Rebekah Hall
About Mission Year
Mission Year is a year long urban ministry program focused on Christian service and discipleship. We take teams of young people, place them in an area of need, and help them to serve people and create community. We are committed to the command of Jesus to “love God and love people,” by placing the needs of our neighbors first and developing committed disciples of Christ with a heart for the poor. Learn more about our first year program…
Rebekah Hall's Blog
A New Year and a new apprection of simple gestures and small victories. / Feb 3, 06:15 PM
How are those New Year resolutions going? Every year we make a long list of resolution varying from the sublime to the ridiculous from the achievable to the totally unattainable. In 2010 I am throwing down the gauntlet to add one of the following to your list of resolution and I promise you that not only are these far more realistic but you will definitely reap the rewards if you take up the challenge.
1. Go knock some doors.
Go visit your neighbour, have a hot beverage of your choice and find out how they are doing, what troubles they may be experiencing what help they may need. Often we are so busy trying to mentally check off everything in our list of daily activities that we miss opportunities to connect with the people around us. And yet our neighbours can enrich our lives so much, they can be there for us through so much more than when we need the occasional cup of sugar. Our society encourages us to be self sufficient and increasingly self centered; to only do things if you can get something out of the situation, only socialize with people who can help you in some way. This logic (or lack of) flies in the face of what Jesus taught us, he didn’t encourage us to be alone and hoard everything we have and facing everything by ourselves. No he showed us how to live in community, how to love people, and how to connect with people on even the most basic of levels.
So don’t worry about what type of biscuits you have in your cupboard or if the house is tidy enough, go knock on some doors and reach out in friendship – you never know how it could change your life!
P.S. if you have no neighbours go reconnect with a family member, or a friend you’ve lost touch with.
2. Stop buying things you don’t need.
I don’t know why society is so obsessed with having the most up to date, the shiniest, the latest trend but it is completely and utterly obsessed with new things and somehow that obsession quietly gets passed onto us via television, magazines and billboards. And before you know it your arms are full of clothes that don’t have a hope of fitting into your wardrobe, our bank accounts are drained of the money as soon as our paychecks clear and yet we never seem satisfied. Do these things really make us happy? Does it really matter if you watch your favourite TV show on a 15 inch or a 45 inch T.V. screen? Do you really need another pair of uncomfortably high shoes? Or another cook book when you barely opened that last one.
So I challenge you to stop buying everything you want and only buy what you need. I love only having a budget of 70 dollars to live off a month as it has completely revolutionized the value I put on things and what I do with my spare time. Don’t get me wrong for the first 3 months I had spent my monthly allowance within the first fortnight. However I have been wearing the same clothes for 5 months and people still like me! I have no idea what the latest fashion trend is and do you know what I’ve realized it is actually possible to live without Topshop. (n.b for those of you who are unaware I used to use the excuse of studying fashion to spend a lot of time shopping with my friends – my justification “clothes are my textbooks”) So for me to not have had the weekly distraction of finding something new each week has been an almost Road to Damascus experience. It is funny how when you are removed from a culture that to you seems completely normal you suddenly see it for what it is a waste of time and energy and money.
And what do you do with all that money you have saved by not buying new things you want but don’t need I hear you cry– well my friend you can help donate some of that hard earned cash to my support fund. As Tesco says every little helps no amount too great or small will be rejected.
www.missionyear.org/launch/rebekahhall
3. Stop taking God for granted.
I heard a great sermon about how we continually take God for granted. It made the comparison between our relationship with God and the relationship between a husband and wife. When a couple start dating they spend inordinate amounts of time planning dates, thinking about things to say that will make the other person feel good etc It can all be summed up in the term “wooing” Thoughts of the other person continually flood the mind and this continues and until one day enough wooing has occurred that they get engaged and then get married. And then somewhere along the way the flowers stop being bought and over time the company that was so eagerly sought at first is just merely taken for granted. A lot of the time we treat God the same way, we assume that he will always be there and we only really make contact with Him when we need or want something. So challenge number 3 is to seek God out more, to desire to spend time with Him not merely listing off the things you need help with but spending time in His word and in His presence.
So 3 resolutions that don’t require huge amounts of effort however they will revolutionize the way you live simply by spending time in community with people, with God and being more resourceful with what you have and learning to be content rather than endlessly seeking after things that are empty.
So what have I been doing since my last newsletter well after having 2 weeks back in Whitehead over Christmas which was lovely and it was great having the opportunity to catch with how things are going back home and spending time with friends and family. I flew back to Chicago on the 4th January and was greeted with freezing temperatures and lots of snow however even traipsing a suitcase and a big duffel bag over a bus and 2 train rides, my excitement at being back was still there. And as the 5 of us were reunited in our front room with luggage strewn all over the place it felt really good to be back and to get stuck back into the knitty gritty of Mission Year 2nd Trimester. And the very next day I was back at work and really my schedule hasn’t changed a huge amount since the first trimester except that on Wednesdays I work until 2pm at the clinic and then I work in Si Se Peude as a table tutor for Frankie, Jay, Lalo and Ruby.
