A time of Silence-

Yes I went on a Silent Retreat for 4 days!

I was given the opportunity with the Jesuit Retreat center Manresa and holy smokes it was so very awesome! It was a really encouraging time to step back and at about the halfway mark of being here and  I was able to look at what my goals were in the beginning, what I still hope to do, what I need to be more intentional and more focused on and just time to digest some of what I am learning. It was an awesome reorientation!

I think the retreat itself really amplified for me the importance of taking time to not just to be alone, but to really think about what you are doing and why. Regardless if you are doing a service year, school or holding down a job, I think the Holy Spirit leads us to different goals and opportunities in life and it is so very easy to get switched to auto pilot and not live intentionally to live out the message and ideals of Christ.

Photos of the Week- Its a Party!

Well some awesome things happened this weekend. For one my roommate Brian is leaving for a trip to study and living in several countries in Central America for about 5-6 weeks. We threw a Pre-Cinco De Mayo/Goodbye for a bit Brian party complete with potluck of snack foods and a bonfire! We had about 30 or so of Brian and mine's friends over for a good time watching the sunset and talking about everything from my "southern accent" to community organizing. Bon Voyage Brian!

A little bonfire action, and no my face is not on fire.

I suppose this is what I get when people borrow your camera! But hey now we get this lovely picture!

And yes ladies and gents, it is official the Spring is here and dang it is awesome!

A Loss in the Family

Well I have some pretty awful and difficult news today. Yesterday morning it was reported that one of our clients that has been coming for several years was stabbed to death at Hart Plaza Saturday night. I will continue the policy of not using any names, but "John" was a deaf man that was constantly teaching me sign language and always had a smile. "John" had a sense of humor and a spirit that really could just be felt and sure didn't mind giving you a hard time. I suppose I write this just to share that because so often I am able to share stories of exciting happenings or of lessons learned, but I thought I could share the difficult times also. "John" was one of the shining lights here at NOAH and he will not be forgotten, thank you for reading y'all.

Photos of the Week- Red Wing Win!

Hello!! It has been sometime and I am glad to be able to sit down and just share one of many recent experiences I have had in what has become my home, Detroit, MI!

On Tuesday of this week a good friend of mine and myself found super cheap tickets for the Detroit Red Wings game! This was the third to last game of the season and promised to be a good one! So on Wedensday night we joined 20,000 other people at a sell out Joe Louis Arena! On top of that there was a Tigers game Wedensday also, so Detroit was truly on fire and bustling! Sometimes it is just so great to see people who are extremely passionate about a Detroit sports team.

Just to add to the awesomeness, Red Wings took it home, winning 3-1 in a real nail biter and will be continuing on to the playoffs!! Go Red Wings!

Photo of the Week- "Goodbye Rhonda"

As many of you may have heard, I am very sorry to say Rhonda (my car for the past few years) has been totaled. 

On the morning of Sunday, March 24th Rhonda was hit by a drunk driver going nearly 70 mph in a 35 mph zone. She got hit in the face hard enough to roll to the other side of the street and leave plenty of debris. However, luckily she was just parked outside of a friend's house and it was very early in the morning so no one was around, the driver of the other vehicle did actually walk away from the wreck, but was arrested with a DUI. A sad day for sure, but at least no one was injured.

Time to bike?

 

Photo of the Week- Stations of the Cross- In Clark Park

Well I do regret to say that it has been quite sometime since I last updated, so I am very sorry for that! Believe me it has not been that nothing is happening, but quite the opposite...everything is happening! But don't you worry I am going to do my very best to catch you up slowly on everything from Lent, to Rhonda (my car) leaving! So be expecting a few extra posts this week as I have a lot to share and a lot to update you on!

This Photo of the week bit is from a Stations of the Cross service I attended and helped with in a local park. It was a pretty great service because it was so very different than other services. For one it was in the middle of the park which invited so many more people to join! However, one of the coolest points was that it was not put on just by one agency, instead it was a group effort between 8 different agencies in Southwest Detroit that are working to better Southwest in different ways. Some of the agencies ranged from ones seeking immigration justice and reform, a church plant, a gun violence advocacy group, "street art" organization and several other agencies working hard for SW Detroit. Each agency took a station or two and presented what they were doing, connected to the station itself! It was a beautiful time to see so many people passionate, working and loving the neighborhood I am living in! 

I was even invited to do a station myself as a part of Grace in Action and did the reading of the second station, when Jesus was arrested.

This cross was carried around to each station as the group walked through and each station hung a cross on the large wooden cross. 

Here is just one of the stations speaking mostly towards the need to incorporate what our ancestors learned and the importance of intergenerational dialoge.

Another station, this one by Southwest Pride, advocating for an end to gun violence, there were certainly some very sobering statistics.

There was a pretty great turn out of about 50 or so and already talks for next year! (If I help next year I will have to step up my presentation, there were some really powerful ones!)

Photo of the Week- Bowls of Hope!

This week's photos of the week are of our Bowls of Hope event at Central UMC! This past Sunday Amy (my supervisor) and I had an awesome opportunity to give the sermon at Central! We spoke from the lectionary and talked on 2 Corinthians 5 and the story of the Prodigal Son. Our main topic was Radical Hospitality and how the NOAH project has depicted this and challenged both of us to be better. I was an awesome chance to dive deep into scripture, share what NOAH is doing and get a little more experience speaking in front of a congregation. After the service we move upstairs where the whole NOAH staff had been working tirelessly to turn the dining hall into a space for the Bowls of Hope Event! There was music, 6 delicious soups, donated Avalon Bakery bread and good conversation all over the place, all to help raise money for the NOAH Project. I had a great time working, eating and chatting this Sunday and I am very thankful for all that helped and supported us on Sunday!

So first people would walk through and find 3 tables with handmade bowls on one, hand painted bowls on another and reclaimed bowls from Salvation Army on the third. There was a suggested donation that people paid, filled up there bowl a few times and then were able to take the bowl home.

As you can see there was plenty of soup and bread to go around (in fact it is Tuesday and for lunch again today I think we'll be finishing off the Minestrone!)

A packed fellowship hall which is always a good thing to see!