Hey everyone! I realize that I haven't put anything up here in a month - I'm sorry! By the time I get home and dinner's done I usually like to just relax and read. This past weekend was our MVC retreat, so I couldn't write then. I have been very busy, as well. Still, not writing anything for a month isn't cool and I'll try to be better about it!
So, the title of my post is extreme home makeover. If you're not familiar with the TV show, a team picks a family who is in need of a new house, sends the family on vacation for a week and by the time they get back, their new house is ready. It's a pretty neat show and makes you feel good watching people help other people in need. Anyway, the show is here in Savannah this week. More specifically the show is on our block this week! It's crazy. Our street is closed and there are trailers and construction equipment, generators and everything else you need to build a house in less than 7 days. They are working literally around the clock but have been surprisingly quiet so far. They didn't wake me up last night. But there are a ton of people running around and they are making progress, they started on friday night and the old house is now gone, the new foundation is poured and they are putting up the new walls! Tonight they are hosting a block party for all of the neighbors - because we have to put up with them all week. To be honest though, it hasn't been too much of an inconvenience and it's for a great cause so I don't mind at all. I saw Ty Pennington today, the host of the show, like right next to our house.
It's something pretty cool and exciting for the week. We've been strolling down to the end of the street to see the progress on the new house from time to time, and we are going to volunteer ourselves to help out during the week.
In other news, GO IRISH!!!! That was so much fun to watch us put a whooping on Utah! I was not expecting that in my wildest dreams. We played well, and Kelly made some great adjustments from past games. We controlled the line of scrimmage and actually ran the ball. Our defense was stellar and our special teams fantastic. Very encouraging. I am so happy for the current students at ND, they have been through a lot, especially the seniors. At least my class had 2006 to enjoy. The current seniors deserved this game and rightly celebrated on the field afterwards. From here, if we can have a better showing against the option the second time around and beat Army, we become bowl eligible. After Army is the trip to USC, and a win against those bums is long overdue. Hopefully we can finish strong and make it to a bowl, we need the extra practice!
Until next time (which hopefully will not be a month from now), best wishes from Savannah!
I hear hey y'all on a daily basis. I only use it if it slips out, and then I feel a little guilty about it, like I've done something I know I shouldn't have. Some other gems: "I might could go to the store today." "Mmmhmmm" "I'm fixin' to leave." The proper term for any male is "bo". "You want some tea?" ~ not meaning, "would you like a hot cup of tea from a teapot", but rather "would you like a glass of cold tea with 3X the sugar of pop" I've accepted a few times and it was so sweet it gave me heartburn. I didn't know that was possible.
I had a "you know you're in Georgia when..." moment this week. I was out on a visit to see one of my guys that lives in a trailer set back off the road a ways. We were outside with his family playing baseball, when we hear this rumbling noise slowly getting louder and louder. I was puzzled until I saw an old man driving a huge backhoe come out from behind some trees. He pulled right up into the yard, turned off the engine and yelled, "whatchy'all doin' makin' all this here racket?!" Referring to us playing baseball, while his backhoe was causing the ground to rumble mere seconds ago. I have no idea who this man was. He started up his backhoe and drove away. He wasn't doing any work with it, the backhoe was simply his mode of transportation for the afternoon.
Work has been a whirlwind the past week or so, lots going on. I'm spending more and more time with my deaf clients, now that I've progressed somewhat with my sign language. I spent all morning with one woman, and I learned so much about her. She was so open and willing to share, once the communication barrier was gone. I learned all about her family, her troubles with paying her bills and her power being shut off. How she has no food. How she saw horrible, horrible things growing up. I can't even imagine... Starting Monday, I'm going to be helping her learn how to use public transportation so that she can do more on her own.
