Day 4

My first day at this mission trip was great.  I had a fun and felt like I was helping people.  It made me feel good and I got to do some tasks that I had never done before.  I helped clean out the boardroom.  There were two fruit snacks stuck to the wall that we had to use a small hammer to get them off.  They left a large mark were they were.  I also got to smash a chair by throwing it off a balcony, and kicking the legs off. I also tightened a railing where people were sanding the stairwell.

-       Vince

            Today was the first official day that we did hard work on the mission trip. It was different to see so many different homeless people and to get to talk to them. Our three main activities for serving people was cleaning, food distribution, and the salvation army dinner. The cleaning of the church was interesting and gross. The church is 94 years old, and is in great shape for its conditions of not having much maintenance. I helped sand down the wooden stairs and clean out the music room which had mouse droppings on the ground. It was not a pretty sight to see.
The food distribution was completely different with the fact that we were looking at the people while we were serving them. Each person that walked by was greeted with a smile and a generous amount of food. Some of the people that walked by looked as if they did not need help. The stereotypical homeless person does not exist because each person looked different, and for some of them you could not tell if they were homeless or not because they looked "normal."
After the food distribution we made our way to downtown San Diego. From there we went to the salvation army to give out dinners. There was a very sweet old woman that was helping whose name was Brenda. Brenda looked like a doll with her lipstick, bonnet, fake eyelashes, and skirt with her pantaloons. She was very kind and I had learned that she had brain tumors multiple times but "the lord heals me so I can serve him" is what she told me. The dinner serving went well and I was pouring punch for everyone and as I would go around for refills, people would drink up their untouched drink for more. 
Each person knew their manners better than I had expected which helped me to treat them as equals, and to realize that homeless people also have feelings. 
          -Carolyn



One of the most refreshing elements of going on a mission trip is the disconnectedness from our daily lives. It's so easy to get so enthralled with the day to day happenings and worries of home life. Being away helps us retreat, refocus and get back in touch with what is important. 

Most of us didn't know exactly what to expect with this being our first real workday. Once we arrived at the church many of us cleaned, organized and helped perform maintenance. The real fun started when it came time to set up for the food distribution. It was hot in the courtyard of the church and we packed up hundreds of apples and plums in bags for people to claim just hours later. Others of us set up tables and organized food. Once the distribution started the time went by quickly. We saw people that ranged from teenagers to the elderly. Some people appeared to look clean while others looked as if they hadn't showered in weeks. It was a humbling experience to say the least. It goes to show that you NEVER KNOW what people are going through. Just because they look OK doesn't mean that they are.
The second touch of reality for the day came once we went to the Salvation Army for the dinner distribution. Half of us were helping in the dining hall serving meals while the other half of us grabbed pre-made sandwiches and water bottles to give to the homeless on the streets. While we were out we met many different types of people. Some people took the sandwiches without making eye contact and others struck up conversations with our group. There were many people who had an incredible amount of faith and joy. There was one woman in particular that was so excited to talk about Jesus and the work that the Holy Spirit was doing. It was an odd situation though because to most people she had "nothing". She was homeless and I am sure had all sorts of reasons to be bitter at life but instead she felt incredibly joyful and blessed. It really makes my worries and doubts seem so minuet.
In summary, it feels good to have a fresh perspective on life and faith by getting in touch with the people who Jesus had a big heart for. I am looking forward to the rest of our time on the trip.

-DJ (The Focuser)