Debriefing - one week out

“We cannot all do great things, but we can do small things with great love.” – Mother Teresa

Tonight we had our first official whole-group meeting since returning from Louisville. That’s not to say we haven’t been hanging out, having lunches and dinners, and attending mass together, but tonight we took specific time out to reflect as a group where we are after a little longer than a week of being back in “normal” life.

It seems hard to return to “normal” life — school, homework, tests, roommates, boyfriends and girlfriends, sororities and fraternities, clubs, parties. It seems hard to explain to people who got to sleep all week, or who got to go on a booze cruise to Mexico, what we did with our spring break. It seems hard to find time to spend in meditation and prayer with God, and it seems even harder to listen to His call when our lives are focused on the mundane daily tasks. It seems hard to take what we learned and experienced in Louisville and apply it to our lives here in Blacksburg.

All at once, it seems like we’re so selfish, focusing on our relationships and homework more than serving others. At the same time, it seems like we’re so overwhelmed by life, leaving ourselves no time for prayer, reflection, service.

But we are making it work.

Everyone tonight had a different story to tell about the past week of adjustment. Everyone had a different idea of what had been crappy, happy, and awkward occurrences in their lives over the past week. And everyone definitely had a different take-away that they were immediately noticing — something in their lives that had distinctly changed because of our trip. Hearing everyone’s stories of introspective thinking and extroverted actions with others was awesome.

Some of us are more motivated to do service, and have specifically made more time in our lives to participate in service opportunities with Newman. Some of us are more motivated to continue our prayer lives that were so strong together in Louisville. Some of us are just trying to be kinder to others, or to listen better, or to find peace in a busy life, or to be more optimistic. But everyone was moved in some way to change something.

All week last week we talked about how we see God, and where we see God. I found myself looking around this week intensely for God, and I’ve realized that I can see Him literally everywhere if I think about it. I’m seeing Him in the gorgeous Blacksburg weather, in someone who holds the door for me, in conversation with friends and roommates, in my 11 new #bffsforlife who are willing and eager to share a meal or a conversation.

But I’m also finding myself wondering what I can do so that others might see God in me. I’m not talking about praying in the streets or being self-righteous. I’m talking about how I could be nicer, smile more, be more understanding, help someone. How I could put more love into my actions.

I ran across that Mother Teresa quote on Pinterest (typical) last weekend just after we returned. How fitting, I thought to myself. I even made the image my computer desktop background, to remind myself that even if I cannot do Earth-shattering things every day, I can put love into literally everything I do.

I think in our own individual ways, all 12 of us are striving to put more love into the world. We all became incredibly close during our week in Louisville, and I’m so thankful that those relationships are continuing even now that we’re back to our “normal” lives. In our relationships within our group, we are continuing to promote love, understanding, and openness. At the same time, in our relationships with God and with the world, we’re seeking the same things.

God couldn’t have picked a better time to put the 12 of us into one another’s lives, and He couldn’t have picked a better time to send us to Louisville, Kentucky. We thank Him for that, and we ask that His peace be with all of us as we continue our transition back to Blacksburg, and with all of the people we met in Louisville who changed us in so many ways.

-Liana

Seeing God

This week, I saw so many things. All over Louisville, so many places, faces, and things that I had never experienced. But most of all, I saw God.

I saw God in my teammates and leaders, on our road trip. Faster than I had ever dreamed, I saw the bonds of friendship forming between people who had only seen each other a handful of times before embarking on this journey. 

I saw God in the priest at St. Lawrence’s at mass on Sunday. When he held up the Gospel, his eyes were absolutely shining with so much love and joy for God. Sometimes it really means something to see someone else's love for God shining so brightly.

I saw God in the Muhammad Ali center, in learning about Ali’s core values of respect, conviction, confidence, dedication, giving, and spirituality. His service to people all over the world and his courage in the face of Parkinson’s has truly inspired many people, including me.