I also went to see my other deaf client this week. I met him at the Library in a small town outside of Savannah. We walked down the street to Burger King to get him some lunch, and while we were sitting there his mother stopped in to check on us while she was out running errands around town. Now, she had told me before about a deaf couple that lived in their county (there aren't many deaf people total in the area) who used to help her son, and teach him a lot. They fell out of contact a few years ago and she really wanted to reestablish a connection with them, but didn't know how to reach them. Guess who walked into Burger King, a few minutes after my clients mom? Yep. It had to be the work of God. Everything came together perfectly. I was there getting my client out and around town more, rather than sitting at home. His mother just happened to stop by, and the deaf couple just happened to go to Burger King at the same time. Without his mother there, I wouldn't have been able to communicate with them nearly as well - my signing is not great. As it happened, they exchanged contact information and said that the young man I am helping can come over to visit them anytime. They would be thrilled to help him with communicating and giving him some people to relate to. It was so cool to watch all of this come together. The mom was so visibly happy, and the deaf couple were eager to help in any way they could.
I also starting working on a life story project with a woman at the day center. She had a stroke many years ago, and has a limited vocabulary. She can think of everything she wants to say, but just can't get it out. But she will be the first to tell you, "Before, I couldn't talk! God is good, all the time!" I had to be patient while asking her questions about her life experiences. Sometimes she couldn't form any answers, and sometimes I had to do some detective work to figure out what she was trying to say. I realized though, that even if she couldn't verbalize things, I could see the memories coming back to her and making her smile. That was more important than me being able to write something down. Having said that, looking over what I came away with, I was taken aback by how much I learned about a woman who can only use a handful of phrases. I talked to Jenny (my boss) about it, and how a little patience can go a long way. She told me that one of the people in SOURCE was very skeptical about what I would be able to learn about this woman, because her speaking was so limited. Jenny responded that she'd seen me with deaf people and people who can verbalize less than this woman, and that she had confidence that I would come away with more information about this woman's life than one might think probable. It was awesome to hear these words from Jenny, that she had that confidence in me. More than anything though, I learned a lot about "being present" and taking the time to really get to know someone, even if it might appear difficult on the surface.
On a final note, way to go Irish!! We beat Pitt yesterday. ND now has a winning streak, and a favorable schedule over the next few games. Hopefully, we can make some good things happen!
I am working on a project with a few people at the adult day center at the Georgia Infirmary where I work. It's called the life story project, where I put together a ton of questions - 140 or so - to ask people and take notes on what they say. The result, with ample room to explore tangents and longer stories, is a record of their life written down for them to reflect on and pass down to family members. Today, I was looking for someone who might be interested in doing such a project. Some of the staff recommended a man, so I went to find him. He sat and listened to me as I explained the project and I asked him if he was interested in it. He looked up at me and said quietly, "No, my life was too much to handle." That's it, he didn't want to remember or reflect. I could see pain in his eyes. I uncomfortably tried to change the subject and talked to him for a little while. I didn't want to leave him on that note, to stir up memories he would rather forget and walk away. He did tell me that he really liked coming to the day center, that he liked the people here.
When I did leave I went up to my desk and sat there, while what I just experienced sank in. It hit me incredibly hard, for some reason, to have this man tell me he didn't even want to think about his past, any of it, because it was too painful. It was looking into his eyes, which have experienced so much and spoke volumes with one look. I had given some thought about the past being a sensitive issue for some people, and tried to categorize subjects I should ease into or avoid altogether. I didn't think of the possibility that a man would want to recall nothing of his life. Never before did I realize how blessed I am to simply have fond memories and look back on events, people and places with a smile. It has really caused me to reflect on my life, and appreciate what I have. With one sentence, this man put so much into perspective for me.
To all those who have been a part of my life, thank you for making me feel so blessed.
Yes, my title is a line from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (the good one, not the creepy Johnny Depp one). And no, it's not completely random. The time seems to be flying by faster and faster, and looking ahead, it seems that things will only continue to speed up.
There, now I feel like I've said something substantial and symbolic. Although I've probably ruined it by directly stating it. My creative side is a work in progress.
