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Last Day

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A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face...

Friday, May 11th 

Today was our last day at the Father McKenna Center! Though we are very tired and ready to return home to our own beds, we will miss our FMC friends deeply. I am very glad that the students got a chance to reflect on and write about their experiences with some of the men at the shelter and at the Peace Meal, but I wanted to take a chance to reflect on the relationships we built with other volunteers or staff members. The staff at the shelter arrive early every morning, some as early as 4:45 am to start breakfast. Regular volunteers show up routinely at 7:00 am to start their day by serving and connecting with the men. The staff and volunteers were both so welcoming and friendly. Austin was one of the staff members that I worked most directly with -- he is a Jesuit Volunteer Corps member who manages the FMC food pantry. It was awesome to hear about his experience and compare it to our experiences as an AmeriCorps VISTA. We love meeting people who just get "it" and can talk about the social justice. One of our dearest friends was Jhonny. Jhonny is the maintenance man at FMC. He is a very hardworking man and put us to work! We scrubbed walls, bathrooms, organized closets. He was so grateful for us that he bought us ice cream! It was a great way to end the week with a special dinner and ice cream with Jhonny. We feel so loved by the FMC staff and can't wait to come back and visit soon!

~Don't wait for happiness to be thrust upon you. Seek it out in service and learning ~

With love,

Joe & Kaitlyn  

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