Love...Share...Serve

Well, we did it.  It's hard to believe that I'm sitting in my living room writing this last post.  This trip was truly an amazing experience for all of us.  We shared in something that was much bigger than we were expecting, and our eyes were opened to new understandings of poverty, homelessness, hunger, and social injustice.

We have all said that our stereotypes of homelessness have been broken down and that we will all look at the person standing on the corner with different eyes, and that we know that there is much to be done here in our own town of Grand Forks, but the challenge now is to actually DO IT.  Will this trip and the lessons we have learned stay with us and help us to empower those we meet, or will this be just a fun vacation with some mission work thrown in for us to feel good about ourselves?  Only we can answer that question.

1 John 4:7 (from The Message) "My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God.  Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God."

We certainly lived this way in Seattle. We loved...and we remembered that this love came from the One who loved us first.  And because this Love first served us, we are called to serve Love.  Every time that we help a friend, or reach out to a stranger, we are doing this.  Even though trips like this provide great opportunities to get out and serve, we have to remember that once we are home, back to our comforts, when the needs of our community aren't as easy to see, and we may not understand the importance of sharing what we have, our work HAS to continue in our everyday lives...in our school, in our work, in our play.  This is what we have been called to do.

And so, we are back, safe and sound, and we are grateful for all we have been blessed with...in the community we shared in, in the people we met, in the organizations we served with, and by the God who created us, who claimed us in our Baptisms, who crafted us as unique individuals, brought us together into community, and calls us forth in service to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ.

Amen.

Friday, August 6th

Operation:  Sack Lunch.  This was the organization that we worked with today.  They serve out of the Compass Center where they serve the residents of the men's shelter there each day for their meals, and then also serve at an outdoor meal site to people who are living on the street (choosing NOT to seek shelter). 

Our day began by helping the staff to prepare the lunch we served at both sites.  We were kept very busy with various tasks from chopping vegetables and dicing meat to assembling the main courses that were served.  Once the food was prepped, we helped organize the kitchen and dining room for future use and meal preparations. 

We served lunch to the shelter's residents until it was time to head up the hill to the outdoor meal site, where we then served to the people who came there to eat.  What was so interesting about that site was that these people choose to live ON the streets rather than find shelter.  It was yet another example of just how much we do not know or understand about homelessness. 

One thing we saw day after day this week was lower numbers at each of our sites than usual (of course we didn't know any different).  Each of the staffs we worked with explained that this was because the first week of the month, everyone gets their checks (social security, government assistance, etc...) so they will typically go out to eat more often.  Once their funds start to run low, they'll begin to find their way back to the shelters and other places that provide meals.  Yet another piece of homelessness we did not understand until this week.

Our day ended at Safeco Field where we watched the Seattle Mariners take on the Kansas City Royals.  Everyone told us that we must have brought good luck because the Mariners won the game, 7 to 1!  It was a gorgeous evening for a baseball game and we all had a blast!  We were even blessed to be a blessing with 10 extra tickets and were able to invite some people who had been VERY helpful throughout this entire trip.  Pollie and Steve McCloskey, friends of Dave's (Pollie used to be the Youth Director of Holy Spirit Lutheran and was a HUGE help in getting us connected with the church and turned towards our service opportunities), Danielle Dadashi, Holy Spirit Lutheran's Director of 9th - 12th Grade Ministries, Becky Cole, Holy Spirit Lutheran's Children and Family Ministry Director and her husband and 2 adorable sons, and two of the residents of the Compass Center who we connected with during our time there.  So our time at the game was outstanding!!!

After returning to the church, we gathered together for our devotional time and shared in a foot washing service.  How powerful...to share in something so intimate, and to know that this is how Jesus taught us to love.  This week has been a journey of loving, sharing, and serving.  We will forever be changed, and we have learned much because of the people we have met and the hearts that have been shared with us.  Early morning tomorrow...Billings, MT on the horizon. 