I saw God in the families that welcomed 12 college students they had never met before into their homes for dinner. Feeding that many ravenous college kids is no easy task, and making them feel like they’re sitting comfortably in their own home is a feat like no other. Those nights were something special, all of us gathered in one space with new friends, enjoying their hospitality. 

I saw God in the 7^th graders from the mock refugee camp who had wisdom beyond their years in their empathy for what it must feel like for real refugees, who suffer so many obstacles to freedom from those persecuting them. Their compassion was truly touching. 

I saw God in "crazy" Chris Clements, who has such energy and passion for his job. The work he does on a daily basis is in no way an easy task, communicating with people who may speak not even a word of English, welcoming them into this country and setting them up with a new life. You can tell that the refugees love him, crazy or not! 

I saw God in every single person I met at the Dare to Care food line. From the workers who volunteer on a regular basis to hand out food to the needy just because they want to, to the people walking down the line accepting food with the biggest smiles and friendliest demeanor I’ve ever seen. I almost cried all over my cans of corn when a woman asked me how my day was with the biggest grin I’ve ever seen. I really saw Jesus in the beautiful spirits of every single person that walked past me. 

I saw God in my teammates, working diligently to set up an apartment for a Karen family we would welcome later that week. Every move was with meaning, trying to make the place feel as much like “home” as possible. Something’s still dirty? Everyone goes to make sure it’s clean and in working order! That home is now filled, yes with things,but most of all my love from each and every one of us, in every crack, nook and cranny.

I saw God in Lemlem, Hubi, Mahad, and all the refugees at the ESL school, in their passionate desire to learn English. Every word and syllable, I could see how hard they worked and how happy they were when they got it right. Hubi in particular is only 20 years old, only one year my senior. She came to the United States all by herself, leaving her parents, 5 siblings, and home in Somalia behind. She’s been here for only one month, and already her English is better than most of the students in that room I worked in. Her courage was truly amazing. She and the other refugees taught me more than any syllable I could ever help them pronounce. 

I saw God in the interpreters at the orientation at the ESL school Friday morning. These were all people who came as refugees, and now want to help other people to learn the language and culture as this country and become as comfortable with it as they can. They give back all that they received and it was amazing.

And finally, I saw God in myself. When your humor tends to be self-deprecating, it’s nice to sit back and really see the good in yourself. I found His light in me in the patience and courage I didn’t know I had, pushing past shyness to speak with refugees who barely spoke my language and spending close to 10 minutes making the “puh” sound with Mahad. Not once did I ever get frustrated, which is quite a feat for me. But I loved every single minute of it and every part of me longs to go back to Louisville. 

I’m so grateful for all of the people and places that I saw in this beautiful week in Louisville, Kentucky.

“Weep no more, my lady,
Oh weep no more today!

 We will sing one song for the old Kentucky home,
For the old Kentucky home far away.”


-Sandy

Back in Blacksburg

I'm so grateful.

I'm grateful that all of Newman's ASB trips returned safely this weekend from their respective destinations. It was awesome to see the sense of community upon our return - old friends embracing after a week apart, new friends helping to unpack the vans, and everyone sharing pieces of their experiences. I can't wait to hear more about all the different trips in the weeks to come. One of my favorite things about post-ASB is seeing the videos that each group makes about their trip - ours will certainly be posted here sometime in the next few weeks!

I'm grateful for the opportunity our group had to serve this week in Louisville. I'm amazed by the work that Catholic Charities and other agencies and organizations are doing there. Sitting in on the refugees' cultural orientation program on Friday morning, where they were learning about leases and pay stubs and taxes, really put into perspective how difficult it is for these people to adjust to life in a new country, and how important the refugee resettlement services are. I am grateful that there are people like Chris Clements and the teachers and staff at the English school, who embody Christ's love and live out their faith through service.