So what have I been keeping busy with? The strange thing is I haven't felt overly busy, and that I feel I can take on more responsibility. I'm working on ways to do that now and somethings are coming together. I met a new SOURCE member out at the Library today to help him sign up for his first library card (he's 21) and check out his first books. He picked out two NASCAR books. He loves racing and his favorite driver is Jimmie Johnson. This young man is also deaf. Luckily my sign language is progressing and I'm able to communicate with him on a basic level. I'm realizing he is far more intelligent than my first impression of him before I knew sign language. This reaffirms the lessons I've learned so far that, in most cases, people can understand far more than most would give them credit for, simply because they can't express themselves as readily as we are used to. This young man is a joy to be around. He is so polite, patient, and happy that it makes my job really easy. We spent quite a while on the american sign language website and he helped teach me more signs. He seemed to enjoy it the most when I messed up.
I got a call today from one of our case managers who asked me if I was willing to take on another assignment. She went on to explain that one of the guys in the day center, in his 20s, really needs to exercise more and lose some weight. However, he refuses to do anything that is structured as exercise. She wanted to know if I could scrape together the time and willpower to play the Wii with him for an hour in the afternoon a couple of times a week. After much deliberation and arm twisting, I finally agreed. :-) I know the young man already and he has a big personality and is a lot of fun, so I'm sure there are good times ahead with this one.
One of the most memorable moments of my time here so far happened last Thursday. I was visiting my 14 year old with cerebral palsy, and we were having our "band practice" just before it was time for me to leave. As I stood up to go, he asked me if he could say a prayer real quick. So he, his aide, and I joined hands and bowed our heads. I can't remember his exact words, but this is pretty close - Dear Lord, I know that sometime soon I'm going to be coming to you. Then, we will walk together down streets of gold. - He then went on to pray for my safe journey home and our health. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. This boy, who had never walked a step in his life, and probably never will, was praying that he would walk someday in heaven with Christ. He said it with confidence. Then, rather than praying for his health and safety, he prayed for ours. He added another line - Lord, when it is Mike's time, take him to you in heaven and let him meet my grandma up there too. - I managed to hold myself together until I said my goodbyes and went outside, but that was an incredibly moving experience for me. I visited him in his home to help him, but he has helped me grow and opened my eyes to things without realizing he's doing it. It is things like this that make me feel so blessed to be where I am and doing what I'm doing.
Besides work, I've been dealing with a terrible sunburn since I went to the beach on Saturday and feel asleep while reading. It's gotten to the point where it is extremely itchy and driving me insane. Maybe I'll end up with a little color from this, but I'm not getting my hopes up.
We (the Mercy Volunteers) were recently featured in the Savannah Morning Journal. I wasn't interviewed because I was out on a visit when they called, but there are quotes from Regina and Linda as well as some pictures. I thought it was pretty neat until I read the article and they spelled my name wrong. Either that or there's another volunteer named Mike Grawthol running around Savannah. Anyway, a local woman read the article then called our boss asking if she could cook us dinner. So tonight we had meatloaf, cole slaw and corn bread provided by our new friend with promises of more to come! The people of Savannah are truly delightful and have made the transition very easy for us.
Now, for a sneak peek into the coming days...
