Hey
there, it’s Allison! It is late Tuesday evening, and we have only been here a
little over 48 hours. I can honestly say in this short amount of time my life
has forever changed. So far, this has been such a rewarding and eye opening
experience. I have gotten a chance to talk to quite a few of the guys here, and
it is amazing how much they have opened up, to not only me, but all of us.
Their stories have inspired me, and their optimism through their hardships is
truly admirable. Yesterday, we got to meet with a gentleman one-on-one, and
then introduce each other to everyone else at the front of the room. I was paired
with Rodney, who at the end of our conversation told me that I was going to change
the world someday. Hearing that from someone who barely knew me was incredibly
touching and motivating. Today, during a
life skills meeting, each of us had a group with four gentleman in which we
discussed our biggest life struggle on our path thus far, and tools we use to
cope with the frustration and anger of those struggles. It was amazing to have
the guys in my group open up to me, a complete stranger, and tell me their
struggles. Each of them told me how they cope, which mostly involved patience
and faith. They are all so wise, and have taught me that it is never too late
to change anything as long as you can be optimistic and have a good attitude.
Aside from already having a transformational experience at the Father McKenna
center, we have done some sightseeing in DC which has been absolutely breath
taking. We are all incredibly blessed to have been given the opportunity to be
on this trip, and it is great knowing we still have several days left to have
many more life changing experiences.
Today, we continued our mission in deepening our understanding of ourselves, each other, and the problems that poverty and inequality bring. Our day began as usual; sleepy-eyed and ready to help the Father McKenna center in any way possible. Our duties included cooking the meal and serving it, cleaning the center, organizing the pantries, and generally trying to make ourselves useful and helpful. While very important, these tasks were not the catalyst in the change that we experienced today; through talking to the many guests at the McKenna center, to those who live on the street, and to those who were willing to share their life with us, we have begun to break down the divide between “us and them.” And we have realized that we are not so different after all. While the magnitude of our problems might be different, it is what we share that makes us one family of brothers and sisters. From the infections laughter, to the stories of our homes, to our losses of our loved ones, or to the si...
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