I am grateful for the hospitality we received in Louisville - from the staff at the Flaget Center and the parish at Saint Lawrence, to the priest at John Paul II Academy and even strangers on the street. I am particularly thankful for the generosity of the Hehir family and David Miller, who were gracious enough to feed our entire group during our trip. Having traveled to Kentucky instead of home to New Jersey this week, it was so great to have a home-away-from-home-away-from-home.

I'm grateful for the support that the Newman Outreach Project has received - all the prayers, encouragement, and donations that have come our way leading up to the ASB trips. We could not have done this without the help of our friends, families, parishes, and community.

I'm grateful for our group - ten incredible young people who dedicated a week of their lives to the service of others. Although we may not have changed the world, we definitely changed someone's world. I am so proud of the work that was done, and the love that was shared this week. I am inspired by their passion, selflessness, and spirit, and I am so thankful for the opportunity to get to know them all better as we grow in faith and community.

I'm grateful for Ben, my co-leader, who helped me keep my head and my perspective through this whole process. I couldn't have asked for a better compliment to my personal strengths. Thanks for eating pie with me.

I'm grateful for God's grace, which was revealed countless times this week, as pieces of our trip fell into perfect place - and I'm thankful for our group's ability and willingness to go with the flow.

I'm grateful for the renewed sense of life and spirit that I encountered in Louisville, and I'm looking forward to continuing to meet with our group and hopefully work with refugees in Roanoke. Spring break may be over (ah, only a couple hours before classes start again!), but this experience does not end here.

At morning prayer yesterday before departing the Flaget Center, we read Luke 9:1-6 - Jesus Sends Out The Twelve. Even though it just happened that there were twelve of us on the trip, it was very fitting as we prepared to return to Blacksburg. Each one of us had a unique experience in Louisville, as you can tell by the previous posts, and each of us will bring something different back to our lives at Tech. When we hear about Louisville or refugees or Catholic Charities, we'll each have a different memory to connect with it, but I'm fairly certain that we'll all be reminded of the work God is doing in each of our lives, and how to listen to his voice.

And I'm so grateful for that.

-Kelsey

outside of the Louisville Slugger museum and factory,
right before heading back to Blacksburg!

Synthesizing and summarizing our trip

Just to warn you — I am the English major in the group and tonight I’ll be writing both about what we did today and about my overall impression and summing up of the week. So put your feet up and get comfortable. This is going to be a long post.

Today, Friday, we are beginning our final night here in Louisville, Kentucky. Tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. we will drive the seven hours back to Blacksburg. But we will leave parts of our hearts here, to be sure.

First I’m going to talk about today. Just to give you some context, every night during our evening reflection period we go over the details of our day and the lessons we learned. I want to give you a taste of just how full our days have been, so I’ll tell you about our day much in the same way that we talk about it at the end of it.

This morning, we began our day by going back to the ESL school at Catholic Charities. The students don’t have classes on Fridays, but new students who haven’t been in the country for very long are required to attend cultural orientation presentations on Friday mornings. Today’s presentation was two segments — one about how to understand a lease on an apartment, and the other on how to understand a paystub.

These things seem very basic for most of us in the U.S., but for people who have never had to deal with paying their rent, or who may have been paid in food or not at all for jobs in their home countries, they can be impossibly confusing. Attending the presentation seemed boring at first because we didn’t get to really interact with the students. Later, we all realized that it truly put things into perspective for us. We all struggle as 18 to 23 year old people with making sure our rent is paid on time and our taxes are done correctly, and it’s mind-blowing to think about the fact that some of the refugees don’t even have context of what paying the rent means. It helped us realize just how difficult it can be for them to establish their new lives in the U.S.

After the presentation, we left the ESL school and attended daily mass at the Cathedral of the Assumption in downtown Louisville. I personally always love going to new churches and this was no exception. The cathedral is beautiful inside. If you are ever in Louisville, make sure to go in and check out the giant laser-carved cross that is inside near the chapel. Apparently it is one of only two in the world and the other is in the Vatican.

