We are home, other though are not as lucky

Saturday was a early morning to get up and out to the airport in Atlanta. Friday was a long day. We took a day to treat ourselves. We made the trip to 6 Flags White Water Park. Water slides and wave pools were the order of the day. Afterwords we stopped for a pizza dinner. When we arrived back to our home base we had things to do. Our last night is traditionally, Senior night. An evening were we bid a fond farewell to the outgoing seniors. We thank them for 5 Years of dedication and service.  A late, late night filled with tears and laughter.

As we come back to our lives and families in Lombard we think back to those new friends that we left behind in Atlanta. The DOOR staff, the folks that ushered us around Atlanta and took care of us. Dax, Arron, Ms. Tonya and the rest of them were gracious host to our big bunch of northerners. We cannot thank them enough for their hospitality. The agencies that we worked with all week, their dedication is on the front lines of homelessness, and hunger in Atlanta. We were honored to be a small part of their work force if only for just a few days. They are fighting those problems on a daily basis. 

Lastly we think back to our new friends that call the street their home. As they battle with the struggles of life, the challenges of living with homelessness, we know that God is with them. As God is with all of us. Our time in Atlanta has taught us so much. The experiences of the week will live in our hearts and minds forever. Can we take them and learn from them? Time again will only tell. Gods love for us is agape. We do know if we lean on each other, as a community of caring youths, we can be that same agape that God asks us to be. 

Our last day of service

This morning our wake up seemed to come earlier than the rest, though it didn't. Our long days of service and late nights of community has made for some tired youth, and leaders. Today we made our way to some familiar sites and some not. The Atlanta Community Food Bank had a garden to be tended to. Picking produce and pulling weeds was easy knowing the needs of the community would be met by our labors. Best of all was the hot pepper eat off between Gus and Carl. We're not sure who was the winner, if there was one.
Another work site was Urban Renewal and the Georgia Ave. Community Ministry. They had a members food co-op that services many of elderly and financially challenged members of the community. In the afternoon we made a return visit to the Gateway Center to make sandwiches and sack lunches-over 350 meals that would be handed out that evening. Lastly, Books for Africa is the largest organization sending school books to African communities. We boxed books and organized the vast stocks of donations in the hot warehouse. The evening brought us back to our base where our wonderful DOOR staff treated to an authentic southern dinner. BBQ chicken, baked beans, green beans with potatoes, mac and cheese, braised cabbage, and tasty cornbread.
Tonight's speaker was Althea Holmes, a physically challenged woman with a great spirit. Her inspiration and determination gave us pause for thought. You can meet her at this youtube page.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xE_qlFB1ZU
We have had a wonderful week here in Atlanta getting to know the city and its people, meeting new friends, and learning that we all share so many things. We know that God loves us all unconditionally, that we should love others with that same Agape.

Sorting books

A hot warehouse

Althea Holmes

Books for Africa warehouse

Tending to the garden

The food co-op

Richie hands out waters at the co-op

The food co-op with Miss Jackie

Sandwich line

Chow down southern style

Food for the soul

Hot morning in the garden

Wednesday, going downhill

Wednesday brought more hot weather, it seems to be a theme here in Atlanta. We are all watching out for each other, being careful to get plenty of water and taking shade breaks for those working outside.
Today we again helped out at Action Ministries with the woman's lunch program. Today's meal was provided by an Atlanta law firm that has done so for more than 20 years, once a week. Our two other teams made a visit to the Berea Mennonite Farm where they still had plenty of tasks for us to do.  The never ending work of the farm has kept us busy. Today though was a shortened work day for us. After the morning work sites we came back to our home base to clean up and head out to The World of Coca Cola at Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta. There we took some well deserved R & R and learned about one of Atlanta's claims to fame, Coca Cola! It was a lot of fun. Afterwords we walked though Centennial Park to the CNN tower and the food court.
What a week it has been so far. Making discoveries, making friends and making memories. Our community has become very close in our shared experiences. It is inspiring to see just how quickly the freshman have been welcomed and valued members of our circle in only a few days. We've celebrated birthdays and supported each other as our bonds of trust grow. What will tomorrow bring? If we listen, God will tell us.

Jack was a little surprised!

John is 18 now!

Big 'ol Coca Cola bottles

Ready to tour

Love me some Coca Cola!

