sc is calling me home

as i sit in my summer apartment for the last final hours, i sit back and think of everything that has had happened this summer. i spent over two months of my life in this place. with people i just met. working with kids from all kinds of backgrounds and family situations. will i ever see them again? will i ever see this apartment again? will i ever go back to national baptist memorial church? i have pictures and memories that capture this experience so well. but they're just images. in print and in my head. i'm picking everything back up and going back to the familiar. like nothing ever happened. as much as i'm looking forward to heading home to south carolina, i can honestly say i will miss this place. and the people. and the kids. it didn't really hit me until just now. just looking around the apartment, i can't help but think of the funny moments..or moments when we just needed to be alone because we were frustrated. and across the street is the church. the building i spent the majority of my time in. i know i'll see it again. whether it be next summer or later in life when i'm passing through. this place holds memories. a part of me is planted here. and it's definitely a place and experience i will truly never forget. 

so close..

well i have shingles. it's no fun at all. i can't be around the kids, or pretty much anyone. i've been doing office work for the past few days and i'm getting bored. i think it's a sign i need to go home.


i love dc, but i'm pretty sure i love south carolina more. i'm so ready to be home and see familiar faces. and eat at familiar restaurants. and drink sweet tea. goodness i'm tired of "iced tea." it's just not the same! 


i can't believe i'll be going home next saturday. the summer seriously has flown by! 

12 days

it's crazy how fast this summer has gone by. it seems like only yesterday i was lost in montgomery on the way to orientation with a car full of girls..and now i'm booking my flight home to leave DC in exactly two weeks. 

at orientation the main focus was learning how to stay present. fully being immersed in the people, culture, and work surrounding you. but it's not always easy focusing all your thoughts on the "present" when there's a million other things at home begging for attention. "do i have everything ready for the upcoming school semester?".."what color should i paint my apartment bathroom?".."i wonder what my friends and i will do once we see each other.".."i'm so ready to see my family."

everyday i repeatedly have to pull myself and mind back into camp and the kids. for four weeks i've tried my hardest to be present. but with two weeks left, i know it will definitely be challenging. i'm physically, mentally, and emotionally drained. i pray that i have the strength to get through it. not only for myself, but for my team members as well. we started off strong and fully present..and i hope we end just the same.

comedy break

i think the saying is true: kids really do say the funniest things. today one of the campers stole a toy from another camper. the camper who had the toy to begin with said to the other camper, "i'm going to tell God on you." 


it was sweet and innocent. 


another funny thing that happened the other day:
a camper had to call her mom once she got to the church. (a lot of campers have to walk all the way to church by themselves, which is a scary thought to me) so when she got to church i took her to our office and let her call her mom. when we were leaving she saw a wii and controller sitting on our desk. and this is how our conversation went:
"do you guys ever play the wii?"
"yeah, sometimes."
"where is the tv?"
"it's in the fellowship hall."
"i didn't think people were allowed to play wii in the church."


for some reason this conversation made me laugh so much!

tired: for real.

so, i know it has been a while since i last posted. but camp has started and we are close to finishing up our third week.

the first week we had a mission team from brooklyn, ny. they were absolutely amazing! they brought so much energy and were great with the kids. it was interesting to work with a group of people, close to my age, who were/are so different. they all grew up in a big city and had to learn at a young age what surviving meant. not necessarily in their home, but on the streets. you could tell they understand where the campers are coming from. they understand their lives. much more than i ever could. 

the second week we didn't have a mission team. but the Lord works wonders. three of the guys from brooklyn came back to dc to help us. they knew we needed more help so they were there. it was such a blessing. more than they could ever know. i honestly don't know what we would have done without them. it was a rough week, but we made it. 

my mom also came to visit! it was nice having a familiar face here. sometimes it gets weird not knowing anybody. we did all the tourist stuff and just enjoyed ourselves. 

i'm so tired though. camp is so draining. kids are draining. and i really just want to sleep. which is what i'm going to do now. i'll have a better post up soon. i promise! 

lessons on being thankful

it's friday, finally! my group and i have been so spoiled this past week. and we're so very thankful.


first of all, we got a private tour of the capitol. as my mom would say, "that's way cool." the person giving the tour, lauren hovis, was actually in my position last summer. this summer she's doing a captiol hill internship. secondly, we completed so many things on our to-do list! literally, everything is checked off. we finished getting everything for camp ready, we cleaned, we organized, and we may even get to relax. 


