(no subject)
Long overdue update:
I got back from Appalachia yesterday and it was great. There were great memories made, and some hard questions to look at, but overall a good experience. I am working on living with the questions without letting the lack of answers destroy my faith and hope. Social justice is a messy business, but I think more and more I am letting it become a reality to me, and beginning to be bothered on a daily basis by the lack of justice that exists even within the united states. I have always been bothered, but before it was easy to say that it was an other, something I only had to think about on the trips, but not now. For some reason this trip broke my heart wide open, and I am so grateful for it.
I am also still beginning to realize how much of a problem prejudice is in this country. I thought we were past this, or at least that it was covert, and it wasn't until I had some really distressing conversations that I realized not only were they not covert, but they were deep seeded and so hurtful. Homophobia and racism in particular were things that I came across, and I was so bothered by what I encountered that I am still not sure what to do. All I know is that there are some people in my life who I am going to give some extra hugs to tonight because I want them to have those memories of life when they encounter people who can be as cruel as some of those who I encountered this week.
This is difficult to say and deal with because these people treated me with so much respect and care and were so hospitable to me, and yet to know that they would have been so cruel to others that have been such amazing examples of God in my life is something that I am still trying to reconcile.
For the most part though, these people were amazing, and I am proud to know them. I spent the week building trashcans with an old man who was absolutely amazing and who called me Smiley all week, as well as painted the town library, helped build picnic tables, and helped out at the park.
Every night we were fed by a different church and then they held a prayer service/bible study/praise and worship night that we all attended afterwords. It was really neat to see the different ways that different faiths pray, and it was all very foreign to me. I am not used to the "Amen" and "Praise Jesus" and "Tell it brother" that come from the corners of the church, and it was really obvious that we were not used to it when they asked us to sing with them and we didn't know the words and when they asked us to offer up anything we would like to have people pray for and we said nothing because we didn't know what was going on. It was really entertaining!
The fun things we did was have a karaoke night, went to a farm and played with baby goats and donkeys and cows, had the town prosecutor come and do an AMAZING magic show and then he made us all balloon hats - not like cheap ones either - they were very complicated hats. We also went hiking in the cascade mountains. It was so pretty, and I was so happy to be there!
There isn't a lot more to tell you because there are so many things that I can just never explain, but I thank you all for reading this far. Love you all!
I got back from Appalachia yesterday and it was great. There were great memories made, and some hard questions to look at, but overall a good experience. I am working on living with the questions without letting the lack of answers destroy my faith and hope. Social justice is a messy business, but I think more and more I am letting it become a reality to me, and beginning to be bothered on a daily basis by the lack of justice that exists even within the united states. I have always been bothered, but before it was easy to say that it was an other, something I only had to think about on the trips, but not now. For some reason this trip broke my heart wide open, and I am so grateful for it.
I am also still beginning to realize how much of a problem prejudice is in this country. I thought we were past this, or at least that it was covert, and it wasn't until I had some really distressing conversations that I realized not only were they not covert, but they were deep seeded and so hurtful. Homophobia and racism in particular were things that I came across, and I was so bothered by what I encountered that I am still not sure what to do. All I know is that there are some people in my life who I am going to give some extra hugs to tonight because I want them to have those memories of life when they encounter people who can be as cruel as some of those who I encountered this week.
This is difficult to say and deal with because these people treated me with so much respect and care and were so hospitable to me, and yet to know that they would have been so cruel to others that have been such amazing examples of God in my life is something that I am still trying to reconcile.
For the most part though, these people were amazing, and I am proud to know them. I spent the week building trashcans with an old man who was absolutely amazing and who called me Smiley all week, as well as painted the town library, helped build picnic tables, and helped out at the park.
Every night we were fed by a different church and then they held a prayer service/bible study/praise and worship night that we all attended afterwords. It was really neat to see the different ways that different faiths pray, and it was all very foreign to me. I am not used to the "Amen" and "Praise Jesus" and "Tell it brother" that come from the corners of the church, and it was really obvious that we were not used to it when they asked us to sing with them and we didn't know the words and when they asked us to offer up anything we would like to have people pray for and we said nothing because we didn't know what was going on. It was really entertaining!
The fun things we did was have a karaoke night, went to a farm and played with baby goats and donkeys and cows, had the town prosecutor come and do an AMAZING magic show and then he made us all balloon hats - not like cheap ones either - they were very complicated hats. We also went hiking in the cascade mountains. It was so pretty, and I was so happy to be there!
There isn't a lot more to tell you because there are so many things that I can just never explain, but I thank you all for reading this far. Love you all!