I would just like to take this moment to take my proverbial hat off to anyone who is a parent and reading this, I now realize why bribery sometimes need to be used in order to get kids to behave. I think baptism of fire is the best way to describe my first week as a table tutor, Ruby who is absolutely no hassle wasn’t there so I had the task of trying to convince 3 boys that homework was an attractive option, Lalo didn’t need too much convincing and with a little help began his. Jay and Frankie have exactly the same homework which cause a bit of competitiveness until Frankie decided to hide his homework is his rucksack, after much pleading I mean encouragement he eventually brought it out and we began working on the sums or well what really involved was me asking Frankie what 9 +7 was over and over again until out of boredom or maybe pity he would answer correctly (of course)… after what felt like eternity I got him onside and he flew threw the questions. And Jay worked well on his sums until he decided to do handstands and backflips off the table. At this point all I could think of was child protection, broken neck, all while my blood pressure rose ever so slightly.
However the light at the end of the tunnel began when Frankie showed great enthusiasm for drawing a picture, our artistic masterpiece is Godzilla breathing fire while the aliens fly over his head shooting lazers at the people who are very scared. Hopefully our next masterpiece will involve less bloodshed. Week 2 was just as crazy and challenging but I love Si Se Peude and I really look forward spending time with the kids after working at the clinic all day.
Lego hasn’t started up again but hopefully in March I will be able to work with another 12 2nd grade boys and make more lego masterpieces.
Another highlight of the recent weeks has been convincing the boys to swap room with us one night, and no bribery or trickery were involved. Now why would we want to move everything out of one room and all that hassle that involves? I would like to remind you that our room was a very unattractive shade of brown and the boys got a really nice room that was baby blue – and actually the boys brown room kind of suits them.
Since my schedule hasn’t changed huge amounts I decided to kind of explain how I think Mission Year has impacted me so far and how I have changed (I will try to keep the clichés to a minimum)…
In February 2009 I decided to apply for Mission Year tin order o have an adventure, to just go somewhere totally unknown and let God put me into situations totally out of my comfort zone and try and focus more on God instead of being continually distracted. Mission year has enabled me to stop juggling jobs and commitments and University and friendship. It has taught me to be disciplined with what I commit myself to and to learn to live a slower paced life. Fear not I’m still 22 and although I have been learning to knit my life is not so slow and boring that you can stop reading this newsletter. Mission year has taught me the art of living simplistically.
Simple Living – Not having a huge amount of money to spend has made me value the little thing far more. For instance we went out to celebrate Tash’s birthday and so we all got dressed up and had a meal in a Thai restaurant downtown. Dinner for 5 people was 38 dollars and we shared 3 dishes between us and yet it was a great night and because we don’t have the budget to go out to restaurants to eat it made it so much more special. The same for going to the cinema, its something you save up to do and look forward to. I have also been more content to just go for a cup of tea downtown and spend time with someone that way instead of having to have an activity packed day in order for it to be entertaining.
It’s not just about spending less money. But we cook together and the fun that can had while preparing a meal or doing the washing up with one of my flatmates can sometimes turn out to be the highlight of my day. T.V doesn’t exist and we only have access to the internet on Mondays and every other Sunday but it means that I don’t spend hours glued to a computer screen, instead I read far more.Curriculum – each month we have a different book to read and discuss and this enables us to discuss a wide variety of issues and share our opinions as different as they sometimes can be from each other. And this enables dialogue and seeing different sides of a viewpoint and also see it in the context of why they feel that why, what have they gone through to make them view an issue in that way. I would encourage anyone to do this, bible studies, book groups or even just talking about something that’s happening in the news is something that doesn’t happen enough. Often its far easier to spend 30 minutes talking about the latest plot in a T.V series than it is to talk about what is going on in Haiti.
Fun – Often we have to create fun from a very small budget or a non existent one but this often isn’t a bad thing, with our neighbours and people from church we have played board games but also simple games that we have picked up from summer camps or youth groups that are never the same each time they are played due to peoples unique senses of humour. And hearing other people’s stories, how they have ended up in Chicago, why they are passionate about the work they do never gets boring. It is in the simple moments that my energy levels are refilled and I am so thankful to be able to say that in Chicago I have people who I can rely on, who I trust and who I love and if anyone had told me that 5 months ago that in such a short period of time complete strangers could become such important people in my lives I would have laughed at you.
Seeing God in the small moments – I have also come to realize that God can work in very simple ways and that before I came to Chicago I would always look for big miracles to show God working in my life, I wanted to see life changing events and I became easily bored by my everyday life. I thought God couldn’t work in me unless I was being a revolutionary, unless big sacrifices were made and then God could work. And being here I have realized that God works through even the simplest of gestures.
One day I was having such a bad day at work, there wasn’t just a cloud over my head there was a thunderstorm and I felt like I was useless and I was moaning to God about why was I in Chicago and generally having a pity party in the office where I was working by myself on a report. And then Jerry one of the HIV Case Managers walked past and then stopped and came into the room and we were talking about Christmas etc and then he asked if he could buy me lunch. At this point I was nearly crying not because he was going to buy me a small banquet for lunch but just at how such a simple gesture could totally turn my day and mood around. Lets just say I savoured every bite of that lunch and walked home through the snow smiling each step of the way. Jerry didn’t know I was miserable and yet by that simple gesture of generosity and love, God comforted me.
