when i was in college i had a mentor who used to always say and drill into me...."there are two things that will change your life forever: the people that you meet and the books that you read. Do both well." Today i bumped into a few people who have reminded me of the reality of that statement.
i was in douglas, ga yesterday working on a new partnership with a church in their ongoing commitment to make a difference among the poor and the needy in their city. i was moved by their passion and enthusiasm for the work they are doing. They are a small community with little funding that has big dreams. They just finished purchasing a building that is used for student leadership training, GED classes, and an after school program for tutoring and food assistance.
Their energy and light is contagious and infectious! They reflect the idea that you can do much with little. No excuses. And being around them for the few moments that i was changed my life and i am better for having had the opportunity to connect with them.
It is important to place ourselves into opportunities that will allow us to bump into people and communities that can fill us up with light, passion, and enthusiasm. And when we walk away we take a piece of them with us so that we can give it away to other....in hopes of making the world a better place!
Peace!!
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Moved To Compassion
We were an hour and ten minutes behind schedule. when we finally arrived 150 people were standing there waiting to recieve food. what could go wrong went wrong even before we got started. Our trialer went missing, food fell off the trailor while getting to the site, drivers got lost, passwords didn't work for important supplies, and the weather was threatening to shut everything down.
But when we got there everyone was excited even after having to wait over two hours for us! many of the people standing in line hadn't eaten in several days and were coming with little children in their arms. a few were in line with infants.
once we got started it didn't take long for everything to come together. In less than one hour we gave out all our food. And if you have ever been on a manna drop that's pretty amazing. the exitement about what we were doing and the energy of how important this food was to the people was unbelievable. a lot of the single migrant workers were helping us break down boxes and making sure that everyone was receiving food. one guy carried his crippled friend to the site to make sure he was able to get something after two days of nothing.
it is in these moments that being a human being and taking in the human experience is exhilerating. at one point one of the clinic organizers pointed out one of the volunteers passing out food. he was weaping as the needy came through the makeshift line. you could tell he was trying to fight back the emotions. when you see so much need at a single moment it does something to your soul. The Scriptures say that when Christ saw the crowds that we was 'moved with compassion.'
today....as we were giving out food and spending time with the needy our hearts were literally moved to compassion. in this struggling economy that has many out of work, it is important that we stick around and do what we can while so many suffer.
i want to thank Dan for giving so much. To The Vision for their commitment, volunteers, and desire to give away what they had. Julie and the staff at the migrant clinic for sacrificing and teaching us about loving others! and to the volunteer for his tears. to the needy i want to thank you for who you are and for teaching me the value of real love. What a lifechanging hour!! it is amazing what we can accomplish together even when everything seems to be going wrong!
Peace!
But when we got there everyone was excited even after having to wait over two hours for us! many of the people standing in line hadn't eaten in several days and were coming with little children in their arms. a few were in line with infants.
once we got started it didn't take long for everything to come together. In less than one hour we gave out all our food. And if you have ever been on a manna drop that's pretty amazing. the exitement about what we were doing and the energy of how important this food was to the people was unbelievable. a lot of the single migrant workers were helping us break down boxes and making sure that everyone was receiving food. one guy carried his crippled friend to the site to make sure he was able to get something after two days of nothing.
it is in these moments that being a human being and taking in the human experience is exhilerating. at one point one of the clinic organizers pointed out one of the volunteers passing out food. he was weaping as the needy came through the makeshift line. you could tell he was trying to fight back the emotions. when you see so much need at a single moment it does something to your soul. The Scriptures say that when Christ saw the crowds that we was 'moved with compassion.'
today....as we were giving out food and spending time with the needy our hearts were literally moved to compassion. in this struggling economy that has many out of work, it is important that we stick around and do what we can while so many suffer.
i want to thank Dan for giving so much. To The Vision for their commitment, volunteers, and desire to give away what they had. Julie and the staff at the migrant clinic for sacrificing and teaching us about loving others! and to the volunteer for his tears. to the needy i want to thank you for who you are and for teaching me the value of real love. What a lifechanging hour!! it is amazing what we can accomplish together even when everything seems to be going wrong!
Peace!
Monday, February 23, 2009
New Opportunities for 2009!
It has been way to long since my last entry. It has been a crazy beginning to '09. I wanted to let everyone know that i've posted some new dates for manna drops this year. If you're interested in helping us give out food to those in need just click on "get involved" and scroll down to Manna Drop Schedule. You'll find some new dates for '09. i'll post more as we add them to our schedule. if you'd like to come hang out with us just give me a call at 229-244-2678 and i'll give you additional information.
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