MAB Weekend - Morgan County (Theta)

Hi everyone! We are the women of Kappa Alpha Theta, and we spent the weekend in Morgan County. This was our first MAB trip as a sorority, but we hope to lead a trip every semester going forward. We come from different pledge classes, socio-economic statuses and hometowns. But as we traversed through the windy roads beyond Jefferson City, verging on car sickness, we never expected that the families in Versailles, Missouri would teach us so much.

We found our home for the weekend in Loving Hands Preschool and Daycare (a vague rendition of Sunny Side in Toy Story 3). Even more exciting than the Disney decals on the walls, was the abundant collection of VHS tapes. We even had the chance to pop in Sleeping Beauty for an afternoon catnap on Saturday.

On Friday night, we had the chance to go with the local 4-H club to buy groceries for families in need. Additionally, we met Sheila. Sheila was our coordinator for the weekend of service, and her story is phenomenal. She is one of the most giving, selfless people we have ever met. She will do anything for her family and her community. At the grocery store, she even saved extra money to bless a family in the parking lot with a $50 gift card. Just to give you an idea of her character, we'll tell you about one of our favorite parts of the weekend. She only bakes her famous "50 lb." lasagna once a year. When she found out this weekend was prom night, she concocted this wonderful homemade meal for us. She even went out of her way to invite us to her daughter's after-prom bonfire.

She taught us what it means to be a leading woman in your community. Later on Friday night, she took us to deliver food to a local family. This family had six children and no income. One of the girls wants to be a police officer and earn a living. Sheila encouraged the family to bring their daughter to 4-H and even offered to waive the participation fee for the young girl. This is what a leading woman is.

For the majority of the weekend, we served Sheila's daughter, Leah. Leah lives near her mother, but she has two children, one of whom is partially deaf. We served Leah by painting her house and assisting her with re-decorating.

Parts of our service were very tangible. We physically brightened the rooms with each layer of green and blue paint. Our work was unveiled before our eyes as the house turned into a lovely home.

But parts of our service were not so evident. The majority of our weekend was spent listening to Leah and addressing her needs. Leah is a victim of domestic violence, and she now has several disabilities due to her injuries. Although she is a very introverted person, we witnessed her bloom before our eyes as she shared more of her story with us and lit up when the sun came through the windows onto her newly-painted sand dollar walls.

On Sunday morning we painted the infant room at Loving Hands Preschool. We loved being able to give something back to the wonderful people who provided housing for us for the weekend.

Overall, our time in Morgan County was simultaneously very rich and extremely raw. We ate wonderful food, and Sheila's wonderful family never let us go hungry. We tickled and chased Leah's boys around their backyard. And we even sang "Happy Birthday" to one of our own in a Mexican Restaurant while the waiter smeared whipped cream in her face.

And yet, there were moments that were extremely hard. We were exposed to human suffering and pain. We met a family in Walmart that didn't have shoes for their son. And we learned about PTSD and sexual violence.

But then we met people like Sheila who care for the people of Versailles, Missouri so much, and we realized that wherever there is suffering, there is also hope. Wherever there is fear, there is also love. More than anything, she taught us to communicate love with our hearts and our hands. And for that, we are extremely grateful.

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