailer home park with about 400 permanent trailers with who knows how many occupying each one. The living conditions in general in Diamonds are pretty lousy as well. The 'homes' sit about 10 feet away from each other and there is no grass to be found. Most of the kids run around barefooted on gravel roads.
So the reason that Emergency Community (EC) volunteers go to Diamonds on a daily basis during the school week is to hang out with the kids and build relationships with them. I think it might be similar to an after school program. Basically interaction is the most important thing we can do for these kids.
(I think I may be getting off track a bit but I'm trying to remember where I was going with that...) From what I've heard (I haven't actually been to Diamonds) the kids seem similar to the one's that we work with back home at Inskip with the Good News Clubs. Only much much worse. These kids have not only been through perhaps the most traumatizing experience for them ever, I almost 100% positive their home lives are on the fritz as well. We were told at the orientation for the EC that the other thing that was very important for the groups interacting with the kids was consistency in what volunteers worked with the kids. Hence me not getting a chance to go to the Diamonds because I didn't go the first day. So I may not get a chance but after today I don't really want to go.
Anyway, about four or five of our girls went with a couple of the regular EC volunteers to the Diamonds, this being their second trip down there. I didn't hear too much about the first trip but I did hear that the kids were a rowdy bunch of misbehaved, cussing, and troubled kids. Today they had a really rough day with all the kids there. Besides the general cussing and hitting that the kids do directly to the volunteers a lot of the girls were actually fearful for their own safety and even their lives. The kids enjoy throwing rocks at anything and everything, including the volunteers. Our people came back with multiple horror stories and most, if not all, were mad and very depressed and discouraged about the whole day.
At our 'tribal counsel' meeting tonight we spent a good portion of the hour to two hours or so just listening to the girls tell us about what happened. My heart really went out to them and the kids because I can relate in a lot of ways.
Anyone out there reading this...we would greatly appreciate prayers for these kids and our volunteers that, thankfully, have not lost spirit or faith in what they are doing and will go back again tomorrow for a longer period of time with the kids. They've got a better game plan this time maybe but I can tell that a lot of them are still nervous and frustrated about the situation. We need a lot of prayer!!!
In other news, tomorrow I'm looking forward to possibly going back to a sweet old ladies house that I went to on Tuesday to do some tilling of the soil in her garden beds. We weren't able to finish the job because of a lack of tools and because Miss Helen is very talkative and enjoys a good conversation which mainly consists of her talking while we listen attentively nodding and smiling and laughing at her antics. I love her!! She's absolutely fabulous and if I were to use one word to describe her and all the other people, the residents, that I have had contact with is RESILIENT. One doesn't realize what that word truly means until you see it put into action. It's amazing down here. I wish you all could have this experience. I wish that I could stay longer than 5 days. Miss and love you all!! see you very soon.
Tuesday, May 08, 2007
BURAS
I am officially in New Orleans (Buras really) Louisiana! We made tons (and I do mean tons) of stops on the way down here from Knoxville, but the trip really didn't seem to take forever like I thought it would. New Orleans was our last stop for dinner before we arrived at the gutted out YMCA building in Buras just south of NO.
Not much to say about NO though. We only spent about an hour there and mostly just walked around. Didn't really have dinner either unless you count eating Benits(? kind of like funnel cakes) and drinking really strong, bitter, borderline gross coffee from Cafe DuMond(?). All in all a good time though topped off with my remaining donuts from breakfast this morning (thanks Dad!).
We're getting ready to eat breakfast right now so I don't have anymore time. Look at the Pellissippi Outdoors Club Blog page for more complete updates!
Not much to say about NO though. We only spent about an hour there and mostly just walked around. Didn't really have dinner either unless you count eating Benits(? kind of like funnel cakes) and drinking really strong, bitter, borderline gross coffee from Cafe DuMond(?). All in all a good time though topped off with my remaining donuts from breakfast this morning (thanks Dad!).