Our group touring the Dare to Care warehouse.

We then had the opportunity to tour the warehouse and distribution center for Dare to Care, which is the food bank program that we worked with via Catholic Charities on Tuesday morning when we distributed food to residents in Louisville via the mobile food pantry program. The Dare to Care warehouse is about 55,000 square feet and has been in operation for about 35 years. It serves the hungry in 8 counties in Kentucky and 5 counties in Indiana with four major programs: Kids’ Café, which provides hot meals to children; Backpack Buddy, which sends nutritious shelf-stable food home with hungry children on the weekends; Patrol Against Hunger, which enables local police officers to deliver food boxes to home-bound elderly people; and the Mobile Food Pantry that distributes food to two locations every day somewhere in the area that Dare to Care serves (the one we volunteered at takes place every first and third Tuesday).

It was a great connection to our service on Tuesday to have the opportunity today to see where the oranges I was handing to people came from and how they got to Dare to Care. Dare to Care is a really unique nonprofit in that it only has 27 paid staff members and about 2,700 volunteers per year. Our tour guide, Pat, told us that only about 6 percent of Dare to Care’s profits goes to operational costs, so 94 cents of every dollar raised goes directly to feeding the hungry. It was really encouraging to see an organization like this one doing so many positive things in its community and having such a large impact.

Our group at Churchhill Downs.

We then went on a tour of Churchhill Downs, which was very cool. However, a moment that really stuck out to me was something that our tour guide (who was incredibly nice and allowed us to get a birds’-eye view of the racetrack from a balcony vantage point that is normally not part of the tour) told us about the people who work for the racetrack. The workers are largely Hispanic. He told us that Churchhill Downs tries to provide services like ESL classes and food assistance for its workers. However, we know that they are still hungry. The Dare to Care mobile food pantry we assisted with is only about two blocks from Churchhill Downs. One of the volunteers there told me on Tuesday morning that during race season — mid spring to mid fall — many of the people who receive food assistance from the pantry are Churchhill Downs employees.

When you think about the fact that the Kentucky Derby alone can generate more than $1 million of revenue, and then you consider the fact that some of the people who work behind the scenes of the Kentucky Derby need assistance from Dare to Care so that their families are not hungry, it really puts the gap between the socioeconomic classes in America into perspective. This realization is just one example of how all 12 of us really took time to reflect this week on our position in society, how overlooked and marginalized so many people in our country are, what we are currently doing to help decrease the gap between the privileged and the marginalized, and what we could be doing to help in the future.

After our tour of Churchhill Downs, we attended a fish fry at the Catholic school that the children of Chris Colson, who is our contact with Catholic Charities, attend. We got to meet Chris’ adorable sons and we had a tasty fish dinner. One really awesome thing that happened to us during the dinner was the interaction we had with the parish (Pious X) priest. He was so excited that 12 college students from Virginia were there doing service in his community and he talked to us about how important he thinks it is for young adults like us to be involved in our communities and strong in our faith. He really made us feel welcome.

Feeling welcome is another theme that has been so strong this week. I don’t think any of us expected the gratitude and hospitality that we’ve been met with at every turn this week in Louisville. I saw it in families who opened their homes to us, people receiving food from Dare to Care who thanked us for wishing them a good morning, students who hugged us for helping them with English studies, our Burmese family who appreciated the apartment we decorated and cleaned for them. I saw it in random strangers who, when we told them where we were from and why we were in Louisville, told us that we were doing good things. These strangers appeared everywhere: at the front desk in the Muhammad Ali Center, in the cathedral today, in a coffee shop on 18^th Street we visited earlier in the week, in the pew in the church we attended on Sunday (St. Lawrence).

Finally, now we are all back here in the Flaget Center, sharing our last night together.

That was just one day. And it wasn’t really even our busiest day. This week has been, in one word, full. And in another related word, fulfilling.

Now, as for my thoughts on the trip overall — a few other common themes that we discovered this week are love and community.

