Joanna Helton's Blog
October Newsletter / Dec 6, 09:12 AM
My Dear Friends,
The bus stop.
It has become one of my favorite practices of life here in Chicago to wait at a bus stop. I will admit that there are many frustrations that can surface; such as arriving at a street just in time to see it pass by, realizing after 20 min that you are going east when you needed to go west, or having to be patient for 10 to 15 min while watching 3 buses in a row across the street. But the bus stop is also a resting place for some, a mild block from the cold wind for others, a time to reflect on the day, to observe God’s hand in the world around you, and to strike up conversations that will be remembered forever. That is my favorite aspect! Each individual has such an interesting story and there are quite a few who would love to share if given the opportunity. I was blessed this month to meet Loretta (whom I have seen 4 or 5 times now), James, and Larry. Loretta shared with me about how she was on her way to a shelter on the other side of town and a few days later, James talked about going to the county jail to visit his 18 yr old son. Each had such heartache but such an unbelievable amount of joy at the same time as they shared aspects of their lives with me. Larry encouraged me so much through his passion to talk about Jesus. We shared stories of how we met and came to know Jesus, he shared wisdom on a topic that I had shared at team devotions that morning, and I discovered that he lives at CCIL where I work! Now, I have seen him on 3 separate occasions and his smile and recollection of my name brightens my day each time.
Community Service I have been going to my community service sites for a few weeks now and have had the chance to be involved in a number of different activities! From 8:30 until 2:30, I am at CCIL (Chicago Christian Industrial League), which is a homeless shelter in North Lawndale where Sam (another Mission Year participant) and I help run a food pantry. Every Tuesday, we drive to the food depository and pick up some food to organize and distribute on Wednesdays, where we see approx. 200 families. We have also taken on the project of decorating for Halloween around the building, which has consisted of painting these lovely pumpkins as well as a few of their friends. The security guards especially love them because their desk is where the pumpkins have established their hang out spot. J From 3:00 until 6:00, I take the bus over to the church where we have Si Se Puede, an after-school program for kindergarteners through 8th graders. Here, I have been with the younger children, helping with snack, homework, gym time, reading, and a few other important activities.
Church Pastor Victor is a very passionate individual and I have felt a challenge to grow in my faith each time I have heard him speak. I’ve also been getting to know more and more people during the week, but it is incredibly difficult to not be bilingual. However, I enjoy seeing how much people have in common without having the same culture or dominant language. I also am glad to have the opportunity to experience a fraction of a tiny glimpse of what many of my neighbors go through in not knowing much English. This past weekend, a few of us went to a girls’ sleepover through the church and had a blast! We made pizzas, cookies, chocolate chip pancakes, had a Bible study, and played lots and lots of DDR (Dance Dance Revolution). My goal is to become a professional, but I will settle for making an “A” at least once by the end of the year. It’s always fun to be present when it’s someone’s first sleepover, and that was true for a couple of the girls there.
La Villita
Our house has become very close to the family of our landlord, including one of her sisters
who lives across the street with her husband and 3 children. They have gone to the laundry mat
with us, to an art festival, grocery shopping, into our home to help us cook, and just simply walking
around the neighborhood at various times. She has bought us some notebooks, piggy banks,
magnetic bracelets that I like to throw against the refrigerator, and a cookbook. I just feel so spoiled
by her generosity and God continues to teach me about serving others through her and her family!
My team also continues to teach me about how much we need one another. It is incredible to truly be vulnerable with a group of people from the initial moment of meeting them. There is so much growth as a result when fellow believers are willing to be open about weaknesses because that is when Christ’s strength is most exalted! I also thrive on learning from them, hearing their various viewpoints on life or being a first hand witness of their love that they so freely give to our community. It saddens me when people are too scared of being who they are, because there is so much freedom in being able to learn and experience life without reservation of what men may think. I am blessed beyond measure to be surrounded by a group of people whose focus is on God!
Prayer/Support Please pray for me to never forget where my focus should be. I’m sure that for most followers of Christ, it is difficult to not let the devil fill our heads with unnecessary thoughts that distract us. Also, for the last year and a half, God has been teaching me more about trusting Him. So please pray that we will all trust God and therefore, make Him the focal point of our lives! Also, if you would like to support me financially (and inevitably my team), you may do so through the blog page or by mailing a check or money order to Mission Year, including my fund ID number on the memo line. Mission Year, PO Box 17628, Atlanta, GA 30316 Fund # (2007-18)
Thank you for encouraging me! It is hard to breathe right now as I think about how inadequate my words would be if I tried to express how much I love each of you. But thank you for loving me and for taking part in shaping my life thus far.
I miss you and I love you,
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