And if nothing else Mission Year has taught me to be in every moment, to savour the time you get to spend with people. One of my favourite parts of neighbourhood outreach involves Marisol my landlady’s niece painting my nails every colour in the rainbow. This usually takes the best part of an hour as we experiment with stripes and spots and sometimes we need to paint each nail 3 or 4 times before they are perfect. And so I paint Marisols nails and then she paints mine and it always reminds me of the story when the women washed Jesus feet with her tears. Even an 8 year old can restore a 22 year olds weary heart simply by painting her nails. And when I have to use nail varnish remover to wipe away the colour explosion on each nail as Test Counselors have to mature, grown up nails at the clinic, for the few days a week that I have crazy nails it helps remind me that God can use people of all ages to show how much he loves us.
Mission year has stopped me rushing around trying to do a hundred things at once. Instead I enjoy each moment as it comes some organized in advance, some come totally out of the blue and I know I will have a hundred more little moments to tell you about in the next newsletter but I just want to thank you for helping to make this possible by supporting me financially this year.
If you would like to support me please email me or you can donate using a credit card at www.missionyear.org/blog/rebekahhall and click donate now or OR Send Checks or
Money Orders to:
Mission Year
PO BOX 17628
Atlanta, GA 30316
Place: 09-0032 in the memo
Comment [1]
Forget Scrooge, don’t even bother with the Christmas queues….. why not try something a little different this Christmas. / Dec 2, 06:15 PM
Money – it’s a strange old commodity. We spend our lives trying to accumulate as much of it as possible. It’s hard to keep track of and even harder to decide what to spend it on. Businesses spend an inordinate amount of time and money trying to be as creative as possible when marketing their products in order to captivate your attention and foster your loyalty in the vain hope that you will spend some f your hard earned dosh in their shops. And that’s just day to day marketing don’t even get me started on Christmas.
Well I don’t have a limitless marketing budget.
I have no celebrity endorsements.
And unfortunately I have no free gift to tempt you with.
I’m just hoping that I have endeared myself enough to you as a friend. And if I haven’t yet done that I’ll maybe just resort to guilt inducing pleads for help and hope that I pull at your heart strings or maybe your purse strings.
Now why am I talking about money, in a blog of all places????? Well I need some money, well rather a lot of it, approximately $9000 of it which according to google roughly translates to 5,453 quid, pound coins etc etc. Now why do I need this money. And before your imagination run wild no I have not been taken hostage, developed an addiction to the home shopping channel. I’m currently in the 3rd month of an 11 month urban mission program aptly named Mission Year. And I know social etiquette tells me not to ask for money and certainly not to plead for it. And I know my timing is bad with Christmas weeks away and smack bang in the middle of a recession to end all recessions. But I’m sticking my neck out and asking for your help.
…. I need 5,453 pound coins or 9000 dollars depending on your geographic location… I’m not asking for people to take out bank loans or rob grannys in order to support me, but I know that we at times can be bad stewards of Gods blessings in our lives whether that comes to our talents and giftings or how we spend our money. 20 dollars isn’t a lot of money but if enough peeople pledged to support me each month that amount of money it would help to make a huge dent in what often seems like a mountain of money that still needs to be raised.
And at the end of the day what exactly is 20 dollars it’s; – A few cups of coffee. – Some magazines and the Sunday papers. – Entrance fee into a gig. – Friday night Chinese and dvd.
I could go on and on but I don’t want to distract you from my fundraising plea. I know I’m desperate and rather pathetic but I’m thousands of miles away form home and rather a wee bit stressed out that flights to and from America have swallowed up a large chunk of my fundraising efforts thus far.
Now what is this Mission Year adventure I speak of???? Well, if you want an eloquent and well written explanation I would visit www.missionyear.org for more info. If you don’t mind my attempt at prose Mission Year is basically an urban mission program that isn’t about preaching the gospel incessantly in peoples faces and telling them how bad it is. It doesn’t teach you how to create your own Christian bubble and give you the skills to live in that bubble. In fact it burst bubble and shatters illusions and stereotypes of what people think it means to be a Christian. It is not merely about talking about big issues its about living out the gospel in practical ways. Its about loving people, for who they are. I love being here having the opportunity to meet so many amazing people that are inspiring me to be that bit more radical in how I live.
Now when I say radical I don’t mean painting slogans on boards and going for walks in busy streets. Radical means having no t.v in your house. It means not having endless amounts of money to spend on stuff you don’t really need. It’s about living simply and honestly about being real about who you really are and how your doing. And its so much more than this. I have always found it hard taking on the name of Christianity not because of what it means to be a Christian but what has been done to people in the name of religion and Christianity. I’ve met so many people who have been mistreated and been turned off from God by other peoples actions.
I know its hard me asking you for money when some of you have no time for Christians. So why would you want to support a missionary? Well I work 8:30 – 5 in a health clinic in my neighbourhood. My time is split between carrying out pregnancy and HIV test counseling and doing prevention education in the local High School. This involves me taking classes on STD prevention which is a colourful experience but I love the challenge that my job gives me which at times can be daunting but each day is always new. And by the end of this year I believe I will be able to write a book on all the one liners and strange questions I have been asked in my classes.
