Humility and Tacos
It has been far too long since my last post. Last week I was away for Spring Break, and the week before was filled with tests and paper-writing. I've been itching to write today.
I think I am finally getting re-situated in my Hendrix schedule after an amazing week of service week and fun in San Diego. I went with a group of 13 other Hendrix students, including 3 staff members, which was compiled by the Miller Center (for Vocation, Ethics & Calling) on campus. We worked with several agencies during the week, including homeless shelters, a mentor program called METRO at an elementary school, the International Rescue Committee, and a group called SPIN that helps struggling parents and children.
One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was getting to talk to one of the residents of St. Vincent de Paul, a homeless shelter where our group served dinner one evening. His name is Matthew, a man in his 30s or 40s, who grew up outside of San Diego and moved to Colorado for college and work. He worked at the ski slopes every winter, and when the slopes closed down he would stay in San Diego for a few months, where the weather was warm. A couple of years ago he fell about 20 feet at work and broke his leg and several vertebrae, and spent significant time in the hospital undergoing surgery and rehab. He's been at St. Vincent's for about 2 1/2 months, and my guess is that he was unable to pay all of his medical bills and had to get help.
I think I am finally getting re-situated in my Hendrix schedule after an amazing week of service week and fun in San Diego. I went with a group of 13 other Hendrix students, including 3 staff members, which was compiled by the Miller Center (for Vocation, Ethics & Calling) on campus. We worked with several agencies during the week, including homeless shelters, a mentor program called METRO at an elementary school, the International Rescue Committee, and a group called SPIN that helps struggling parents and children.
One of my favorite moments of the whole trip was getting to talk to one of the residents of St. Vincent de Paul, a homeless shelter where our group served dinner one evening. His name is Matthew, a man in his 30s or 40s, who grew up outside of San Diego and moved to Colorado for college and work. He worked at the ski slopes every winter, and when the slopes closed down he would stay in San Diego for a few months, where the weather was warm. A couple of years ago he fell about 20 feet at work and broke his leg and several vertebrae, and spent significant time in the hospital undergoing surgery and rehab. He's been at St. Vincent's for about 2 1/2 months, and my guess is that he was unable to pay all of his medical bills and had to get help.
I loved conversing with him, hearing his stories about going on adventures with his "buddies," including a month-long rafting trip full of laughter and drinking cases of cheap beer. He's a big classic rock fan, and he and his friends followed the Grateful Dead around the country.
There were many special moments during the mission trip, but I really learned something from my few minutes with Matthew. There is something beautiful, something wholesome, in two people from very different backgrounds sharing life stories over a meal, even a meal as simple as a tray of tacos and rice and beans. Matthew is no different than I, doing his best to soak up the little treasures like rock and roll that life has to offer. I hope that he finds the help he needs to live the fullest life possible, and I am so grateful that places like St. Vincent's exist in this world. We need one in every city.
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