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Immersion Experience: Memphis
DAY THREE IN MEMPHIS
"If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change." - Wayne Dyer
As we weeded an urban garden, picked up trash, organized food at the food bank, and served dinner at The Room at the Inn we began to look at things with a different perspective...
As we weeded an urban garden, picked up trash, organized food at the food bank, and served dinner at The Room at the Inn we began to look at things with a different perspective...
My name is Sebastian Mejia and attending this Memphis trip has been an amazing experience. I have learned a lot about poverty, and the cycle that comes with it. An aspect of poverty I learned about was a food desert - an area without access to a grocery store or healthy produce. We heard from a Memphis resident named Theo, and he described the public transportation system as a joke. He told us how city sponsored farmer markets are only allowed to run during July and August. This limits access to fresh produce and easy options for good quality food. This became apparent to me when volunteering at a small field in the middle of a neighborhood taken care of by Theo. He needed help clearing rocks, trash, and bricks from the fields, all the while maintaining the current small farm he has. Understanding what public service workers go through opened my eyes to the importance and commitment they have to the community.
A portion of the group volunteering was tasked with weed cleanup, while my group was tasked with trash pickup. I found a lot of empty beer cans, Styrofoam, and about anything else you could possibly imagine. We filled countless bags of trash, and when we left there was still trash everywhere. When picking up each piece, we learned a little about the identity of the people passing through there. A jacket, a bible, and other gross items - they all tell a story. I left the site feeling happy and content, even though there was still trash there. My clothes were muddy, my shoes were soaked, and there was still much to do even after we left. We started something that was worth doing. The actions that we did today were the reasons why I signed up for this trip to Memphis, I saw the reality of a failed infrastructure, and was able to make a positive impact.
Sebastian Mejia
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Marco Batuello
As I have gotten to know my cooking group today, I also had the privilege to meet new people. When we were done cooking, we served the food to those living at the inn, and we even got to eat dinner with them. Keaton and I met a guy named Joel, a very humorous and sweet person. As we talked to Joel and got a better understanding of who he is, he said something that will stick with me. He was talking about how there are people that will run the same path each day, running past the same tree for months on end, and not notice the tree next to them. Yet, there will be someone sitting at a bench across the park looking at the tree noticing the changes within that tree. I think that you can interpret this analogy in any way you please. I understood this as people get so caught up in the cycle of life, that they miss even just the simple things surrounding us. We miss experiences, relationships, or connections when we are caught up in the future - rather than just living in the present. I think that Joel was filled with lots of knowledge and wisdom, and I am blessed to have crossed paths with him.
Overall, today was a very influential day, and I think that I gained new perspectives on many different aspects of my life. I am happy with all the encounters I had today, and I look forward to the people I have yet to meet and the experiences to come.
Taylor Tostrup
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Hello families,
Today, Morgan, Ella, Sebastian, Rudy, Frances, Anna C, and I went to the Crosstown Concourse for dinner. The Crosstown Concourse is in an old Sears warehouse that was renovated to become a building with various things. It has a hospital, high school, theater, restaurants, etc. We spent about 30 minutes walking around the building and taking in all the renovations the building has gone through. We saw a gym, restaurants, bakeries, and a bunch of people. A lot of people seemed to be taking in the art of the building as well.
Morgan, Ella, and I went to a burger restaurant called Farm Burger. We all got burgers…surprisingly, I know. We all sat around a table and discussed our Kairos trips, parents, colleges, and our overall experience of this trip. The other people in our group went to a café and ate Middle Eastern food. They joined us once they got their food and seemed very pleased with their food. We sat around the table for about an hour talking about our families, dogs, and Mrs. Cole’s husband, aka "Forrest Gump". We learned Mr. Cole runs 100-mile races, which is absurd! After we ate, we walked around the building, took pictures, and enjoyed each other’s presences.
On the way home we listened to some phenomenal music - Adele. We had a very tough day listening to and "out singing" Adele in her own songs! After we got back into our bunk house, we reflected and spoke about all of our different experiences which leads me here, writing this. Everyone here seems to be extremely happy to be here and they are currently singing karaoke as I am writing this. I hope the families are doing well - all of us are having a phenomenal time.
Danny Jolly
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Today, Morgan, Ella, Sebastian, Rudy, Frances, Anna C, and I went to the Crosstown Concourse for dinner. The Crosstown Concourse is in an old Sears warehouse that was renovated to become a building with various things. It has a hospital, high school, theater, restaurants, etc. We spent about 30 minutes walking around the building and taking in all the renovations the building has gone through. We saw a gym, restaurants, bakeries, and a bunch of people. A lot of people seemed to be taking in the art of the building as well.
Morgan, Ella, and I went to a burger restaurant called Farm Burger. We all got burgers…surprisingly, I know. We all sat around a table and discussed our Kairos trips, parents, colleges, and our overall experience of this trip. The other people in our group went to a café and ate Middle Eastern food. They joined us once they got their food and seemed very pleased with their food. We sat around the table for about an hour talking about our families, dogs, and Mrs. Cole’s husband, aka "Forrest Gump". We learned Mr. Cole runs 100-mile races, which is absurd! After we ate, we walked around the building, took pictures, and enjoyed each other’s presences.
