The trip to Corpus Christi is going by quickly, already more than half way through. It has flown by because it has been a blast.
The first day we drove 8 hours to Dallas, Texas. The drive to the site is always a good time to get to know your group members. There were 11 of us packed in two cars. Some played catch phrase. Others just listened to "tasty beats" as one member affectionately calls his music. Either way, you slowly start to get to know your members. When we arrived in Dallas, the church we were staying at hadn't confirmed the space we were staying at so they moved us to two of their parishioners' houses. Right off the bat we would need to be gumby! Turns out, being gumby wasn't so bad. Both the boy and girl who took us in were really nice, our age and we actually played a couple hours of games with them. I think the group can agree the change in plans was a blessing in disguise. When you go with the flow and don't complain about an obstacle, a lot of times it works out to your advantage. We had a phenomenal dinner, phenomenal night of games and were ready to head to our destination, Corpus Christi, the next day.
We were unsure what to expect of the Baptist church that housed us. In going to the church, we saw a stark contrast in affluence. One neighborhood looked poor and then you drive a few blocks and you're at a very affluent area. It is sadly a reality in most big cities, but definitely makes you realize even though one place may be nice, there are people in need right around the corner. But when we arrived at the church we were staying at, it was more than we could have ever imagined. We arrived to a huge room to sleep at, along with a recreation center with ping-pong, basketball and a full kitchen. Needless to say we were pretty blessed to have that kind of housing offered up by the church.
We went to our first service that day at Ronald McDonald house and they were extremely nice to us. The house is really phenomenal with temper-pedic beds, nice T.V's, a great kitchen and just everything around seemed new. But we learned that just because it looked marvelous didn't mean we weren't needed. A big garage sale was coming up to gain money to spice up the place further so we worked together to move boxes, sort books and do other chores throughout the place. Although there wasn't a ton of interaction with the children or families, we knew we were providing a better home for families who were going through a tough time.
On Monday we started service at our second service spot, the Boys and Girls club. We were informed it might be in a bad area, but you would have never known that if we hadn't been told anything. All of us felt secure and ready to play with the kids. Although it is obviously important to be aware so we can be safe, it is important to not judge a place because of where you might be from. Give it a chance first and in this case, it can pleasantly surprise you. We all immediately were amazed how well behaved the kids at the club were. They all responded to directions, did homework before they played and were great sports when they did play games. Many of these kids come from tougher home lives than many of us have grown up in but Boys and Girls club is an inspiring example of how no matter the situation a kid may grow up in at home, they can become really amazing young men and women. And also really good at games. These 8-12 year old kids were beating us in ping pong, air hockey and other games when we were trying our hardest! None of them knew us before that day but almost all of them gathered around and wanted help or to play with us. Just a few hours of our time definitely made them happier. Lastly, because we were there, clean up went really quickly and the staff who works hard every day were able to a have a day where they could make it home early for dinner, for a certain national championship game or whatever else they wanted because we were there. Just lessening the load for people who work hard every day goes a long way. I think all of us enjoyed spending time with the kids and can't wait to do it again on Wednesday.
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention how close we have gotten with each other on this trip. It is hard to explain why there is so much comfort and openness on this trip. Maybe your barriers break down because you see how much others are struggling. Maybe it's because these are people who are in a giving and open mood, which is a powerful thing to be in. Maybe we just got lucky and had a group that connected. Regardless of the reason, though helping the children is our main priority, we all know that this week is a chance to make some really great friends, and that is powerful too.
Finally, we had our free day today. We traveled to San Antonio and went through the River Walk and visited the Alamo. It's amazing how many beautiful places there are throughout the country. It inspires you to want to travel to places around the country and the world. Just a few days left on the trip, we're looking forward to it!
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