Thursday, August 5th

Holy Orca Batman!  Yes...today we went on a whale watching cruise in the San Juan Islands, and it was incredible!  This day was a surprise to the kids, so it was fun to let it unfold...

Our day began very early as we woke everyone up at 5:30 so we could load the bus by 6:15 to head north to Anacortes.  We made very good time, so we had a chance to drive over Deception Pass (actually, we walked over it) and enjoy the breathtaking scenery before heading down to the Washington State Ferry and boarding the ferry boat heading to Friday Harbor, where our whale watching cruise launched from.

Our afternoon was spent with San Juan Excursions...aboard a vessel that took us out to look for wildlife, and wow...did we see some!  Bald eagles, sea lions, marine birds, deer along the coast line, and of course, ORCA WALES!!!  These majestic mammels were so beautiful to watch as they appeared at the surface of the water again and again, diving down as they hunted for salmon, and all of us enjoyed our tour so much as the sun warmed our faces and the cool sea refreshed us.  What a day...

As I type this, the kids are in their beds, sleeping...exhausted from a day full of fresh air...priceless!  Just goes to show you that no matter how old you are, if you want your kids to go to bed, just take them outside for some good hard play...right!

Tomorrow?  We serve with Operation Sack Lunch, which is the kitchen for the Compass Center.  And then, the Seattle Mariners.  What a way to close our week in Seattle...

Wednesday, August 4th

Taco in a bag anyone?  This was the main course for the lunch we prepared today for one of Seattle's Tent Cities.  Yes...it's exactly what it sounds like. 

Tent Cities are portable, self-managed communities of up to 100 homeless men and women.  They operate with a strict code of conduct which requires sobriety, nonviolence, cooperation and participation. Security workers are on duty 24 hours a day. Litter patrols are done on a daily basis.

They provide their own trash removal and port-a-potties. Bus tickets are provided to each participant each day so she/he can get to work or appointments. There is a food preparation area. Volunteers bring hot meals most evenings to both Tent Cities.  Tent Cities are needed because there is not enough indoor shelter for all who need it in King County. They provide a safe area for residents to leave their belongings, flexible hours for workers, and the ability for couples to stay together.

This was a very eye-opening experience for our group.  The conditions, although better than we had expected, were very tough to witness, and we were overwhelmed by what it must be like to live here on a daily (or monthly) basis. 

We prepared our meal for them at our host church and then loaded it up and brought it to them and served them.  The Tent City has approximately 100 residents, but only about 30-40 of them were around during the day, so we had more than enough food, which they were happy to have left over for dinner later in the day.

We were also given tours of the area and were told about how they operated and were given opportunities to ask questions.  It was a very good experience for us, and we were blessed to be a blessing for them.

This evening, we went downtown to the Compass Center, part of the Compass Housing Alliance.  We worshipped with them in a bilingual worship service and it was wonderful!  Following the service, we had an opportunity to sit with their pastor and two of the residents while they shared their stories with us and we heard more about the Compass Housing Alliance.  Pastor Kristy fielded some of our questions then as we enjoyed our time together. 

Pastor Kristy was amazing....she is a true example of Christ's love...meeting people where they are, as they are, no strings attached.  We can say the same about the Compass Housing Alliance...this organization has several programs, each offering services to people to help them AS they are.  We will get to serve there on Friday...can't wait!

Our evening ended with dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe...fun! 

Tomorrow is a day off of service...and a big surprise for the kids.  Lots of guesses from them, but still no correct ones.  Hmmm???  I guess we'll just have to stay tuned....

Tuesday, August 3rd

Community...that's what we experienced today.  We served at Community Lunch on Capitol Hill, an organization that serves and average of 245 homeless and hungry people every Tuesday and Friday with a hot and nutritious meal (and DELICIOUS).  We arrived in the morning and immediately were set to work chopping vegetables, making sandwiches, preparing desserts, making salads, and assembling a variety of other dishes.  As the morning progressed, some of us found our way outside to visit with the people as they were lining up.  Oh the stories we heard... 