I encourage you to go look at Romans 12:9-18 and John 15:12-17, two scripture passages we studied this week. We spent a lot of time discussing and discovering how much positive we can truly do in our community if we do those things with love. Everywhere we went, a smile and a caring spirit meant as much to the people we met as our actions of service did.

Personally, I couldn’t stop referring to 1 Corinthians 13:1-3 all week. One of my biggest personal revelations happened Wednesday after we received our family. We spent two days readying their apartment, and I wasn’t totally satisfied with it when we were finished — we weren’t able to get the stove totally clean, some of the closet doors were broken, there were things out of our control that we simply could not fix. But we did the best we possibly could, and you know what? The family seemed so happy to have a home. To finally not be in a bamboo hut sleeping on one mat on the floor after 17 years in a refugee camp in Thailand. So what if our job fixing up their apartment was not totally perfect? We did what we could with the deepest love and care that we had, and that made the space totally perfect because it had obviously been cared for.

So, that night, I was rereading that passage from 1 Corinthians, and I thought of this: nobody is perfect but Christ. And Christ didn’t call us as Christians to be perfect people, he called us to be absolutely imperfect people who try to live out our lives with love and compassion and thoughtfulness in all of our actions. And it is love that makes our service meaningful to those we serve.

Through love, we can build community. Catholic Charities and Dare to Care are two great examples of love building community. These two organizations are making wonderful impacts on Louisville and the people who live here, and we’ve been so privileged to be able to work with them and see what people can do for others with love and dedication.

Chris from Catholic Charities was an especially great inspiration because of his zeal and enthusiasm for his life and work. When we first met him, we thought he was kind of crazy because of how outgoing and enthusiastic he is. But after getting to know him and working with him more this week, seeing him work with refugees and seeing him tonight with his own family, he is such an inspiration of someone who is living his life answering God’s call and who puts 120 percent of himself and his love into everything he does. Working with Chris was energizing. Now, we’re all talking about looking for ways to get involved with refugee resettlement services in Roanoke on our own, because we are energized by this work.

Working with refugees is not easy. Both Wednesday and Thursday morning, Cynthia and I worked with a class of students from Burma. They’re mostly older adults (50 and older), and their mastery of English doesn’t extend far past the ABCs. Trying to help them spell and read basic words is still difficult. One student was partially deaf, which made it that much more difficult to communicate with her. But they were such an encouragement of perseverance to me. Even though they are older people who are struggling, they come to class every day. They pay attention and they try and slowly they are learning. The next time I find myself struggling with a test or an assignment, I know I will think about how much they are struggling to learn basic English. It is humbling.

I am so much more privileged than many of the people I met this week, but I let myself get caught up in my petty stresses and problems in my bubble and I forget to look for the positives in life and to think about those who have less. On Wednesday and Thursday afternoons, Ben, Joe and I worked with refugees who had more English control in a class that taught skills for job preparation. Both days the class worked on practice job applications. One of my students was named Mohammad and he is from Ethopia. He’s 19, and his dreams and hopes for his new life here are just as big as mine are for my “adult life.” He seems less nervous about the next step (getting a job after finishing ESL school) than I am (searching for a job after graduation). His positivity about learning English and eventually getting a job here in America was inspiring because he didn’t seem scared of the future.

Joe, Ben and me in Kirsten's afternoon class, which focused on job application skills.

 I could write four more pages about my experiences this week, and I’m sure my 11 companions this week could as well. What I really want all of you out there in the internet to understand is how touched we were by the people we met and the love we experienced while interacting with them. I hope that you look around you and try to find something positive that you take for granted. Build a stronger relationship with an acquaintance, or repair a broken relationship in your life. Try to think about those in your community who don’t have as much as you do, and try to think of ways you can help. Be more cognoscente of how much love you have in your actions every day.

