Our group--Kayla, Kyra, Tarra, Jacob and Jan (KKTJJ) started the morning with a tour of "our" neighborhood. We were to take notes of the sights we saw along the way which included many art galleries, an innercity school with officially-sanctioned graffiti on the front, tattoo parlors, and some of the normal scenes of city life you might find anywhere in the U.S. But as Dorothy said (paraphrased, of course) "Toto, I don't think we're in Blue Earth anymore!"
We watched as a grandmother stood by as her two little grandchildren dug through the garbage on the street corner in search of bottles and cans to redeem for cash. We are constantly aware of the poverty around us and of the circumstances in which our fellow humans live. And yet, there is beauty and hope all around us springing up in the most unlikely places.
At 10 AM we travelled to another inner city parish to cook and serve at Rev. Clyde's "Love Kitchen" which serves a very poor neighborhood. We were deeply affected by those we served and listened intently to both the cooking instructions of Rev. Clyde and his many interesting stories. Kayla got a hug from a homeless man. Many of those we serve are in desperate situations but remember to express gratitude.
"For as much as you did unto the least of these,
you did it unto Me." Matthew 25:40
I am posting from a Starbucks tonight while a big group of us is enjoying the atmosphere of Casa Bonita's. Tomorrow we will be painting and doing outdoor work. Those of us from Blue Earth who were working at the site today said they enjoyed the experience very much.
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