I have taken part in Summer missions teams and outreach programs a plenty but Mission Year is different. It tackles that are going on in ouy neighbourhods, in our churches, in our society but also tackles the issues that are going on in your heart. It’s about discipline and sacrifice not in order to make you miserable or as some weird form of punishment but in order to strip away the hold that world has over your heart. We so often as Christians get sucked into the lies of the world telling us what life should be like and what we need to be doing and the things we should own.
These things often run against the grain that Jesus carved out in the gospels. Loving your neighbour. Clothing the poor. Feeding the hungry – these aren’t ideals we can pick and choose when we have the time and patience to do so. These are the habits and mindset that we should approach life with. Not looking at what people can do for us or what we can get out of a particular situation. But what can we give. What can we bring that will enable someone to get back up after they have stumbled. How can we help shake the dust off their feet and remove the thigns that cause them to stumble. How can we help people who aren’t just materially poor but those who are lonely, people experience struggles that seem insurmountable how can we bring the hope and light of Jesus Christ into peoples lives in a tangible way…. It is these things that mission year is teaching me. Thigns that money can’t buy. Friendships that couldn’t have been formed without participating in this program.
Mission Year has helped reignite the passion I had for the gospel when I was younger but that somehow over the past few years had become increasingy dampened and had begun to flicker…… it’s not quite a bonfire but God is graceful and generous and I am experiencing so many refining moments that I feel like although I have only been on this Chicago adventure since September that I look back and don’t recognise the girl that got on the plane all those months ago in Belfast.
So I ask for your help. Not because I think I can manipulate you into giving me money. If you want to you will.
This is a lot to ask. But you are my friends…. So I thought if I asked anyone it kind of makes sense to go with the people who know me first.
You can donate with the use of a credit card at https://www.missionyear.org/launch/rebekahhall
If you personally don’t have a credit card find someone who does give them the money and they can use their cards to donate.
Alternatively you can send a cheque to
Mission Year
PO BOX 17628
Atlanta, GA 30316
Place: 09-0032 in the memo
You can keep up to date with my latest adventures at www.missionyear.org/blog/rebekahhall
I know you guys are not nasty Scrooges…………
Comment [1]
October Adventures Mission Year Styleeee / Nov 25, 11:02 AM
Okay. So this is my wee badboy newsletter of all the random american adventures I’ve had this month. I mad e alovely newsletter with lots of kodak moments but its not letting me upload it but here is the general gist without the pictures. Enjoy.
A lot can happen in a week. ..
And although I’ve been here 7 weeks there is always something different happening each week. For instance I have visited a Pumpkin Patch, Little Village Art Festival and eaten a wide variety of Mexican food and many a deep dish pizza. Here is a little snippet of what usually happens each week.
Monday
Is our Sabbath which at the minute involves visiting the public library for my weekly fix of internet and catching up with people via facebook. I am also trying to figure out how many free adventures I can have on my Sabbath. So far Shedd Aquarium is on my list to visit.
I also get to take sneaky naps and watch a dvd as a treat.
Tuesday
8:30 am – 5pm. I work at the clinic.
6pm-7pm. Family Dinner with flatmates.
8pm. Devotion
9pm onwards. Is when we let our competitive streaks go crazy and play any number of long forgotten games such as monopoly and spoons.
Wednesday.
8:30am-5pm. I work at the clinic.
6:30pm-8pm. Prayer meeting at the Church.
8pm Devotion
Thursday.
8:30am-5pm. I work at the clinic.
5-7pm. BiLD project.
7pm-8.30pm. Praise Band Practice.
9pm. Devotion.
10pm-11pm. Curriculum discussion.
Friday.
8:30am-5pm I work at the clinic.
5pm-7pm Church Youth Program 5-7th grade kids.
7pm onwards Family Night.
Saturday
10-11am Prayer and Share with team.
12-5pm Neighbourhood Outreach.
6pm-10pm Hospitality Dinner.
Sunday
8:15-10am Praise Band Practice.
10-12:30am Church Service.
1pm Grocery Shopping
2-4pm Laundry
5-10pm Citywide training.
Okay so in the last newsletter I was bragging about the tan I was developing in all the glorious sunshine of Chicago. Well those days are long gone. It’s cold. Really cold. And wet. And did I mention it’s COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And everyone I meet keeps telling me that it’s going to get a whole lot colder. Here are a few things I have been taught by the weather recently; – Hats are no longer a fashion statement but a necessity. – Fingerless gloves are useless. – Primark boots leak – When it rains it pours. And floods. You have to walk down the middle of the road because all the leaves have blocked the drains and the rain has nowhere to go!!!!!!!!!!!! You can try and jump over the puddles but I can testify that it gets very messy and it’s not a very smart thing to do on your way to work. Especially when you are rather uncoordinated and clumsy and rubbish at the hurdles back in your school days.