 That’s what we did this week. Now, I have 11 new best friends who are so positive and strong in their faith. They’ve been great examples to me of young people who are doing wonderful things with their lives. I hope that you will seek out those kinds of people in your own life and let them to be as inspiring to you as Ben, Kelsey, Joe, Angie, Cynthia, Rosa, Tom, Matt, Sandy, Emily, and David have been to me.

-Liana

Thoughts From Places - Louisville

It is our fourth day here in Louisville.

Today we were fortunate enough to be able to make a small difference in the lives of people that we do not know or understand and who we will most likely never see again. Yet even though our contact with these people is fleeting there is a sense of transcendence in the entire experience, the feeling of something greater. We often do not stop to reflect or care to realize how our experiences not only affect us, but affect others until long after we have had them. The Karen family we helped receive today will not remember our names in the coming months, neither will the students in the ESL program. They might not remember our faces or that were from Virginia Tech, but that’s not the point. Whether or not we are remembered and whether or not we remember is not what we came here to do. What matters is that we were here and we had a part in the lives of the people we met. True meaning lies in that brief moment when we see the glint in the eye of a student when they get a word right, or the quiet contentment on the face of a refugee family who after 17 years in a camp has found their sanctuary. It is not tangible because to fully grasp something is to marginalize it in that we focus on the how and why when the what is what counts. The fact remains that what we did today was to affect someone else’s life in a positive way and whatever the motivation all that counts is the action itself. 

- Matt

Wednesday. Hump day, as some people like to call it. And this week, it truly lived up to its name. Today was quite possibly the busiest we've had yet, and if you've been keeping up with us this week, you know that's saying a lot. If you haven't, STOP READING, like right now, (well, OK, read to the end of this sentence) and go back and read this week's posts! See? Aren't you glad I made you do that? I have the privilege of being on this trip with so many amazing people who have a lot to say and I think they do so beautifully.

Lar Htaw, 7, after a few insane minutes in Louisville

But back to today, or at least today-ish. We've been working for two days in an apartment not that much bigger than most in Blacksburg to turn it from a grimy, slightly run down space into a place a family of six can call home. Finally, tonight we had the rare opportunity to greet this family as they got off the plane from over 24 hours worth of traveling with four stops in airports around the world. Oh, and four kids under eleven. Our group, along with two other colleges here in Louisville over Spring Break and some family already settled here, formed a massive thirty-some odd horde of a welcoming committee. I'm pretty sure there we even attracted a few people just wandering the airport. Seeing the looks on the faces of that family as they were just enveloped in a mass of pure love and welcoming was about the most fulfilling it gets. Once we got to the apartment, each member of group seemed to have one aspect of the apartment that they sort of owned, whether it be a toy or the set up of a room or something else. And each person watched nervously as the family explored their new home, discovering each of these little surprises, and was rewarded when they noticed it, pointing it out to the interpreter.

My New Dream Vacation

After working with the ESL and these new refugees all day, I realized just how much I take advantage of the fact we all know and speak English very well. I spent one class in a room of Cuban refugees, attempting to teach them English needed to survive here in the US. I also found out just how far four years of Spanish can get you with native speakers. It just so happens, that is practically nowhere. But somehow, through a lot of speaking with our hands and picture drawing we got the point across. There was one man there that described to us his home, in Holguin, Cuba, and I definitely have a new vacation spot if I ever get the chance. I can see where the life that filled that room comes from, from a place even he described as paradise, full of crystal-clear blue water, white sands, and the bluest skies. And in that moment, I had all the vacation for this break I could need. I closed my eyes and imagined this amazing place and I was there, and it was paradise. Who could want more than that for their Spring Break?

