It is officially December. I am really excited about the holidays. Last night my roommates and I put together our Christmas tree and set out all the decorations we could find. Out decorations came as hand me downs from past years of Mission Year participants. The boxes were full of lights, garlands, and other various trinkets. My favorite was a miniature snow globe that looked like plastic television that had the nativity scene inside. There were also some plastic elves …
A few slightly significant things have happened in the past few days. I am mostly just continuing to settle into life here. For the most part it is good, but some parts aren’t so easy. Last Thursday I went to my volunteer site at Southwest Community Development Corporation. I haven’t been super busy there so I thought I would probably spend the day doing some menial task that I really didn’t enjoy. Instead I got thrown into the world of …
Saturday I spent the day at a banquet (thanks Linda for the inspiration). This was not a regular banquet with silver platters and cloth napkins folded into swans. I wasn’t dressed particularly nice or very nice at all actually. Most of the food I ate was in a paper bag. Some of the food I ate was kind of gross. Oh and the banquet lasted all day and was outside, even when it rained. Saturday those of us participating in …
Life has been really hectic the last few weeks. With the Phillies winning the world series and Barack Obama being elected president, Philadelphia has been in a constant state of euphoria. Regardless of your sport or political opinions I think that most people would have enjoyed the absolute craziness of the past few weeks here in Philly. Who doesn’t like to hear random gun shots into the air signaling happiness instead of anger. excitement. Ever since I have gotten here …
Last night I was overwhelmed with how blessed I am. I can read. I have taken this little part of my life for granted for so long. Last night my housemate Lu and I starting our literacy training at Philadelphia’s own Center For Literacy. This is a legit organization that basis everything they do around the learners needs and desires. No one learner has the same curriculum. They bring in things that want to read or things they want to …
Today all I can think to write about is how everyday this week as I have walked the 15 blocks to my morning service sites I have run into this one guy that carries around about four small plastic tanks that have baby turtles in them. Everyday he walks around Woodland Avenue trying to sell these crazy tanks full of baby turtles. I almost always want to buy one. They are pretty cute. This week has been good. I am …
Today is Sabbath. That means it is a full day when I get to relax and chill. It started this morning really well. I woke up later than usual and stumbled downstairs. Some of my roommates were up and had already had a devotional together. I fell into a chair, read the paper leisurely, and drank a cup of tea. I was sitting with Lu and Amy just enjoying each others presence laughing and eating chocolate when we suddenly heard …
Today marks the one month mark of my journey here in Philly. It seems crazy to think that I have really been here that long. It has been incredibly good though. I already feel like I am a completely different person than the one that left Amarillo, TX not to long ago. This week I started my community service to the SW Philly neighborhood. I am actually volunteering three different places. On Mondays I will work with Sister Rita and …
My name is Rebekah Welch and I am a recent college graduate from Texas A&M University. Several times over the course of my senior year I have constructed and deconstructed my future plans. They ranged from the sensible and safe to the completely insane and nonsensical. I feel that the plans I have now are completely from the Lord and what I am supposed to do next. Instead of following the traditional post college graduation tradition of getting a nine …