We're getting ready to eat breakfast right now so I don't have anymore time. Look at the Pellissippi Outdoors Club Blog page for more complete updates!
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
skipping
There are a few things in this world that as goofy as they may appear when one does them they bring me back to my childhood and make me forget for however long the troubles of this world. Skipping is one of them.
I was sitting up in my apartment thinking about all the stuff I needed to do to clean up in here and stuff I needed to gather together for the car wash tomorrow and generally feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by so many things, when I decided to make a journey down into the main house to get a suitcase and wash the leftover dinner dishes. As soon as I stepped outside and felt the coolness of the air (I'm really trying had here to not get all mushy gushy and oh gosh I'm searching for the right word and it is so not coming, but I think my meaning is pretty clearish.) and saw the beautiful dark clouds rolling in immersing (sorry) me in, well, darkness, I completely forgot all the stress I'd been feeling up until then.
Have you ever had that urge to skip for no reason at all? I had that urge right then and instead of doing what I normally do and dismiss the thought and continue on with whatever I was doing I acted on it and took off in the backyard by the field around the house and ended up by the pool. Kicking my filp-folps (intentionally misspelled...you have to be related to me to get that one) off I sat on the diving board and dipped my toes into the cold water. I felt like I could dive in with all my clothes on and swim forever sitting there bouncing on the board. That's another great feeling. Not caring about what might happen to my hair or clothes just acting on a spur of the moment decision to let it all loose. Long story short...I didn't but instead went inside to face the dishes.
Almost as soon as I began to wash the dishes the phone rang and I looked at the caller ID to see a French looking name that at first I didn't recognize, Laverdure. I was about to dismiss it when I realized that it was Rachel R.'s fiancé Mike. So I picked up and talked to Rachel about her wedding shower which I'm planning. You know that good feeling I had felt just about two minutes ago after skipping? Gone. Enter stress galore.
Okay, so it's not all that bad, but this is the first wedding shower I've planned and it's fast approaching at the end of May. Being the expert procrastinator that I am, I intend to do a lot of the preparations last minute possibly causing multiple heart attacks on all the motherly women in my church. But you know what...they were the ones who asked me to do this so whatever.
I've got a lot of ideas about skits to do but the problem is I don't know Mike too well and I don't know his family at all. All I know from hangin out with him and Rach is that he comes from a military family of all boys and he's the oldest (I think) and he was always pulling pranks on his younger brothers like making them run around the house outside, naked, and in freezing Chicago temperatures. Then there's my favorite story about his brother sitting by him and being annoying until Mike finally took his pencil and stabbed his brothers leg multiple times. When Mike's mother asked him why he did it he told her that his brother was annoying him. After hearing that his mom immediately told Mike's brother that he got what he deserved. HA! I love that! Then there are all the stories about his family making multiple trips to the Emergency Room in just one day because of injuries brought about by him and his brothers wrestling or falling out of trees.
So I guess I know Mike a little better than I thought. I think one of the signs that two people are meant to be together is not only if their parents approve but also if their friends do as well. The guy that Rach dated for a really long time before Mike never felt right to me. I met him multiple times but just never connected to him the way I have to Mike. He was always giving us all the cold shoulder and never trying to get to know all of Rachel's friends. Mike on the other hand after having met him only once or twice I saw him at school and he recognized me (even though he couldn't remember my name) and gave me a big bear hug. Now that's a special guy. I'm so incredibly happy for Rachel and Mike. Prepare yourself for a big cliché...I don't feel like I'm losing a friend at all but actually gaining two even closer friends. Good feeling back.
Another good feeling...LOST is on!!! whoo-hoo!!!
I was sitting up in my apartment thinking about all the stuff I needed to do to clean up in here and stuff I needed to gather together for the car wash tomorrow and generally feeling overwhelmed and stressed out by so many things, when I decided to make a journey down into the main house to get a suitcase and wash the leftover dinner dishes. As soon as I stepped outside and felt the coolness of the air (I'm really trying had here to not get all mushy gushy and oh gosh I'm searching for the right word and it is so not coming, but I think my meaning is pretty clearish.) and saw the beautiful dark clouds rolling in immersing (sorry) me in, well, darkness, I completely forgot all the stress I'd been feeling up until then.
