Getting Out

248/365

Today has been long, but excellent. I went to breakfast, had two classes, sat in the lounge after climbing ten flights of stairs (never again! because the second elevator is fixed now!), had lunch, did poorly on a test I thought I'd do well on, relaxed a little, went to my PCM (Practical Christian Ministry aka served food at a homeless shelter), joined the bro/sis event to watch The Sandlot in Sweeting (a building on campus), then a group of us from the bro/sis went out!

We walked to Grant Park, a little through Millennium (they were closing once we finally got there), ate Subway, then took the el back. It was so nice to step off the brown line, walk a block, and be on campus. On our way to the park we passed right by where some filming was going on. When we asked they said it was for Chicago P.D., so that was kinda cool. But now it's getting quiet outside my window, so I guess everyone in the plaza is going to bed. Good thing, too, because I should probably head that way, seeing as I have a decent amount of homework I should get ahead on tomorrow.

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

Metro Relief Open House

Little sister stirring the soup.

Dad pouring the soup into the cambros.

The pantry.

Dad praying with the staff and volunteers before the open house started.

Little sister and I serving soup from the bus. (photo by mom)

The view before you step down into the well that puts you at street level to serve the soup.

Dad showing mom how to serve up the soup.

103/365 : Soup - ready to be consumed by local friends to raise awareness about what Metro Relief does.

Yesterday my family and I spent a few hours up at Metro Relief here in The Colony. They had an open house where people who are curious what exactly they do could come and experience it all a little bit. There were tours around the building, including the pantry area which provides meals for over 200 families a month. People were also invited to come outside - despite the rain - and get a cup of soup and some bread, served up just how they do it twice a week in their urban outreaches.

I haven't posted about it on here yet, but this is actually where my dad spends his days now. He quit his long-time job of truck driving a few months ago and is now raising support and serving in Fort Worth and Dallas with Metro. That is why we were there serving. I have a food handler's license (part of working at a fast food restaurant), so I was there to boss around my mom and little sister, who I was serving soup with. Little sister and I were in the well, which put us at about the same level as everyone else, and we found out what people wanted - soup? lemonade? water? cookie? - and our mom served it up and handed it to us.

This isn't the first time I've done something like this, however. I posted a little bit last month about my two trips to New York City to serve on the Relief Bus, which is like the mother of Metro, I guess you could say. We also served with Metro Relief a little over a year ago and I blogged about it (on my old blog) here. My favorite place to be when I'm serving on a bus like this is inside, serving the soup and other goods to the people. This time around I found I was much better at chatting with people, which is a huge thanks to working at Chick-fil-A.

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

Self Portrait (14/52)

Tonight I read this lovely blog post. It solidified my thinking of going about this challenge of taking a self portrait each week this year. It's a tad awkward to post a picture of myself each week, but it's who I am, and I know I won't regret it later.

This week, like many others, I've spent a lot of time thinking. Part of it is just general thoughts, but most of it is because, in a matter of just a few weeks, I will hear from Moody on whether or not I was accepted for this fall. I have, of course, plans in my head of how things will work whether I'm accepted or not, so I'm content with either one and just ready to put those plans into actions.

Something I have not yet shared on here are my plans for the summer. For a few years now, I've loved the idea of working at a summer camp, so I applied to one in January or so. I didn't hear anything for a few weeks, then all of a sudden I did and there was a phone interview and lots of emails and a skype interview. You see, I had initially applied for the digital/social media position, but because that's such a limited position they asked if I would be interested in anything else. As a follower of Summer's blog, I emailed them names of a few other positions they have listed on their website, including the kitchen. The woman I had emailed and had a phone interview with sent my information to the kitchen manager and we had a skype interview.

At the end of the interview, he asked me if I had any questions or concerns, and I confessed that I was starting to have doubts about working at the camp that summer. My doubts did not stem from his earlier comment about people in the kitchen having to work 10-12 hour days, but instead a deeper feeling that it just wasn't right. I knew the base pay of what I would make if I decided to spend all summer there, and it just did not compare to what I could make at the job I'm already comfortable, or the other jobs I could pick up as well. So I emailed them the next week and said I wouldn't be able to come.

So I'm staying home for the summer. After seeking advice from a few of those I trust, I decided that it would be best for me to continue in a place where I'm already making fine money, and potentially even more, instead of going someplace mainly to serve. I'm serving just fine here.

The act of serving where you are at currently...is another blog post for another day. Right now, I have helix knitting (!!!) and Pride & Prejudice to tend to.

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

#throwbackthursday

Dad & I in Central Park.

Yup!

(photo by someone else on the trip...not sure who)

(photo by someone else on the trip...not sure who)

Spring Break 2010 and 2011 I had the opportunity to go serve the homeless in New York City. I can't really describe either trip. They rocked. I want to go again. In fact, I never wanted to leave. I cannot begin to describe the sadness I felt on the plane back - both times. This is definitely the place I first started to love serving people. 

- rl

These Shoes

003/365

I composed today's photo of my Converse before work today, then on the way home my dad informed me that we were going to Metro Relief tonight to help pass out fliers, so when I went home to change, I put on these shoes and spent an hour or so walking around Budget Suites putting fliers on doors with some other youth from church.

Serving is kinda my thing, I'm thankful for shoes in good condition to help me do that.

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)