Tomorrow evening we're all going to a free Step concert (the thing where people make rhythms with their hands and feet and dance) at Armstrong Atlantic State. Friday morning we've been asked to speak at the Mission and Ethics Board Meeting at the hospital. They are the people who approved the funding for us as volunteers and they want to get to know us a little bit. Friday evening we're planing on heading over to Forsyth Park for the Savannah Jazz festival for some free music. After that there are supposed to be some amazing fireworks down at the river. Saturday morning we're all volunteering at Fort Pulaski a fort built by Lieutenant Robert E. Lee in 1829 and later used in the Civil War. We're helping paint, clear trails and other random tasks to help preserve this national monument. They're providing breakfast, lunch and a free year-long pass to the fort. Should be a cool morning. Then I'm going to try to make it to Patrick's school festival. (Pat is my friend from ND who is teaching in Savannah). Supposedly, he's part of a skit and then going in the dunk tank. I may have to make sure he gets dunked at least a few times. Saturday evening is our Mercy Day Celebration (although Friday is actually Mercy Day). We're having Mass with all the Sisters of Mercy and Mercy Associates and then getting together for a dinner at the convent. I had a great time on my only visit to the convent thus far and am very much looking forward to hanging out with the sisters again.
So we've got a hefty schedule for the next couple of days, but they're all good things. You can see why the days aren't showing any signs of slowing. Then, in October, I'm having my first visitors! I'm very excited.
I was very excited this morning when I walked out the door. It was the closest thing I've felt to a brisk fall morning. Now, let me be clear. There was nothing brisk about it and I didn't have the slightest chill, but it lacked the oppressive, steamy heaviness that I've become accustomed to. It was still 85 degrees or so today,which is an improvement, and this morning gives me hope that it will become pleasant soon. The other pleasantry from this morning was the drive. I went to Mass this morning before work and took Washington Ave - my favorite street - to the church. The reason Washington is my favorite is because it has a higher concentration of the Live Oak trees than any other street in Savannah. They line both sides of the street as well as the boulevard running down the center to form a canopy over both sides of the road with Spanish moss hanging down. The morning sun shines through the little gaps and illuminates the light mist that is still hanging around. It's wonderful. I've decided that if I ever buy a house in Savannah it will be on Washington Ave. It doesn't hurt that most of the houses are huge and gorgeous. I picked out my favorite already. If you come visit I'll show you!
Work has been going well. I helped one of my people with his own blog today. It was very rewarding to see his happiness from being able to share his ideas and feelings with the world. He is a very expressive person, but unfortunately he is limited in the ways he can express himself. He suffered a traumatic brain injury, has right side paralysis, speech aphasia, was formerly homeless, and a former drug addict. He can only say a handful of words but his personality speaks volumes. He is incredibly patient with me while trying to get his point across and usually, I finally get it. I help him send emails as well as post on his blog, and in every message, he always leaves some sort of scripture or quote to whomever he is addressing. I'm going to follow his lead and leave you with one of my favorite scriptures.
"Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love." 1 Corinthians 16:13-14
Happy Labor Day! I'm excited because for the past four years at Notre Dame, Labor Day meant you'd go to class and complain about how Labor Day wasn't recognized. So I decided I'd spend at least part of my day off to catch up on my blog!
I apologize for taking so long in between posts, and I will try to keep everyone updated more often. So much has happened!
First and foremost, how about that Irish victory on Saturday?? I was so excited for that game that I barely slept the night before. I was like a kid on Christmas Eve. In case you were wondering about the title of this post - I was referring to the start of college football. I was very pleased with the win. I thought ND looked well coached and much more fundamentally sound. There are a few things that definitely need some work, but for the first game with a new coach, new offense, new defense and a new quarterback, I was very happy. Gary Gray and Darrin Walls looked especially good, and I can't wait to see more of Cierre Wood. Yes, we had some errors and let Purdue back into the game, but what happened afterwards gives me the most hope that we have a different, and improved, team. After the setback we didn't fold, our defense held, and we tacked on the field goal that put us up two scores. I feel like a Charlie Weis team would've needed a last second TD to win this game or would've lost because he would've went for it on 4th down instead of kicking some of our field goals. Our defense had some holes but it didn't melt down in the 4th quarter. We could run the ball when we needed to. All positive signs. It's not like Purdue was a cupcake either. Their DE Ryan Kerrigan will play in the NFL and they beat Ohio State last year. I'm guessing they will win 7 or 8 games this season. Needless to say, I am anxiously awaiting next Saturday when we take on Michigan - the team I despise more than any other. I want payback for the game I witnessed last year in the middle of the Michigan Alumni section at the Big House. I was so upset after that game I didn't speak for at least two hours. I still want payback for the beating we took my freshman year in '06 when we were ranked #2 and feeling like we were on top of the world. I want payback for the 38-0 thrashing we took in '07 - one of the hardest games I've ever had to watch. The only victory over the school from the state up north that I saw was in '08 when we decisively trounced them in the pouring rain. It was a thing of beauty. Anyway, the Michigan game is always huge for me and I can't wait for Saturday!!!