I would just like to take this opportunity to thank my Mum for sending me proper footwear i.e. boots that don’t leak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our cooking experiments are still going well and not only have the boys perfected egg fried rice, pancakes and chilli. This week I was introduced to Dirt Cake. Sounds gross tastes amazing. For anyone who is on a diet or takes joy in counting calories I would encourage you to skip this part of the newsletter. I have no idea the exact ingredients but there is chocolate mousse, jelly snakes, cookies and rather a lot of calories. Didn’t stop any of us having seconds .But yeah I would hazard a guess that Dirt Cake alone could help explain the rising obesity levels in America
In the words of Dolly Parton…. “working 9-5” or 8:30-5 to be precise.
Well I’m sure you will be pleased to know that I am now a member of the hard working 9-5 sector of society. I work at Lawndale Christian Health Clinic as an HIV and Pregnancy Test Counselor. This involves me not only carrying out tests but also counseling clients once the results are known as well as working in the High School providing Sex Education classes.
I have never been a scientific kind of girl. ER was about as interested as I got into the medical field. And I can safely say I’m still not. However I have been thrown in at the deep end and am continually being tested in new ways. I have devoured a lever arch file full of HIV statistics and information which my supervisor Karl then took great pleasure in creating pop quizzes to grill me on everything I had learnt.
So having spent a week reading what felt like every piece of literature ever written on the subject of HIV I was then released into the community with my new found knowledge and allowed to help plan and facilitate HIV preventative workshops to both High School students and adults. Genesis was great training for this role as sometimes the students can be a little too enthusiastic in their discussion of sexually transmitted diseases and somehow we always seem to get a little off topic. However as a result of these classes we have seen an increase in the number of students coming in for pregnancy and HIV tests.
Work is hard going and I have a new found respect for people who in the medical field as each day is like no other and at times it feels rather overwhelming. However I have a great support team around me constantly encouraging me and pushing me that little further out of my comfort zone. I have been designing new lesson plans for the student education classes we take and I am gradually finding my feet with all the paper work that needs to be filled out for each patient.
The ethos of Lawndale is very inspiring and I get to work with doctors and nurses who are extremely committed and passionate about the people they serve.
Prayer Requests
Gang Violence.
There has be an abnormal amount of gang violence over the last 6 weeks with 8 young people losing their lives in shootings. These young people more often than not have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you could pray for peace, forgiveness and comfort for those who have lost loved ones in the violence.
Spanish skills.
I can’t speak Spanish!!!!!!! I’m trying to learn but it is very slow progress. I also sing in the Church Praise Band where I try not to trip over the words too much. However the pastor did pray for me this week at the prayer meeting as I think my confused looks on stage may have given the game away. However help is at hand in the form of Magda, Pastor Vics wife who has volunteered to attempt to teach me the basics. Hassan has also taken pity on me and is giving up an hour of his day off to teach me as well.
Energy levels.
Life in La Villita is busy. Don’t get me wrong I love it. I love all the people I’ve been meeting but there are times when I feel tired and all I want to do is sit down with a cup of tea and watch Eastenders and then I remember we have no TV in the house and we also don’t have any tea bags!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But on a serious note just learning how to pace myself and get rest on my days off rather than site seeing has been a hard lesson to learn.
Hassan works I Am Able Counseling service and B Ball on the Block a mentoring program using basketball as a way of connecting with young people.
Lindsey works Girls in the Game an after school program for girls using sport to help with their education. She also teaches ESL classes.
James works CCIL working in the food pantry and he also teaches ESL classes.
Tash also works Lawndale Christian Health Clinic working in their maternal child healthcare department.
Pumpkin Patch, Corn Mazes and good old fashioned American fun……
On Saturday, Tash, Lindsay and I were on board a yellow school bus with the 18 young people that attend our Churches after school program – Si Se Peude. I was probably the most excited person on that bus. Si Se Peude runs Tuesday – Friday 3pm-7pm for kids aged 5-16. It is part of the Church outreach program and is run collectively by church members volunteering their time and skills in order t help the young people with their homework and their general progress in school. In La Villita a worrying trend has developed in which a lot of young people can be up to 3 grades behind in their education. The program is an invaluable for the local community in which the schools are over subscribed and under resourced.
Every month there is a field trip that all the church members are encouraged to attend with Si Se Peude. This enables the church members to build relationships with the kids and their families. Sitting on the bus that day I could barely contain my excitement. I had never been to a pumpkin patch before and corn fields merely reminded me of films such as Field of Dreams and Signs. I knew it was going to be clichéd and cheesy and really these places are designed to appeal and entertain children. Well I can just say that I had great fun.
I THINK I CAN HONESTLY SAY I LOVE PUMPKIN PATCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What do you like to do on a Saturday?
Something relaxing or fun.
Well last Saturday I did PROP.
I arrived with my team at CCIL and I was escorted into a room where I had to be interviewed and fill in a form. Sounds lovely, except I had to answer in Spanish. For anyone who went to school with me, alongside Science, Languages weren’t my strong point. I took German for one year in 3rd year and failed every class test!!!!!! I speak no Spanish. I panic about how to pronounce Hola!
Okay. So this is my wee badboy newsletter of all the random american adventures I’ve had this month. I mad e alovely newsletter with lots of kodak moments but its not letting me upload it but here is the general gist without the pictures. Enjoy.
A lot can happen in a week. ..
And although I’ve been here 7 weeks there is always something different happening each week. For instance I have visited a Pumpkin Patch, Little Village Art Festival and eaten a wide variety of Mexican food and many a deep dish pizza. Here is a little snippet of what usually happens each week.