One final thing I noticed on this break is a belly laugh works in all languages. I got the chance to work in the toddler room. At first, I was a little worried. All of the kids just sort of sat and stared off, unwilling to speak or even do anything more than shake their head to any of the volunteers. But after a few minutes, as they were filling in their coloring pages and reciting their ABC's, they began to warm up laughing and playing like any kid the world over. I'm pretty sure I had an entire feast and tea party understood maybe one word, but the love and sharing was there and it was as if I was at home, playing with any of my cousins. A girl from Sri Lanka and another from Somalia were best friends and neither spoke much English, let alone the other's language. And tonight, after giving the only little girl of the family, who was only four years old, the Cabbage Patch Doll I had picked out in the distribution center just for her, I had my beyond language moment. She looked straight at me and rattled off a string of words I had no hope of understanding with no translator in sight. I will probably never know what it is she said, but the feeling was there, and that was love. It is obvious that the belly laugh and a smile knows language, because where there is laughter, there is love. And that is true whether in a refugee camp or a van full of college students barreling down the highway blaring "The Circle of Life."  
-Emily

I love EVERYONE (:

It’s ALREADY Tuesday ):
and YES I said ALREADY.

We have already successfully ended our fourth day, here at “Looavule” Kentucky.

(we are still working on our pronunciation)

and as I look ahead to the four days we have left, I can’t help but wish we had more time.

We started out with a group of 12 very awkward individuals, who all wondered how we were going to make it through the week.  But now, we are slowly becoming a family.

Today we got the opportunity to work with Dare to Care to distribute various kinds of food to the people who came by.  We were out there for about an hour and a half, and during that short time we were able to provide food for 160 families (about 400 people).  However the best part of it all was that we were able to interact with these people and learn something from them. The people we met today showed us how to truly be thankful for the smallest things, and how to share and be thoughtful of others regardless of their situation. For example, we had two little girls that came by and brightened up everyone’s mood and a lady who offered to take less food so that the people coming afterwards can have food to take.

Later today, our group also got the opportunity to prepare and decorate an apartment for a family that will be coming in on Wednesday night. We excitedly gathered toys for the kids and kitchen appliances and other essentials for the apartment. Once we got to the apartment itself, we got to work immediately, and made a home for these refugees coming in with nothing.

Today’s experiences along with the past few days have really taught me many different lessons. However, what I really love the most are the people that I am with and have come across. 

Kelsey really brings the group together and keeps focused on our tasks. She sets the example for the group with her dedication and love and care she has for every one of us and the people we are helping. She’s like the COOL MOM (: She makes sure everything is in place and in orderly fashion. But once that’s over she’s fun to be around, easy to talk to and depend on.

Ben, our titular leader, really raises the group’s dynamic at all times. Even if he struggles with the names, he really puts effort into making each and every one of us feel as a part of the group.  And I have observed in the past few days and noticed that Ben is just awesome at communication, whether it’s within the group, with the alumni, or to set up meetings and times for our projects.

Cynthia’s unexpected sassiness really shocked the entire group! But her infinite love for the group and desire to really give back to the community always keeps us motivated to do the same.  She said that she wanted to give back to this community as much as she has received in Haiti. But honestly, she really has personally contributed to our group and group dynamic! (Plus she’s really awesome at basketball!)

Tom! When we were still twelve very awkward individuals, Tom and I were put into a car by ourselves for three-four hours! AWKWARD! But we soon got to talking, and I found it really easy to talk to him and we got the chance to learn a lot about each other. Although Tom tends to stay in the corner, quietly, he really is interesting to talk to one-on-one.

Angie is ALWAYS happy and smiling! And whenever she says my name RRROOOOSSSSSAAAA it makes me happy (: even if I hear it from two rooms down, right before I fall asleep.