I do have to admit, though, it was tough to watch a home game on TV. I really missed being on campus for gameday. Being woken up by the band marching across campus playing the fight song, putting on my #3 jersey while watching College Gameday, meeting up with my friends and heading out to the tailgating lots swarming with blue and gold, meeting family and friends who came in for the game, making our way into the stadium and witnessing one of my favorite things in the world - those gleaming gold helmets running out of the tunnel to the Victory March. Screaming myself hoarse, going up for push ups, talking non-stop at half time about what our offense needs to exploit or how our defense needs to adjust, listening to Officer McCarthy's 4th quarter pun, seeing a thrilling ending to the game (happened a lot last year) and jumping around like mad / standing silent in disbelief depending on the outcome. Whatever happened though, it always finished the same way - arm in arm with my best friends singing the Alma Mater. That, and a candlelight dinner at SDH. Savannah is great, but there won't be one Saturday this fall I won't wish I was somewhere else.
While the start of College Football has dominated my last few days, I have actually been doing other things! Work has been going great. On Friday, I spent a long time talking with the Director of the SOURCE program, Hunter. Hunter is now one of my favorite people in Savannah. He told me all about the history of the Georgia Infirmary and how the biggest theme is doing the right thing, no matter the public opinion. I saw a lot of similarities between the Infirmary's history and the story of Catherine McAuley (founder of the Sisters of Mercy) in Dublin. The Infirmary was started by a wealthy white man who saw a great need for care for blacks in Savannah. It started when a man was brought to court for beating his slave mercilessly, but the case was thrown out because it was thought that the plight of a black man didn't matter. The wealthy man left his entire estate to create the Georgia Infirmary and his descendants have a hand in it to this day. They built in town, much to the dismay of the local upper class, who fought strongly against it. They didn't want blacks coming into town for medical treatment. Time after time, the Infirmary came up against some form of adversity, either from public opinion or the government, and each time they took the right path, not the easiest. Because of the evolution of health care and civil rights, the Georgia Infirmary's mission was no longer necessary and changed directions. They started a Day Center for stroke victims which evolved over time into the SOURCE program which advocates for and meets the needs of those with disabilities who wish to remain independent. Hearing all of this from Hunter, who spoke so passionately, and relating it to the foundation of the Sisters of Mercy made me feel very comfortable about being in the right place with the right people. Hunter and I talked about some of my concerns, that I was afraid that I was just sitting around and talking with people and not doing anything constructive for them, that I was still working on even establishing goals for people. I guess that I wasn't doing enough. He told me a story which ended with the line, it's not about doing but about being. Just being with these people and authentically caring is what many of them need the most. He told me that it is very tempting to turn me into another case manager while I'm here. SOURCE is under-resourced and under-staffed, but he sees a lot of value in my position as someone who has the time to just be with these people. The people I see have been nominated for the program by their case managers as people who would benefit most from having another person around who isn't being paid to see them. Hunter made it clear he doesn't want me to be a case manager, but to just be present to these people and the rest will follow. I can't explain how much that conversation put me at ease in a number of ways. I was comforted to know that my worries about "not really having done anything" were unfounded. I was comforted to know that a man like Hunter is in charge. I was comforted to know my position has value, and that he was already hearing really good things about me.