Monday
Is our Sabbath which at the minute involves visiting the public library for my weekly fix of internet and catching up with people via facebook. I am also trying to figure out how many free adventures I can have on my Sabbath. So far Shedd Aquarium is on my list to visit.
I also get to take sneaky naps and watch a dvd as a treat.
Tuesday
8:30 am – 5pm. I work at the clinic.
6pm-7pm. Family Dinner with flatmates.
8pm. Devotion
9pm onwards. Is when we let our competitive streaks go crazy and play any number of long forgotten games such as monopoly and spoons.
Wednesday.
8:30am-5pm. I work at the clinic.
6:30pm-8pm. Prayer meeting at the Church.
8pm Devotion
Thursday.
8:30am-5pm. I work at the clinic.
5-7pm. BiLD project.
7pm-8.30pm. Praise Band Practice.
9pm. Devotion.
10pm-11pm. Curriculum discussion.
Friday.
8:30am-5pm I work at the clinic.
5pm-7pm Church Youth Program 5-7th grade kids.
7pm onwards Family Night.
Saturday
10-11am Prayer and Share with team.
12-5pm Neighbourhood Outreach.
6pm-10pm Hospitality Dinner.
Sunday
8:15-10am Praise Band Practice.
10-12:30am Church Service.
1pm Grocery Shopping
2-4pm Laundry
5-10pm Citywide training.
Okay so in the last newsletter I was bragging about the tan I was developing in all the glorious sunshine of Chicago. Well those days are long gone. It’s cold. Really cold. And wet. And did I mention it’s COLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And everyone I meet keeps telling me that it’s going to get a whole lot colder. Here are a few things I have been taught by the weather recently; – Hats are no longer a fashion statement but a necessity. – Fingerless gloves are useless. – Primark boots leak – When it rains it pours. And floods. You have to walk down the middle of the road because all the leaves have blocked the drains and the rain has nowhere to go!!!!!!!!!!!! You can try and jump over the puddles but I can testify that it gets very messy and it’s not a very smart thing to do on your way to work. Especially when you are rather uncoordinated and clumsy and rubbish at the hurdles back in your school days.
I would just like to take this opportunity to thank my Mum for sending me proper footwear i.e. boots that don’t leak!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Our cooking experiments are still going well and not only have the boys perfected egg fried rice, pancakes and chilli. This week I was introduced to Dirt Cake. Sounds gross tastes amazing. For anyone who is on a diet or takes joy in counting calories I would encourage you to skip this part of the newsletter. I have no idea the exact ingredients but there is chocolate mousse, jelly snakes, cookies and rather a lot of calories. Didn’t stop any of us having seconds .But yeah I would hazard a guess that Dirt Cake alone could help explain the rising obesity levels in America
In the words of Dolly Parton…. “working 9-5” or 8:30-5 to be precise.
Well I’m sure you will be pleased to know that I am now a member of the hard working 9-5 sector of society. I work at Lawndale Christian Health Clinic as an HIV and Pregnancy Test Counselor. This involves me not only carrying out tests but also counseling clients once the results are known as well as working in the High School providing Sex Education classes.
I have never been a scientific kind of girl. ER was about as interested as I got into the medical field. And I can safely say I’m still not. However I have been thrown in at the deep end and am continually being tested in new ways. I have devoured a lever arch file full of HIV statistics and information which my supervisor Karl then took great pleasure in creating pop quizzes to grill me on everything I had learnt.
So having spent a week reading what felt like every piece of literature ever written on the subject of HIV I was then released into the community with my new found knowledge and allowed to help plan and facilitate HIV preventative workshops to both High School students and adults. Genesis was great training for this role as sometimes the students can be a little too enthusiastic in their discussion of sexually transmitted diseases and somehow we always seem to get a little off topic. However as a result of these classes we have seen an increase in the number of students coming in for pregnancy and HIV tests.
Work is hard going and I have a new found respect for people who in the medical field as each day is like no other and at times it feels rather overwhelming. However I have a great support team around me constantly encouraging me and pushing me that little further out of my comfort zone. I have been designing new lesson plans for the student education classes we take and I am gradually finding my feet with all the paper work that needs to be filled out for each patient.
The ethos of Lawndale is very inspiring and I get to work with doctors and nurses who are extremely committed and passionate about the people they serve.
Prayer Requests
Gang Violence.
There has be an abnormal amount of gang violence over the last 6 weeks with 8 young people losing their lives in shootings. These young people more often than not have simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time. If you could pray for peace, forgiveness and comfort for those who have lost loved ones in the violence.
Spanish skills.
I can’t speak Spanish!!!!!!! I’m trying to learn but it is very slow progress. I also sing in the Church Praise Band where I try not to trip over the words too much. However the pastor did pray for me this week at the prayer meeting as I think my confused looks on stage may have given the game away. However help is at hand in the form of Magda, Pastor Vics wife who has volunteered to attempt to teach me the basics. Hassan has also taken pity on me and is giving up an hour of his day off to teach me as well.
Energy levels.
