Sorry to have missed you yesterday! We had our Porch Time off-site at the amphitheater in Bicentennial Park; a very cool atmosphere for our final time to really reflect and hopefully seal in what God may have had in store of us this week. Luke spoke on Jacob and really wanted to address how Jacob was fearful of his brother arriving with a fleet after he had stolen Esau's blessing. Before the trip, students were asked to write down some of their fears in life (popularity, performance in school or sports, growing up expectations, pressures, etc.) and there was an opportunity to symbolically surrender those fears as they burned up those pieces of paper while the song "No Longer Slaves" was sung in the background. That song announces that we no longer slaves to fear, but rather, we are children of God. With small groups afterwards, we got back to the church site just a little later than usual and went straight to bed after a long day of serving. View a quick "hello" and "thank you" from Luke and the team here: https://vimeo.com/174737209/b2b2d60b34
Today, briefly (as we're about to set sail for dinner and line dancing!):
Morning - Groups 1, 3: Each team went to the the Boys and Girls Club that they had visited throughout the entire week. Playing, instructing, and modeling good behavior for the kids has been a great experience as we sought to serve the staff at these camps. I know one group performed a skit on how to be "caring," and afterwards was able to share that our performance does not define our days, or who we are, but rather that how we care for one another determines the type of days we experience and the lives we lead. It has been so much fun to serve at these sites.
Morning - Group 2: This group went to Operation Stand Down this morning. They went to sort clothes and organize home furniture that will eventually be for sale in a thrift store that supports veterans. While less relational work, that physical labor can be incredibly gratifying as you know that sometimes God really just needs able hands and feet to work. While we may not know who exactly will benefit from the donated items or the proceeds, we know we were able to offer what we could to an organization that has been here before our arrival, and will be here after! That's been a great lesson this week as we continue to learn that this trip is not just about us, although we do have time and talents to give, but that there is an element to empowering those who are here on a daily basis to really impact those in need on a daily basis.
Afternoon - Groups 1, 2, 3: All three groups met up at Loaves and Fishes. This is put on by Catholic Charities, and people from all over the community come and receive a variety of donated groceries. We were able to assist by having some of us form an assembly line that would hand out whatever item they had. And others were able to assist by carrying the box that contained each item has the recipient walked down the line. The people that received these donations were so happy and grateful for us, it put everyone in great moods! There was no complaining about what sorts of food were available or how much we were able to give them; it was just thankfulness.
Group 4 - This team went to Round Table this morning! They helped do laundry, washing towels and bed sheets for this homeless organization. They then had their Urban Exposure. This is an activity that CSM challenges us to engage in. We go down town with an extra packed lunch and find someone who looks like they could benefit from it. Sitting down with him/her, we eat lunch. It's not all that complicated a task, but engaging with homeless people can be intimidating or overwhelming. We ask where they're from, how long they've been in the city, what they like most/least about living here, etc. It's always interesting to hear someone else's story and to be able to offer them something as simple as a bagged lunch. The activity continues with various challenges, kind of like a scavenger hunt list, for us to imagine being homeless, ourselves. Where will we find water? A bathroom? A park? (Is there a city map?) Transportation? All of these are things we don't often need to think through, knowing the exact location of everything we could possibly need to survive, and knowing we have access to it whenever we want. So this is a unique challenge, accurately titled "Urban Exposure."
Group 5 - This team continued its service at the YMCA camp. With emotions comparable to those of Groups 1 and 3, it was their last day with kids they had spent the week with. It's difficult to capture the subtleties of a week spent with kids in a blog, but it's the persistent subtleties that inspire and transform. We hope we've been able to visit this city and persistently serve with joy, care, sincerity and gratitude. The way we are loved by Jesus is similar; it's persistent, steadfast, and yet easily overlooked, not always in plain sight. We're grateful for the staff who serve at these camps full time, able to be persistent in their commitment and care for the youth of Nashville. In the afternoon, this serving group went to Project C.U.R.E., a site visited by some of our other teams earlier in the week. This organization ships donated medical supplies to those who need it all over the world. It's a great organization that really impacts and enhances the lives of people who simply do not have the access to medical supplies and equipment that we do.
All teams are now at dinner, and will be line dancing later tonight! Will certainly be a fun a celebrate way to close the week. Current plan is to depart for Williamsburg around 8am tomorrow morning. If memory serves correctly, it was roughly 12 hours on the road a week ago, so a rough estimate would be to arrive at the Chapel around 9pm tomorrow (we'll drive through a time zone, so we'll lose an hour on the road). Of course, we'll text and update everyone as those plans gain clarity!