Apart from work, I've been able to spend quite a bit of time with my buddy Patrick from Notre Dame who is teaching here in Savannah. We, along with some of our housemates, went to a Savannah Sand Gnats single A baseball game Friday night. We got free tickets and got to see the Gnats pull out a victory in the 12th inning! The highlight however had to be when Pat and I were picked to have a giant-glove boxing match on the field between innings
So I think I'm going to go enjoy the rest of my day off, we're going over to the house of someone who Carla works with for dinner and then out on her boat this evening!
I miss you all and hope everything is going well with you!
I've made it through week two! I got a much clearer picture this week of what I'll actually be doing throughout the year with SOURCE, and I got to meet more of the people I'll be serving! My conclusion: this year is going to rock, literally at some points. I went out to Pooler, Georgia today to meet the 3 guys that I'll be visiting every Tuesday and Thursday. They are 16, 22 and 23 and they all have cerebral palsy. I went to the youngest one's house and he is one of the coolest people I've met so far in Georgia. Within 2 minutes of walking in the door we were both rocking out on the guitar and he was belting out one of his favorite songs. I was soon inducted as a band member. Talk about a cool introduction. He was so excited to have a guy around to hang out with because he just has his mom, sister and nurse at home. I was excited to hang out with a guy too, I mean nothing against my wonderful community members (we're getting along fantastically!) but sometimes I just want to hang out with some dudes. He kept asking me if I'd be back on Tuesday, he was so excited. I can honestly say I was thrilled as well. He loves to go outside too, so hopefully I can help him get out and do more.
So on to my fellow 22 year old. He lives in a personal care home which very much resembles a nursing home because he is the only one there under 65. I'm not sure what happened with his family but whatever it was, he's kinda on his own now. Evidently, he's been asking about me for the past month because he's also excited to have a new buddy around. I also want to help him connect with people his own age and get out of the care home a little bit. So that will be my goal. He also LOVES video games and we already have it set up to play some Playstation when I go back on Tuesday. I'm excited.
The 23 year old (sorry - I'm hesitant to use any names with all the training I just went through about confidentiality) has significantly less communication ability so it was harder for me to understand how he felt about me being there, but from what his mom was saying he was very happy to meet me. She said he's just thrilled for anyone to sit down and talk to him. He can understand what is going on around him, it's just hard for him to communicate. His mom also said that he loves to go outside and go on the computer too. So I'll be able to help him do more of those kinds of things.
So basically, my Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be awesome! I've also spent more time down in the Adult Day Center at the Georgia Infirmary and spent all day yesterday listening to a woman's life story. It was amazing. The things she has been through and the experiences she has had - I can't even imagine. It was struggle after struggle - heartbreak after heartbreak, and here she was the brightest shining smiling face in the room. It was truly amazing. I took notes as best I could and typed them up for her - she wants to put together a book to save for her grandchildren. I am so happy that I am able to get to know these people and even now I'm a little anxious about having to up and leave them in a year.
Apart from work, it looks like we might be headed to the beach tomorrow --->
So that's exciting - hope it doesn't rain. I also found out about pick up games of ultimate frisbee and soccer a few nights a week down at Forsyth Park so I will definitely be taking advantage of that in the future.
I hope everyone is doing well, and be sure to drop me a line every now and then!
I have been in Savannah for a week and finally got around to starting my blog. It has been a crazy busy week and I'm very much enjoying sitting down and unwinding today. In case any of you haven't heard and are wondering why the heck I'm in Savannah, Georgia, I am spending the next year here as a member of the Mercy Volunteer Corps. I am serving as a community outreach coordinator with the St. Joseph Candler SOURCE Program here in Savannah. In a nutshell, SOURCE works for disabled and/or elderly people who are living independently or wish to live independently soon. This is an effort to keep these people a part of their community rather than confining them to a nursing home or group home unless it is absolutely necessary. So SOURCE makes sure that these people's needs are met, that they're seeing their doctors, taking their meds, getting enough food, etc. We also have an adult day center where SOURCE clients can come for the day to allow their care givers at home some time to work, run errands and take care of themselves. My job is to help each person that I work with connect with the community. I spend a good deal of time getting to know each person - their likes, dislikes, passions and desires. Then I try to find ways for them to experience a feeling of community with others who may have similar likes or passions, all while making sure their needs are met. I starting to learn that this process is going to look very different with each person. I might help some people find a job, learn how to ride the bus, write a blog, or just be around as someone to listen to them and make sure they know they're not forgotten.