On the way home we listened to some phenomenal music - Adele. We had a very tough day listening to and "out singing" Adele in her own songs! After we got back into our bunk house, we reflected and spoke about all of our different experiences which leads me here, writing this. Everyone here seems to be extremely happy to be here and they are currently singing karaoke as I am writing this. I hope the families are doing well - all of us are having a phenomenal time.
Danny Jolly
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Hello family & friends,
Today the entire group and I went to the Works Urban Farms to help around their farm, where they grow produce for local restaurants. After cleaning up their farm, we went to clean some more land. We grabbed numerous trash bags and some "grabbers" and got to work.
As I was picking up trash, I noticed that every time I looked back up, half of the trash that was left from the last area I cleaned was already gone. Noticing this, I realized that we really do all have a single genuine goal: that we all care deeply about what we are doing. Being able to make a space safe and knowing anyone can come to a clean space and be able to be comfortable there was something that felt genuinely impactful.
While I think there is a sense of displacement for all of us, every day seems more and more great for us all. We all become closer every day as we get to know each other better and everyone we meet. Everyone has learned what it means to really be welcoming and be welcomed at the same time. After all, this is not our home. However, that does not mean us students here in Memphis do not feel at home. We all are bonding and becoming close, like a large, unorthodox family. We are all very grateful to be here and are having a great time with each other and doing everything we do.
Marco Batuello
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Hello friends and family,
Today was a very eventful yet fulfilling day. This morning, our entire group went to Works Urban Farms, where we helped garden and pick up trash in surrounding areas. As Morgan and I walked around collecting trash, we ran into a book that was stuck under some branches. Curious to see what book it was, we were able to uncover it. As I turned the book over, I saw that it read, “Holy Bible.” My initial thought was how disrespectful and sad it felt to see the Bible all torn up, soaked in water. We didn’t want to throw it away, so we set it aside on the grass and collected the nearby papers that were torn out of the book and stacked them next to the bible. While we did this, I noticed that the pages were burnt on the surrounding edges. This was a huge shock for me, mainly due to the bible still being in pretty good condition. I feel that typically if a book were to be soaked with water and burnt to flames that it would be ruined, but the bible was still intact. I feel that this was something I was meant to encounter today, and I am grateful for this opportunity.
Today was a very eventful yet fulfilling day. This morning, our entire group went to Works Urban Farms, where we helped garden and pick up trash in surrounding areas. As Morgan and I walked around collecting trash, we ran into a book that was stuck under some branches. Curious to see what book it was, we were able to uncover it. As I turned the book over, I saw that it read, “Holy Bible.” My initial thought was how disrespectful and sad it felt to see the Bible all torn up, soaked in water. We didn’t want to throw it away, so we set it aside on the grass and collected the nearby papers that were torn out of the book and stacked them next to the bible. While we did this, I noticed that the pages were burnt on the surrounding edges. This was a huge shock for me, mainly due to the bible still being in pretty good condition. I feel that typically if a book were to be soaked with water and burnt to flames that it would be ruined, but the bible was still intact. I feel that this was something I was meant to encounter today, and I am grateful for this opportunity.
After an eventful and intriguing morning, my group had the opportunity to cook a meal down at The Room at the Inn. Keaton, Sophie, Juan, Luke, Bree, and I learned a lot about teamwork and community through cooking a great meal. We chose to make penne rosa with garlic bread, and a rice crispy treat as our dessert. I find that I am not very experienced in the kitchen, but I did learn more about how working as a team is the only way we will get things done. Each of us had something to contribute, whether that is Juan with his experience of being in the kitchen, Bree always being there to help keep the dishes clean, Luke’s knowledge of cooking, Sophie always being there if you need a hand, or Keaton helping to keep us organized. I am blessed to be in such a wonderful group, and I am excited to learn more about each other as the week progresses.
As I have gotten to know my cooking group today, I also had the privilege to meet new people. When we were done cooking, we served the food to those living at the inn, and we even got to eat dinner with them. Keaton and I met a guy named Joel, a very humorous and sweet person. As we talked to Joel and got a better understanding of who he is, he said something that will stick with me. He was talking about how there are people that will run the same path each day, running past the same tree for months on end, and not notice the tree next to them. Yet, there will be someone sitting at a bench across the park looking at the tree noticing the changes within that tree. I think that you can interpret this analogy in any way you please. I understood this as people get so caught up in the cycle of life, that they miss even just the simple things surrounding us. We miss experiences, relationships, or connections when we are caught up in the future - rather than just living in the present. I think that Joel was filled with lots of knowledge and wisdom, and I am blessed to have crossed paths with him.
Overall, today was a very influential day, and I think that I gained new perspectives on many different aspects of my life. I am happy with all the encounters I had today, and I look forward to the people I have yet to meet and the experiences to come.
Taylor Tostrup
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