Ellie, Kayleen, and Paige coming to you live (sort of) from Houston, Texas. We've been so busy (in a great way) that we even had a hard time finding time to sit down and write a reflection about our second and third days of service here in the beautiful state of Texas. Over the last three days we have been waking up early (especially for us college kids) to make ham sandwiches and package sack lunches for the underprivileged kids of Houston. Today, unfortunately, was our last day in the Kids' Meals kitchen. In these three short days we were able to pack 6,184 lunches: 6,184 ham sandwiches, 6,184 apple sauce containers, 6,184 juice boxes, but most importantly we were able to momentarily fill the stomachs of the precious children of this city we have grown to love. We caught ourselves from letting the everyday "I'm starving"s slip as we realized that the sandwich we were making could very well be the only thing that the child on the receiving end would eat today. We felt grateful that a normally tedious task could be transformed into a life-changing, meaningful experience for all eleven of us. As we left, Kat, the spirited kitchen director, gave us all hugs and shared her gratitude for our time and enthusiasm as if we were departing family members. Little did she know the time spent in her kitchen paved the way for some of our goofiest jokes, favorite memories, and most genuine conversations.
After four hours of handling frozen deli meat, we decided it was definitely time for a (hot) lunch. A quick Yelp research led us to a place called North Italia. It sounded almost too good to be true: "casual" dress, 4 stars, a menu which satisfied us all (even the pickiest of eaters!), and IT WAS ONLY TWO DOLLAR SIGNS, PEOPLE. It was decided--we had to go. The closer we got on the drive there, the abundance of Range Rovers and two story Starbucks (?) began to make our tennis shoes and ball caps feel increasingly out of place. Braving through the indescribable discomfort of being clearly underdressed, we marched into North Italia and requested a table for eleven. "Oh… I do NOT have ANY room for ELEVEN right now… but you could try Sears₁", said the kind hostess of the half-empty restaurant. Apparently, the Yelp review really was too good to be true. Call us ignorant, but we weren't aware that three-piece suits were considered "casual". No worries though, we took our t-shirt squad a few doors down and had some great pizza.
As for our service at the Creative Dreams Outreach Center, we three have collectively agreed that there are not adequate words for us to blog that would do these incredible young people and their fearless leaders justice. In three short days, we feel accepted as part of a family that has been here for ten years. As we have learned more about the instability which shapes the lives of these children (all who come here from a low-income family, the foster care system, or in many cases—both), we have grown to understand the need for stability in their lives. The authentic relationships and connections that we have made in this short time inspires us and also gives us hope for these amazing kids and their potential futures. Just one of the incredible things (it is hard to say only one, as we really do feel like something perspective-altering happens every minute here) that happened today was the celebration of 12 year-old Michael's₂ birthday. Instead of tangible gifts, everyone in the room gave him something that would stay with him much longer. After we sang, everyone went around and gave Michael a meaningful compliment. As much as he tried to 'keep his cool', it was obvious that these words struck Michael on a deeper level than any traditional gift ever could. We were incredibly touched at the validation that Michael's peers offered him regarding his character and the light he brings to Creative Dreams. We could tell that this type of validation isn't offered freely in his life—and we were honored to be a part of this special moment for him. This is just one of the many moments of learning and joy that we've had here. We are beginning to understand how difficult it will be to leave these kids come Saturday morning, but we are embracing every moment until then.
1: She didn't actually say the Sears thing… we added that for the classic 'obligatory Mean Girls reference'
2: This name has been changed for privacy reasons
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