let me tell you some background information:
national baptist memorial is a very large church. not in numbers, but in the actual size of the church. there are literally doorways, and stairways and rooms everywhere. i'm pretty sure i haven't even been in over half of the building. 


but anyway..with camp starting on monday, we had church volunteers come in this past tuesday to help us do various things (such as cleaning, painting, and just getting rid of trash)  in the rooms where camp will be held. (which is basically the entire upstairs and which was basically a complete mess) 


the volunteers did tremendous work! we were/are so thankful for everything they did. the upstairs looks amazing with clean floors, freshly painted rooms, dusted tables..a huge difference from what it looked like a few weeks ago.


while we were busy cleaning upstairs, ms. claudia and ms. taylor (two of my favorite ladies) were busy downstairs cooking a feast for us. it was absolutely fabulous! baked and fried fish, salad, pasta, fresh vegetables, homemade mashed potatoes, pound cake, and peach tea. it was the first "real cooked" meal i've had since i've been in dc. the change in food was such a nice thing. really, it was. a person can only have so many pb&j sandwiches. 


on thursday evening, we had the privilege of enjoying ms. taylor's cooking again. and once again, it was a feast. roasted chicken, roast beef, rice, salad, vegetables, rolls, cranberry tea and cake that tasted exactly like thin mint girl scout cookies. i was literally full. the kind of full where you just want to lay down and nap. 
ms. taylor is such a wonderful woman. the whole time we were eating dinner, we just listened. to her stories about life, the church, jamaica, and everything in-between. ms. taylor has been a member of nbmc for 43 years. over half of her life. she told us how the church used to fill the sanctuary every sunday with about 600 people. mainly whites. the church used to have a large children's program. and two pastors. but a lot has changed over the years.
the church now has one pastor, which happens to be its first woman, african american pastor. no definite children's program. and maybe 50 people in sunday morning worship. 4 or 5 being white. the church basically did a 180 (or 360, i can't ever remember). 
the thing that really surprised me is that the intention of nbmc was to literally be the national baptist church. but things change. plans change. and some times nothing works like it's supposed to. 


ms. taylor told us everything. how she's a breast cancer survivor. she's from jamaica. she lives a simple life. and she loves nothing more than to make sure people are ok. by the time we got done with our huge plates full of food, she said, "let's have seconds.." of course we told her how full we were, and then she said, "well, maybe i should talk more and then you'll be hungry again." one of her favorite things is to cook for people. knowing people have food. and lots of it. she's almost like our mother here. she'll tell us like it is. when we're wrong. when we're right. and when we just need to know someone is there. 


once again she's cooking for us. we all told her we like shrimp, so guess what we're having for lunch? shrimp. even though she shouldn't be cooking it. she told us how she's allergic to shellfish. i don't know about you, but that's love. she knows it's something we want, and she's making sure we get it. like i said, we're spoiled. but so thankful at the same time. 


(here is some information about camp, which will start monday, that pastor jones sent out. keep us in prayer!)
Exciting news! We are at capacity for Explorer Camp 2011.  Based on the latest count, there are 41 children registered for our camp, 21 boys and 20 girls.  The group of campers is diverse in age, gender, ethnicity and life experience.  We have campers who are Latino, African, Caribbean, African American and Anglo American.  Children live primarily in DC, but there are some who live in parts of Maryland.  Some of the families currently reside in a transitional housing program, while others live in their own home.  There are parents who are working; looking for work; and, never worked before.  A significant number of children are participating because of help from extended family members and friends. 

according to laura

life 101: the do's and don'ts


things i've learned since i've been in dc
1. never, ever fall asleep with headphones in. you may or may not (almost) choke yourself.
2. this one i learned during freshman year of college, but i had a similar experience the other day. always, always, always make sure you have a working can opener. do not stab the can with a knife. it will not work. also, make sure the can opener you have works. if not, you'll have a half-open can of baked beans and some hungry kids. 
3. i stated this in an earlier blog, but make sure when riding an escalator you stand on the right side. people will get angry if you're standing on the left. just remember: always right.
4. dc is a big place. and comfortable shoes are necessary. when walking more than a block, do not wear 5-inch, wooden heels. you may look cute and fashionable, but secretly everyone knows your feet are killing you. so if you do decide to make a poor choice in the shoe department, just smile and pretend everything is ok. 
5. when cooking spaghetti sauce, never turn the stove on high. the sauce will splatter. everywhere. potentially splattering on your arm and burning you. 
6. if you want to cool down your apartment/house, make sure you have the a/c unit on cool. not fan. fan will just make the house/apartment even hotter.