From people who had been homeless since their teens and were doing all they could to stay alive, to people who were choosing this lifestyle because they found it easier than the stressers of holding down a house payment and a regular job, we were amazed, once again, at just how much these people are impacting us this week.

Once the doors opened and we began the serving line, we were able to interact with these people as they came through to receive their food.  This organization allows for such generous portions, so it was so wonderful to give them a plate full of a hot meal, and even allow them to come back for more if they wanted.  They even offered a vegetarian option!

At the end of the day, we left feeling incredibly blessed to have served along side of these people, and we hope and pray that their ministry will continue to thrive in this city.

Next, we headed out to see the Ballard Locks and spent some time at a beach down by the Puget Sound before going back downtown Seattle for some dinner and returning to our host church for the night.

All in all, it was truly a wonderful day!  Tomorrow, we prepare a meal to serve for Tent City 3.  From what we understand, this will be a very eye-opening experience for us.  Stay tuned...

Monday, August 2nd

Blessed day!  Today we served with Seattle's Union Gospel Mission, which is a large ministry that has been serving the hurting and homeless in the community through emergency and long-term services for over 78 years.  Seattle's Union Gospel Mission  We served at two of their locations, the men's shelter, where 20 of us were, and the women's and children's shelter, where the other 10 of us were.  Our day was incredible...

Those of us at the men's shelter helped to prepare lunch, assemble hygiene kits, assist with housekeeping tasks, and serve lunch to the residents.  However, the parts of our day that truly hit home for us were the stories we heard from the people we met while we ate with the residents and worked along side those who were going through the programs the mission has to offer.  These people have stories that penetrated our hearts and reached our souls...and tonight, during our devotional time, as we listened to each other reflect on our day, it was clear just how impacting the experiences we shared in were. 

Those of us at the women's and children's shelter (Hope Place) helped to serve lunch to the residents and play with the children.  The day flew by as the children continued to touch our hearts and we watched just how powerful the community bond this place shared was, and we realized that even though these people might not have had much, they had a wealth that was greater than we could see on the surface.  It was powerful for us to witness.

Seattle's Union Gospel Mission was a ministry that we felt blessed to share in ministry with.  The strong sense of community within both shelters was overwhelming, and it was a true example of what can happen when people come together to achieve a common good.  Even though we went there to serve, it's fair to say that we came away feeling like WE were served by them .

After our work was done, we headed to the Space Needle area.  What a perfect evening we had for this.  The skies were clear and it was calm and warm.  Looking out from the top, there was the majestic Mount Rainier, standing tall in the distance, reminding us of the fact that just as God created that mountain, God also created each and every one of us, bringing us together to reach out and serve these people in Jesus name.

Tomorrow...Community Lunch on Capitol Hill.  Can't wait!!!

Sunday, August 1st

What a day we had!  First off, we worshipped at our host church this morning, and it could not have been more wonderful!  They were so hospitable and made us feel so included...from including us in their weekly newsletter, to announcing us at the beginning of the service, to including us in the prayers, we felt very at home with the people who have let us into their church home for this week.  Also, Pastor Mike's sermon was SPOT ON for us as we get ready to head into a week of service for the Seattle area.  Having just returned from a family trip to Africa, he reflected on how even though the people they encountered over there may have been poor from our standards, they were incredibly rich spiritually.  He talked about how this is how we should live our lives...nurturing our spiritual lives to the fullest.  It was beautiful to hear his passion from the experiences he had. 

Then it was off to the downtown Seattle area!  Pike Place Market (can you say flying fish?), waterfront piers, the Cascades off in the distance, the original Starbucks store, and plenty of shopping.  What a fun rest of the day!  It was so great to really feel like we were finally HERE...in Seattle!!!

Tomorrow it's down to the Union Gospel Mission.  Can't wait to tell you all about it...