I started work on Wednesday, and I've already seen things I've never seen before and been challenged in new ways. I learned that one of my clients is deaf, and that I will be learning sign language. After learning that she was unable to procure any food for the remainder of the month due to financial misunderstandings, I was able to get together some food for her with the help of my community member Linda who works at the food pantry. When I went to drop off the food, I was met with the warmest smile and the most sincere gratitude I have ever seen. She couldn't talk to tell me how much she appreciated it but I could see it in her eyes. That's enough to make any day a good day. I'm also progressing in sign language! I know the alphabet and some other basic signs. I'll have classes starting next week, too. I also met one of my clients who has had a unbelievably hard life. She kept asking me if I was quitting soon, if I was going to leave her. It made me so sad to realize that she was used to that and came to expect it. Anyone who comes around and seems nice will soon leave and forget about you. Then I went out into the country, rural Georgia. I saw poverty like I hadn't seen before. I don't mean worse, but different. I've seen extreme poverty in the city and homelessness. Not to detract from those peoples' sufferings in the least, but there are some resources to help them in the cities - shelters, food banks, hospitals. Out here there was nothing but dirt roads and the occasional vulture flying by. I got the feeling that my boss and I were the first visitors in quite some time. My first stop was at a seemingly half deserted trailer park in the middle of nowhere with a very isolated community. There was a history of inbreeding with this community, dating back a couple of centuries. The result is the current population, most of whom have severe physical and mental disabilities. One woman I met was very short, maybe 4 foot 6, and mentally handicapped, but was the brightest shining face that I saw the whole day. We were there to check up on them and make sure they had enough to get by. When we were about to leave she got up, gave me a hug and said she loved me. She was so happy that we took the time to come by and chat with her for a while. I reminded her that it's always a good idea to pray, she said a prayer for us before we left. I couldn't understand everything that she said but the intent was clear, and it about broke my heart to see this woman who was so disadvantaged in life and had so little pray for us. Then we had about 7 or 8 other visits that day, each one offering a different and moving experience. That's only a small taste of my first three days, so I can already see that this year will have no shortage of memorable moments and forging new relationships.
In addition to work, I have been loving Savannah itself. It is more beautiful than the pictures I saw beforehand and I am so excited to spend the year here. I don't expect the drive to work, under a canopy of oak trees and spanish moss with the morning sun shining through in spaces, to get old anytime soon. We explored river street and saw Savannah in all its tourist glory. My favorite moment so far just might be getting cut off by a car who didn't know how to drive in the squares (they're treated as roundabouts), noticing the Virginia plates, and muttering something about "stupid tourists...". That was on day two. We went to Mass at the cathedral downtown which is absolutely beautiful and even saw Paula Dean's restaurant. Not that I really know anything about Paula Dean, but down here I guess she's a big deal. Besides that, I've been settling into our new home with my wonderful community members. We were planning on going to the beach today, but it decided to thunderstorm so we spent the day cleaning instead! Haha, not quite as much fun but it feels good to have the place spic and span. But Linda, Carla, Regina and I are all getting along extremely well and this place is starting to feel a little more like home each day.
If you want to see pictures, I may put a few up here, but you can check out a whole bunch more on my facebook. Sorry for writing a book for my first post, but I had a busy week to catch up on! I hope everyone is doing well and I miss all my family and friends!
