Libby Warfield's Blog
Reflection from My Dad / Mar 3, 09:27 AM
Hey I had asked my dad if he wouldn’t mind reflecting a little about their trip here over the “Come and See” weekend..
I am going to be using it for part of my newsletter but I also just wanted to post it for those of you out there… So here is a reflection from my dad..
I am still digesting the weekend but let me share some of my thoughts and observations from the resent trip to visit Libby. “Come & See weekend” as it is aptly name named is your basic visit day. You can treat it like a Parents’ Weekend and spoil your child, or you can immerse yourself and try to get a small taste of life in Mission Year. I am glad we did the latter.
It started with the bus ride where 4 teenagers about 14-15 were on their way to a friend’s funeral. The behavior of these teenagers was normal not one of the grief stricken shock, with attendant grief counselors. It was matter of fact it was probably not the first, or last funeral that they will attend.
In suburbia we complain about $3 a gallon gasoline. Moving around Atlanta we quickly realized that $1.75 bus and subway rides can get pretty expensive. That is in addition to the distances you walk to catch them, the time you spend waiting for them, and the weather you endure (we got soaked on the ¼ mile between our hotel and the MARTA station.)
Monday we visited the Open Door, the soup kitchen Libby works at. There was much of the equipment that you would expect, but it is easy to get overwhelmed by the scale of the operation. One thing that stuck out to me was the clean garbage barrel, dedicated to freshly ground coffee to be used. If they got Starbucks prices for every cup they served, they would likely not need to raise funds.
The Open Door also supports a ministry to prisoners, mainly on death row. Libby let us help her with her task that day of reviewing letters from prisoners, looking for special needs. Through reading these letters and talking with those who lead the ministry we learned about some of the injustices in our system – like prisoners having to buy their own toiletries (including soap & toilet paper). This begs to ask what happens to a prisoner without relatives or friends to support them?? They would have to do without these most basic items.
As we left the Open Door and headed back to collect our stuff we decided to walk, after all it was too cold & windy to wait for a bus that would be a long while. During the 1 ½ walk, we encountered 4-5 people that Libby had met at the Open Door they all smiled as they recognized her. No matter what their lot, she had a kind word, and showed a genuine interest in how they were doing.
So visiting Libby & the Mission Year team in Atlanta was just an experience. As a group they are bringing the culture of God’s kingdom to this world, and depending upon him daily. Thank you for all your support and prayers, they are defiantly helping to personify the Mission Year motto; “Love God, Love people, Nothing else matters”.
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