footprints in my heart...

i had a great experience this weekend, something i hadn't done since high school. my mom, my lil brother and i went to a homeless shelter on early sunday morning. along with her adult religious ed class, we cooked and served brunch to over 200 people. there were some moms with kids, some were teenagers, some were elder adults, some were physically disabled, some were mentally disabled, some just made bad decisions and needed to get back on their feet. it was really interesting to talk to some of them. and especially to see the social dynamic within that place. there was a table set up for the kids where another volunteer group was in charge of doing arts and crafts with them. i thought it was cool that the shelter provided a lot of different services. at the gate, there was a guy where some people picked up their mail from. there was a guy doing hair cuts. and of course the racks of clothing. one person was giving out socks and lauren, the little girl beside me, commented how excited people got over socks, as people flocked over to the sock-lady. one man was trying to coax his new friend to get himself some new socks. the new friend-john-was kinda new to the whole thing and he felt kinda uncomfortable about getting some new socks. he told his friend that he could just wash the socks he had and that there were other people who needed them more. i don't think he was being prideful about it or was ashamed about getting some. i think he was just really thinking of other people he saw who really did look like they needed it more than he.

i later had a nice talk with john and found out how he came to be there. he's a pretty normal guy who just made some bad decisions and ended up in jail for 3 months. he was a computer programmer who was also a musician, and i have no doubt he can get back on his feet. i thought about how some people complain and say that the homeless are just all lazy and don't want jobs. but there are actually a lot of mentally disabled ones who wouldn't be able to get normal jobs. i saw other workers there talking to other people around the yard and i thought that besides the food and shelter, these people also just need someone to talk to. you could see that in the yard. it was like a huge family over there cuz they all knew each other. their kids played together and the moms greeted each other. john was there as if invited by that one friend of his. it was nice to get to know john. he had a very gentle manner about him and he just needs a fresh start.

there was this group from ranch0 santa margarita there. if you don't know, ranch0 sta. margarita is a pretty affluent area in south 0range county. oh goodness, they so looked like fish out of water. even the adults looked extremely uncomfortable, even as they asked us what they could do. i tried to make conversation with one of the adults, asking if they came here with another group, meaning another volunteer group. i think she misunderstood me and thought that i was asking if she was one of the homeless people and she looked uncomfortable, and got slightly defensive as she told me what church they came from and that the kids were there to get service hours. the kids (mostly blonde trendy teenage girls) were clumped together like vinegar in oil. it was really interesting to see that. someone else came up to me and asked what i was getting in return for being there that sunday morning, if i was getting credits for school or something like that. and i told him, nothing, i'm just there with my mom and my brother. i thought of the rancho sta margrta kids and how they were there to get service hours, but didn't really want to be there, they just had to be there. i think it's really important for them to see such things and how different people's lives can be just a few miles from them. but i think they were only too happy to go back to their extremely comfortable lives without a thought to those people again.

the process for serving brunch was very organized and prevented mass stampedes. all the people had to be seated in order to be served and the volunteers went along the assembly line to get plates of food to serve to the people. the girl beside me was really loud and outgoing and she kept asking the volunteers to get names of the people they were serving, where they were from, and one good thing that happened to them that week. for the kids who actually asked, i think it forced them to get to know these people and understand their lives a little bit. they're forced to see them, not just as some entity they serve for a day, but that these people have lives and they've got a background too.

i totally want to bring our heaven sent youth group kids there. these people live on donations and i really liked how we saw how directly our contributions were used. sometimes we just put old clothes in a bag and take them to a place, but never really see who receives them. it was nice to see them make use of what was given to them. they need so much and it was nice to be able to give. we're not rich or anything, but we can definitely afford to give to people who are more needy than us. i thought about how annoyed i was that morning to have to get up at 7am on a sunday. some of those people didn't even have the luxury of a bed or a shower. i was really glad i came.

and yeah, i saw Him in every single one of those people. thank You for letting me get to know You through them.