I just returned from a mission trip in Chicago. I know I have been to Chicago before, but that was mostly in the subarbs, and very rarely in the city. This time, it wasn't like that. And it was something like no other, that I can't wait to share with you.
This trip was the youth trip from my church that they take every year. This was the first year I was able to go, and I really enjoyed my time. We stayed at a place called Jesus People, USA and we helped out at homeless shelters too. The people there were amazing, as was my time there, and I really wish it didn't have to end so soon.
Through this trip, I learned about hard and messy work. One of the jobs we had to do while we were in Chicago was shovel all the rubber chips out of the JPUSA playground and replace them with woodchips. This took some doing because it was long and tiring work, yet, we had a deadline and we had to get it done. I learned that sometimes, even if you're tired, you can't quit, or you will never get a job done. I learned about messy work through all the cleaning and cooking I had to do one night at the homeless shelter and also visiting the homeless shelters and seeing how they were. It makes my house look like a castle.
I also learned about the homeless. Most shelters split apart families that come in, and sometimes, boys over the age of 12 don't even put in a shelter. One of the men that I talked to at the shelter told me about how anything can happen, and anyone can become homeless in the blink of an eye. Different situations lead to different things. What struck me about this man is that he had poems memorized. Not just any poems, but ones that were meaningful to him. If you were to talk to him, chances are, you would hear these poems. And chances also are that you would find them just as amazing as I did. Not only could he recite them, but he could tell you what every line, every stanza, and every poem meant to him. To me, this is amazing. There are so many people who have more books, poetry and works than he does, but they never take the time to memorize it, or figure what it means to them. I think that talking to homeless people made me learn about homeless people. and though it broke my heart, I'm glad I learned it, because it's important to know about everyone in the world around you.
Lastly, I learned about relationships. I learned that my relationships with God and those around me aren't going to be strengthened unless I want them to be. I also learned that I have to grow as a person.
On this trip, I learned just what some people had to go through. And it made it me want to help. I now want to help all those who need it. And right now, that's a lot of people.
My advice to you is "to do something" as the supervisor of the shelter said. Do something. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, a food pantry, a nursing home, a homeless shelter or just any organization that helps those that need it. Even just for an hour a month. Because, believe it or not, that hour does make a difference, and the people you help are going to be very thankful for that.
http://s1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/chuhulil/Chicago/
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