Have you ever had that urge to skip for no reason at all? I had that urge right then and instead of doing what I normally do and dismiss the thought and continue on with whatever I was doing I acted on it and took off in the backyard by the field around the house and ended up by the pool. Kicking my filp-folps (intentionally misspelled...you have to be related to me to get that one) off I sat on the diving board and dipped my toes into the cold water. I felt like I could dive in with all my clothes on and swim forever sitting there bouncing on the board. That's another great feeling. Not caring about what might happen to my hair or clothes just acting on a spur of the moment decision to let it all loose. Long story short...I didn't but instead went inside to face the dishes.
Almost as soon as I began to wash the dishes the phone rang and I looked at the caller ID to see a French looking name that at first I didn't recognize, Laverdure. I was about to dismiss it when I realized that it was Rachel R.'s fiancé Mike. So I picked up and talked to Rachel about her wedding shower which I'm planning. You know that good feeling I had felt just about two minutes ago after skipping? Gone. Enter stress galore.
Okay, so it's not all that bad, but this is the first wedding shower I've planned and it's fast approaching at the end of May. Being the expert procrastinator that I am, I intend to do a lot of the preparations last minute possibly causing multiple heart attacks on all the motherly women in my church. But you know what...they were the ones who asked me to do this so whatever.
I've got a lot of ideas about skits to do but the problem is I don't know Mike too well and I don't know his family at all. All I know from hangin out with him and Rach is that he comes from a military family of all boys and he's the oldest (I think) and he was always pulling pranks on his younger brothers like making them run around the house outside, naked, and in freezing Chicago temperatures. Then there's my favorite story about his brother sitting by him and being annoying until Mike finally took his pencil and stabbed his brothers leg multiple times. When Mike's mother asked him why he did it he told her that his brother was annoying him. After hearing that his mom immediately told Mike's brother that he got what he deserved. HA! I love that! Then there are all the stories about his family making multiple trips to the Emergency Room in just one day because of injuries brought about by him and his brothers wrestling or falling out of trees.
So I guess I know Mike a little better than I thought. I think one of the signs that two people are meant to be together is not only if their parents approve but also if their friends do as well. The guy that Rach dated for a really long time before Mike never felt right to me. I met him multiple times but just never connected to him the way I have to Mike. He was always giving us all the cold shoulder and never trying to get to know all of Rachel's friends. Mike on the other hand after having met him only once or twice I saw him at school and he recognized me (even though he couldn't remember my name) and gave me a big bear hug. Now that's a special guy. I'm so incredibly happy for Rachel and Mike. Prepare yourself for a big cliché...I don't feel like I'm losing a friend at all but actually gaining two even closer friends. Good feeling back.
Another good feeling...LOST is on!!! whoo-hoo!!!
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
It's MAY!
I love May. And in a way I kind of dread it. Personally I think it's one of the prettiest months in Tennessee, except for this year because we had unusually warm temperatures back in April that made everything get out of whack and then for about a week after the temps being in the 70-80's we were frozen solid for like a week and everything died. That was really sad. But usually May is when everything is in bloom and the temperatures are just right on the verge of heating up into summer.
Another reason I like May is because I was born almost 21 years ago! Wow, 21. I've never been one of those people that just couldn't wait until I turned 21 so that I could really do whatever I wanted...legally that is. Yeah, I planned out what I would do that night with my friends, but I never really intended to follow through and actually still don't. My friends and I used to say that when we turned 21 we'd all go out to Union Jack's Pub and drink a few pints. I don't think any of us were really serious about it though we just liked to put on our scotch/irish/brit accents and say the word 'pint' like Merry and Pippin in the Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring movie. "It comes in pints? I'm gettin' one." Good times.