A walk in the park

Olympic memorial in Centennial Park

Deepening friendships

Still hot, still serving

We now feel like true southerners, Atlanta is our home. Our reflections this week have been about what
challenges a person can have, to live what could be considered a normal life. We all take what we have for granted, not even realizing the comforts we enjoy. Today took us from the farm to the table. One of our groups served lunch to people struggling with homelessness. Fishes and Loaves is a program run at St. John, The Wonder Worker, Christian Orthodox Church. Another one of our groups visited Action Ministries, today being a special Birthday Lunch for the ladies. Our third group worked at the Berea Mennonite Farms, planting, weeding and moving a large gravel pile. More visits are planned for later in the week for all these generous ministries.
As we continue our mission to serve and reflect we try to understand how a person can become lost.
We try to put ourselves in their situations, we learn that we all, us and new found friends, have basic needs of shelter and nourishment. Basic needs of compassion, kindness and respect.

Stirring the grits!

Ready to serve

Mike surprise!

Learning about tomato seedlings from Gunthur

A birthday luncheon

Lumberjacks on the farm

Juice the log mover!

A lot of gravel to move

Planting a new row

Monday in Atlanta

Central Presbyterian Church

Lunch?

Service with a smile

Getting the buns ready!

Loaves and Fishes, and FCLYC

Monday brought challenges with heat, but so much opportunity to spread Agape, Atlanta style.
Our three work groups were dispersed to three different work sights. Action Ministries, a luncheon service  much like our own Community Table that served women and their children. Hapeville Care Community needed some TLC in the way of painting homes for elderly and financially challenged people. Our third location today was Loaves and Fishes. A soup kitchen that serves a challenged community. Our youth represented our church so very well. Shining faces, eager to be a part of what God asks us to be. The afternoon took us all to the Dr. Martin Luther King Center. There we toured the boyhood home of Dr. King. The National Historic site that houses the MLK Center, across the street from the Ebenezer Baptist Church, is a testament to Dr. King and his work. Our evening was a combination of reflection and discussion, on the challenges of being without a place to call home. We celebrated Jack Pike's birthday this evening with cake and song. The evening wouldn't have been complete without finding a way to watch the Blackhawks take the cup!

Dr Kings boyhood home

Today was a long day that prepared us for the rest of the week. We now know Atlanta a little better, we know some of the friends that call the sidewalks around the church home. We know a little more about ourselves too.

The painters!

A fence always needs a little more paint

Trains, Planes and Automobiles!

Atlanta, we have arrived! Trains, planes and automobiles, not nessasarally in that order was the phrase of the day. Our day started at O'hare airport. The check in process went as smooth as could be expected. Moving a crowd of 30 is never an easy process. The rain of this morning put a slight delay on our flight but we landed in Atlanta only a few minutes behind schedule. Hartsfield airport in Atlanta is big, really big. We wandered the maze of hallways to find our luggage at the baggage carousel.
Amazingly, no lost luggage! We took the sky tram to the Alamo Car Rental desk. 3, 15 passenger vans if you please, just the way we ordered it. Paperwork complete, we headed to the car park to pick up our vans. It was then we found they had only one van for us. Long story short and a bit of a delay and a found second van, the folks at Alamo figured out a plan and we were on our way with temporary transportation. The promise that they would deliver our last remaining van. That they did! We made our destination, Central Presbyterian Church in the heart of downtown Atlanta. Just across the street from the statehouse. Here we met with our representatives from DOOR, (Discovering Opportunities for Outreach and Reflection), our community partner. We learned what we would be doing in the way of service and community. DOOR partners with over 30 local agencies that serve the needs of many of the homeless population and those that need a hand up. This evening we walked the sidewalks that surround the church, a nightly home for the homeless in a city that does not welcome the homeless. We handed out cold waters and sandwiches with the guidance of our leaders from DOOR. We offered a cool drink, some food and conversation. Respect to people that sometimes don't get to much. In the coming week we will be working in soup kitchens and a children's daycare, urban farms and food banks. Tomorrow afternoon we visit the Dr. Martin Luther King Center and home. Today was a long day filled with patience in our travels and kindness with Gods grace on the streets. Agape in action for sure! 

At O'Hare, everyone in anticipation.

Waiting….

and still we waited!

Our accommodations, girls on the left, boys on the right.

Miss Tonya and Justin explain our mission of the week.

Leading us in song and reflection.

Central Presbyterian Church

Eric, Dax, and Carmen, our DOOR leaders