Sandy, who apparently is SHY (who knew?) and is always so excited to work with everyone and do everything! It was also very nice to be able to sit down at the end of a long day and listen to her and BEN play the guitar and sing and calm us down! (Beautiful voice)

Matt, or is it Brian? Whether it was his near-death flip incident or how he almost messed up the barbed wiring for the mock refugee camp, he always has a way of entertaining the group. But away from that, he’s really easy and fun to talk to and joke around! Today, he taught me basically EVERYTHING about baseball (:

JOSEPH. Jo’s laugh makes everything funnier than it really is. But what honestly makes him who he is, is the time and effort he takes to get to know everyone and connect with them. A couple mornings ago, he asked me, “Tell me one thing that I do not know about you.” Although it might have been something to fill up his time while eating his bagels, it was probably the first time anyone willingly took the time and effort to get to know me. And from there on his interest in my hobbies, my name (SOLREE not SORRY) and my Korean culture really has made my day every day.

David: What really amazes me about David was the dedication he has to the work and the group. Today, regardless of his not-so-perfect physical condition, he made every effort to be a part of the group and participate in all our activities. Even though he was not feeling well, he put in the effort to help us out preparing the house, and stay with us as we hung out afterwards.

Emily: Emily truly shows that we have become a family. Her openness with the group, and her ability to trust and depend on us (especially during our faith-sharing) really showed me that we have become or are slowly becoming a family. Emily is ALWAYS full of energy. Even after a long 12 hour day, she participates and eagerly adds to our conversations and faith-sharing.

Liana MY ROOMMATE! I have never met anyone with so much knowledge! She really keeps the conversations going with all the information that she has to share with us. Starting back from our awkward group meetings before the trip, she was always so friendly and willing to be a friend.

Every single one of our members brings something special to the group and I truly wouldn’t want to be here with anyone else than these twelve. In addition, we even have our supportive and loving alumni who have provided us with the best meals and conversations and a home!

These past four days have really been a great time, and I cannot wait to see what the next four will be like! YAY!

-RRRROOOOOSSSSSSAAAA SORRY!-

Five and a Half Meters

In soccer, the goal keeper has a zone where he can practically do whatever he wants…   five and a half meters from his goal, he is untouchable.   

Here, people are attached to their personal space.  To quote one of my favorite singers, Francis Cabrel: “… to graze someone on the arm, you need a password.” [translated from French so some things may have been lost in translation] 

Here, I think that personal space is for people like water is to fish.  Even on a crowded bus, it’s amazing how people manage to avoid touching their neighbors… That must be good to stop the spreading of disease but, sometimes, in this jungle of individualism, one can easily feel lonely…

But yesterday, Sunday…

A group isn’t fully a group once you know the name of each member, or how many siblings they have…   or even in what they are majoring in… No…

I knew that we became a group yesterday when we didn’t use our five and a half meter zone…  Yesterday at mass, all 12 of us were sitting on the same bench, giving up our vital space to allow someone else to enter in our zone…   This is when I knew that we were a group and that good things were going to happen during this week and then good things started happening…

On Monday March 5^th, we met with Chris…  He was explaining to us our work, and that today, we would be working with 7^th graders in order to help them understand what it is like to be a refugee.  Priceless moments: watching Joe and Ben terrorizing the little kids (I think that Joe hid his face so the children wouldn’t see the laughter in his eyes).

Afterwards, we had  lunch with the JMU group and got to know them…

Later on, we visited the ESL center where we will be helping to teach.  At the same time, we got to visit the deserted Saint-Antoine de Padoue church.  Quality time: climbing and getting on the roof of the church…  We were that close to being like Quasimodo and ringing the bells of the old church…  What prevented us from doing it: a good ladder to access the bells and a functional bell.

The day was not over or should I say that the best was yet to come?   We got to visit downtown Louisville, we stood in front of the KFC center (unfortunately, it was past 5:00 PM and it was already closed) and we had dinner with an alumnus and his wife.  We were met with generosity but not just any kind of generosity.  It was the kind that left us speechless.  In a society where everyone is always so busy, an alumnus found the time to open his heart and have dinner with a bunch of college students that he didn’t even know a week before.

Today it’s Monday and we have not yet met refugees to work with…  But I know that we are on the good path, doing the will of God. 

How do I know that?  All along the way, I’ve met Love and where there is Love, there is God.

--Cynthia