One reason of maybe two that I dislike May are all the end of the year programs and graduations that clog up the calendar and make you have to pick between which event you really want to go to and which one you should go to. For example, my Pellissippi graduation is on the same stinkin' day as Daniel's ensemble concert! And because I'm alum from the ensemble I really hate to miss it because at the end we get to join them and sing my favorite arrangement of The Lord Bless You and Keep You. So not only am I splitting my families decisions on which event to go to I'm also torn as well, but having already made my plans and obtained my cap and gown before even knowing about the concert I feel obligated to proceed. I was joking with Daniel and trying to convince him to skip his own concert to see his dear sister walk the stage for graduation and I told him that one of my reasons I thought he should skip and come see me was that 'you only graduate once.' Is that saying supposed to include highschool or is it just reserved for college? These are questions that haunt me...anyway, I'm actually going for a record, counting highschool graduation, to walk the stage three times. My first time was highschool (although can you really count that it was a homeschool graduation), second graduating from Pellissippi with my Associates of Science degree, and third when I walk with UT to receive my Bachelors Degree in Plant Science. I could make it four times and go for my masters but I'm not that into school. It kind of makes me sick to think about going to school another couple of years to get another degree after I'll already have two.
Well there was a second reason that I dislike May but it's completely slipped me know after that rant. That's why I really should make an outline before I begin any type of writing. I always inevitably forget something of importance. ARGUHH!
In the next couple of days after I gather my thoughts about the DISPLACE ME event I'll write something about that, but for now I really should study for two finals tomorrow and I need to go and renew my drivers licence because it expires on Saturday (me day of birth) and I'm leaving on Monday and I think I'm supposed to have an I.D. with me at all times.
Another reason I like May is because I was born almost 21 years ago! Wow, 21. I've never been one of those people that just couldn't wait until I turned 21 so that I could really do whatever I wanted...legally that is. Yeah, I planned out what I would do that night with my friends, but I never really intended to follow through and actually still don't. My friends and I used to say that when we turned 21 we'd all go out to Union Jack's Pub and drink a few pints. I don't think any of us were really serious about it though we just liked to put on our scotch/irish/brit accents and say the word 'pint' like Merry and Pippin in the Lord of the Rings The Fellowship of the Ring movie. "It comes in pints? I'm gettin' one." Good times.
One reason of maybe two that I dislike May are all the end of the year programs and graduations that clog up the calendar and make you have to pick between which event you really want to go to and which one you should go to. For example, my Pellissippi graduation is on the same stinkin' day as Daniel's ensemble concert! And because I'm alum from the ensemble I really hate to miss it because at the end we get to join them and sing my favorite arrangement of The Lord Bless You and Keep You. So not only am I splitting my families decisions on which event to go to I'm also torn as well, but having already made my plans and obtained my cap and gown before even knowing about the concert I feel obligated to proceed. I was joking with Daniel and trying to convince him to skip his own concert to see his dear sister walk the stage for graduation and I told him that one of my reasons I thought he should skip and come see me was that 'you only graduate once.' Is that saying supposed to include highschool or is it just reserved for college? These are questions that haunt me...anyway, I'm actually going for a record, counting highschool graduation, to walk the stage three times. My first time was highschool (although can you really count that it was a homeschool graduation), second graduating from Pellissippi with my Associates of Science degree, and third when I walk with UT to receive my Bachelors Degree in Plant Science. I could make it four times and go for my masters but I'm not that into school. It kind of makes me sick to think about going to school another couple of years to get another degree after I'll already have two.
Well there was a second reason that I dislike May but it's completely slipped me know after that rant. That's why I really should make an outline before I begin any type of writing. I always inevitably forget something of importance. ARGUHH!
In the next couple of days after I gather my thoughts about the DISPLACE ME event I'll write something about that, but for now I really should study for two finals tomorrow and I need to go and renew my drivers licence because it expires on Saturday (me day of birth) and I'm leaving on Monday and I think I'm supposed to have an I.D. with me at all times.
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