Life in La Villita is busy. Don’t get me wrong I love it. I love all the people I’ve been meeting but there are times when I feel tired and all I want to do is sit down with a cup of tea and watch Eastenders and then I remember we have no TV in the house and we also don’t have any tea bags!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But on a serious note just learning how to pace myself and get rest on my days off rather than site seeing has been a hard lesson to learn.
Hassan works I Am Able Counseling service and B Ball on the Block a mentoring program using basketball as a way of connecting with young people.
Lindsey works Girls in the Game an after school program for girls using sport to help with their education. She also teaches ESL classes.
James works CCIL working in the food pantry and he also teaches ESL classes.
Tash also works Lawndale Christian Health Clinic working in their maternal child healthcare department.
Pumpkin Patch, Corn Mazes and good old fashioned American fun……
On Saturday, Tash, Lindsay and I were on board a yellow school bus with the 18 young people that attend our Churches after school program – Si Se Peude. I was probably the most excited person on that bus. Si Se Peude runs Tuesday – Friday 3pm-7pm for kids aged 5-16. It is part of the Church outreach program and is run collectively by church members volunteering their time and skills in order t help the young people with their homework and their general progress in school. In La Villita a worrying trend has developed in which a lot of young people can be up to 3 grades behind in their education. The program is an invaluable for the local community in which the schools are over subscribed and under resourced.
Every month there is a field trip that all the church members are encouraged to attend with Si Se Peude. This enables the church members to build relationships with the kids and their families. Sitting on the bus that day I could barely contain my excitement. I had never been to a pumpkin patch before and corn fields merely reminded me of films such as Field of Dreams and Signs. I knew it was going to be clichéd and cheesy and really these places are designed to appeal and entertain children. Well I can just say that I had great fun.
I THINK I CAN HONESTLY SAY I LOVE PUMPKIN PATCHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What do you like to do on a Saturday?
Something relaxing or fun.
Well last Saturday I did PROP.
I arrived with my team at CCIL and I was escorted into a room where I had to be interviewed and fill in a form. Sounds lovely, except I had to answer in Spanish. For anyone who went to school with me, alongside Science, Languages weren’t my strong point. I took German for one year in 3rd year and failed every class test!!!!!! I speak no Spanish. I panic about how to pronounce Hola!
So after the traumatic experience of potentially signing my life away through guesswork at answer questions in a totally foreign language. I then had to give up my clothes. Now don’t worry we weren’t trying to become naturists we had to swap our clothes with donated clothes. You were allowed 3 items. At first this was great fun I found a lovely checked shirt and then I remembered pretty t shirts don’t keep you warm.
So after much deliberation I choose like a true fashion designer a black skirt a long black jumper and a black jacket. Perfect. Until I got changed and returned to the room full of all the Chicago Mission Year participants and I realized that I probably should have picked uglier clothes. You see I was going to spend the day in downtown Chicago trying to understand what it feels like to be homeless. I didn’t look like I was homeless if I had applied a little more eye liner that morning I could have almost passed as a goth as I stood I looked like I could be French.
My flatmate Lindsay went all out she backcombed her hair and the only way I can describe her is that she resembled a crazy lady who might have an unhealthy dependence on drugs and a penchant for feeding pigeons. So me and Tash set off with no money or food and a solitary bus card on an adventure to try and foster a understanding of some of the emotions and situations that homeless people face.
Downtown Chicago is rich, expensive shops like Prada, Mac and Hugo Boss. And there was me and Tash fishing in bins trying to fin a cup that would enable us to pan handle.
We also though our strategy of looking in the alley beside Dunkin Dohnuts would be fruitful but alas all we found was a solitary blueberry muffin that was as solid as a rock.I also didn’t eat breakfast that day. Pretty soon I was wishing I had that blueberry muffin. It was cold. People were looking at us like we were weirdos. And we had no money. An hour into the process and I already started to hate Downtown Chicago. Everywhere I looked all I could see where people happy, like nothing in the world mattered except shopping. No one seemed to have a care in the world.
We eventually sat down beside a man and a young boy who were pan handling and I explained what we were doing and asked if we could sit with for a while. Terry reassured me he wasn’t homeless but that his gas had been turned off as he had a $214 gas bill to pay and that this was his last resort. So we sat down and started to beg. Now for most people who know me I’m pretty confident and I haven’t been known to hold my tongue often. Well I started off sitting on the freezing cold pavement, cross legged intent on making as much eye contact with passers by as possible.
My gameplan was to guilt people into giving us money. I was going to raise that money and we would go with Terry and his son to the shop to pay the bill and then we would have a celebration and I would have a great blog entry for the website. Well reality and my highly active imagination are often mismatched and this situation was no exception.
My game plan started to fail as after 30 mins my self confidence had taken a beating. There are only so many people who can ignore you, scowl, mutter under the breath or quickly avert eye contact before you start to be affected by it. I no longer had to try and look miserable. I was. I hated this. I was cold. I felt stupid and worthless and my legs had pins and needles and I couldn’t do anything about it. For the 2 hours we sat there begging. 3 people gave us money. One woman gave us $5 and genuinely looked pained at our situation. One young guy about 18, gave change and then came back and emptied his pockets. His concern and generosity probably was the only redeeming moment at that point. The final donation was from a lady how gave us 54 cents and alongside her donation she interrogated us with questions and when she didn’t get ready answers she stalked off in anger.
