Dear friends and family,

Today I started off by doing yoga first thing in the morning with Mrs. Cole. A few of us have been doing it every morning just for 20-30 minutes. It’s a great way to start the day in a good mood and prepares us to do service work. After that we headed to the World Relief office. Yesterday, we did a bunch of work getting houses ready for refugees who are coming to live in them. Today we just finished up everything that was left. The first house we went to I moved in a fridge and an oven. That house is going to be home to a family from Jordan. They were previously in a refugee camp and now they are moving here. I was thinking about how this will be the first time that this family gets to see USA. Memphis and that neighborhood will be their first impression of our country. I think it will be a good start for them. They get to move into a fresh environment and start off in a good way. I hope that they can get comfortable and feel like they belong and have a home.

After the first house we went back to the office and ate lunch. We then went to Walmart with our small group to buy groceries for the incoming families. My small group consists of Mr. Alcorn, Juan, Sophie, Keaton, Bree, Taylor, and me (Luke). I am glad that we as a group have gotten along so well on this trip. We all seem to be very different people and we wouldn’t normally hang out or even if we were at school. I was thinking today that my first impression of all of them was that they wouldn’t really like me, or we wouldn’t be able to find a lot in common with each other. I have been proven wrong on this trip because our group has gotten along super well, and they are all awesome, kind people. I think a lot of times I like to keep to myself because I assume most people don’t understand me or like my presence. I think on this trip I have tried to be more outgoing, and I have already bonded with people that I wouldn’t expect myself to ever talk to. I am super grateful for that.

The families we shopped for were families of 10, 5, 2, and 1. I can’t even imagine a family of 10 people moving to a whole new country and starting a new life together. I worked with Ellis who is the supervisor of the whole operation. Yesterday, when we were setting up the houses, one of the pipes burst and he had to change all the plans of the day and deal with it. We ended up still getting a lot done but that was a big problem that he had to deal with. He ended the day by telling us that the hardest thing to accept about life is that no matter how hard you try to plan and prepare something can always go wrong and mess it all up. He said that when that happens you just have to accept it and keep moving forward.

Ellis inspired me to be more positive and invested in this whole experience. Even though I was tired today, I found myself pushing through and taking the initiative to get things done quickly.  I think that Ellis helped me with that because of how positive and passionate he is about the World Relief program. I caught him at moments just smiling and enjoying himself even at crucial and hard moments. I was able to relate to his passion in my own life which gave me a better outlook on the whole experience. I find in my own life that I can work harder at and actually enjoy the things that I am passionate about. In other words, purposeful and meaningful work doesn’t actually feel like work. I was able to really enjoy all of the hard things from today like wiping toilets, vacuuming, sweeping, and moving because it is making a difference and putting out good into the world. I am passionate about creating a good environment for the refugees that are calling this place home. Because of this I really enjoyed everything about today even though I was tired, and we had a lot of hard work to do. I was able to forget about myself at moments because I was so invested in our tasks. I became a more selfless person for a time because I was able to get into a more passionate and purposeful mindset. It didn’t matter if I was feeling tired, hungry, or bored because I was able to put myself aside and just forget. I am grateful that Ellis and his personality gave me this new perspective.

Luke Damrath

 

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Dear family & friends,

Today’s our final full day in Memphis. I think we’re all ready to go home, but equally sad that our time here is coming to an end. We started off the day by going back to the World Relief office as we had to assist in the final touches to the three houses being prepared for refugee families. Since we’d done all the initial unpacking and assembling of furniture yesterday, all that was left for today was putting sheets on the beds and cleaning everything. Between yesterday and today, I often caught myself pausing and trying to wrap my head around what we were doing. It’s a lot to think about – families coming to live in America from all over the world. The fact that these families were going to live in houses that we set up is amazing to me. Over the next few days, I’ll definitely be keeping these families in my thoughts and prayers as they move into their new houses and turn them into homes.

After finishing up at the houses, we went back to the office and had lunch as a full group. A few of us took naps, including myself. We’re all tired from the near constant activity, but it’s all been worth the energy. Once we finished with our lunch break, our small group (Mr. Alcorn, Taylor, Luke, Juan, Sophie, Bree, and me) went with Ellis to Walmart to shop for items for the Refugee Families. Taylor and I teamed up to get items for a family of 5 coming from Venezuela. I noticed that most of the groceries were basic items such as flour, sugar, vegetable oil, etc. I wonder if this is just to get them started off and they’ll get additional things later. I almost wish I’d added a few non-essential, fun snacks in with my own money – especially for the kids in the family.

Our cashier, Betty, was the epitome of hospitable – a word we focused on in our reflection today. She even came up to us in the store and told us to come to her because she wanted to be the one to check us out. Betty was so friendly to us, helping in every little way possible. She made us feel welcomed and important. It may seem as though a cashier at a Walmart is slightly insignificant, but her kindness didn’t go unnoticed.

I’m also grateful for the hospitality shown in my small group. We’re quite an interesting mix of people - under normal circumstances we wouldn’t hang out. However, we’ve had so much fun and have bonded a ton. I love each of them so much and hope to continue to grow in my friendships with them after the trip.

Keaton Ellery Hagedon

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To everyone at home,

Today I would like to talk to you through my very emotional day. First, I would like to explain how wonderful this experience has been for me. Initially, I dreaded the thought of Memphis. The thought of leaving home without my family for the first time, forgetting something (which, unfortunately, I did), not knowing what services we were going to be doing and even spending so much time with – who at first were – complete strangers to me all gave my feelings of fear. I feared walking into the unknown. As the days have come and gone, my fear has transitioned. These people have become close and known to me. The bonds and experiences we have made within our group and the impact we have had on the Memphis community have been memorable. We helped organizations in the short term, but we directly impacted individuals for a very long time into the future. Some just needed a meal for the day or needed help cleaning, others needed to sit down and have a conversation with somebody to be seen and heard. Although we have come to help them, it seems as though they were helping us. The community of Memphis has been very hospitable and loving. As we engaged in our last reflection, approach our last night, and prepare for our final acts of service, I am learning to be grateful. I appreciate the work we have done here, the memories and experiences we have created; I wish I could have stayed here longer. Don’t get me wrong, I do miss my family, my home - but not as much as I thought I would. It’s starting to feel like home here. My new fear is losing touch with that, so as I learn to be appreciative for everything that I have and everything I have gained, I strive to work hard to continue the experience wherever I go. So, although I am sad about leaving, I am excited to see where this leads me, and I’m excited to be coming home. See you soon.

Rudy Robles

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