Then the police turned up and started shouting at Terry. It was at this point that I became rather scared as I didn’t really want to have my visa revoked or be arrested. The female police officer shouted at him and told him to move on. I didn’t understand as Terry wasn’t homeless. How she treat him with such disdain. Terry turned round to us and told us that if we didn’t want to spend the night in a cell we should probably leave. So we handed him the money and left. I felt physically sick. I didn’t understand what happened. Where did everything go wrong. After that I didn’t want to do this anymore except we had 3 hours left. I walked around feeling like I didn’t fit in and angry at the world. I didn’t understand how people could happily shop without understanding the humiliation and hurt that I felt.
As we had been begging we were facing a bank that had reflective windows. As I watched people walk past and ignore me I felt this sinking feeling of familiarity that I had been those people many times before. I started to think about all the times I could quickly through money in a cup when I was in Belfast but not take the time to treat the person with basic human respect and acknowledge that they were people instead of just a homeless person. At 5pm we had a Pizza feast at Millennium Park beside the bean. We invited any body that we had met that day. This was a great way to end the day as I got to spend time with people who were homeless we broke bread or well pizza and learned about each other.
This experience was horrendous but necessary. It made me realize a small fraction of the emotions and struggles that living on the streets encompasses. I still lay no claim to understanding the complexities of homelessness but I know that I cannot walk past someone who is begging for money without reliving the emotions I felt that day, begging on the streets and feeling utterly worthless and helpless.
You can contact me via everylittlehelps@hotmail.com
773-398-8585
www.missionyear.org/blog/rebekahhall
2442 South Central Park
Apartment 3, Chicago, Illinois, 60623
November Adventures Mission Year styleeee....... / Nov 25, 11:02 AM
11 weeks…….. 77 days…….since I last saw t.v. Ate my Mums chicken dinner. Slept in my own bed. Seen Timothy the cat. …. And the list could go on all day of all the things I no longer do. But that would be short sighted as since I have been living in Chicago my life has been turned upside down by God . It hasn’t been the easiest of experiences and at times I have questioned what on earth possessed me to live behind everyone I love and know and move 4,200 miles away to a country that speaks a very different version of English.
Despite all the changes, all the sacrifices…. I have gained so much. I have made friendships over the past 3 months that have grown into relationships where I can vent, I can rejoice, I can get upset and I can snort with laughter and not be afraid of how they might view me.
I work in a clinic beside people who go beyond their job description often grabbing lunch when they have a spare minute and allowing their schedules to be double booked in order to make sure a patient gets seen that day. I am at the bottom of the rung at the clinic, I am a lowly intern and I have no medical experience and I can’t speak a word of Spanish and yet the doctors still take time to find out how my day is going. Each day new things happen, schedules change and I encounter new challenges but I love it. At times it hurts my head and my heart with some of the situations I deal with but I can see God at work in the clinic and the staff there. The fact that people who have no medical insurance can come and receive care that is just as high a quality of the care that insured patients receive is a beautiful thing to be part of.
Work is challenging but it is so rewarding. We are making progress with the prevention education classes as we are starting to go into biology classes as well as detention and long division classes. I am also working on a schools packet that explains the various educational services the clinic provides – so all those marketing classes at University are starting to come in handy. Having settled into clinic life I’m starting to get to know the staff better and can definitely count them se friends. Vanessa, one of the Maternal Child Health nurses is really fun to work with – there was a bomb scare at work last week and we had both been working with a patient and her two young girls so we spent the 40 mins that we were standing outside playing various highly immature games with the girls much to the amusement of some of the doctors. Nicole does my job on the days I’m at the Belle Whaley clinic and she’s a great source of knowledge as she’s a Social Work masters student and has had 6 years of hands on experience – she also hides great treats in our filling cabinet and she is an amazing cook. I am trying to encourage her to open a bakery and let me be the taste tester.
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11 weeks…….. 77 days…….since I last saw t.v. Ate my Mums chicken dinner. Slept in my own bed. Seen Timothy the cat. …. And the list could go on all day of all the things I no longer do. But that would be short sighted as since I have been living in Chicago my life has been turned upside down by God . It hasn’t been the easiest of experiences and at times I have questioned what on earth possessed me to live behind everyone I love and know and move 4,200 miles away to a country that speaks a very different version of English.
Despite all the changes, all the sacrifices…. I have gained so much. I have made friendships over the past 3 months that have grown into relationships where I can vent, I can rejoice, I can get upset and I can snort with laughter and not be afraid of how they might view me.
I work in a clinic beside people who go beyond their job description often grabbing lunch when they have a spare minute and allowing their schedules to be double booked in order to make sure a patient gets seen that day. I am at the bottom of the rung at the clinic, I am a lowly intern and I have no medical experience and I can’t speak a word of Spanish and yet the doctors still take time to find out how my day is going. Each day new things happen, schedules change and I encounter new challenges but I love it. At times it hurts my head and my heart with some of the situations I deal with but I can see God at work in the clinic and the staff there. The fact that people who have no medical insurance can come and receive care that is just as high a quality of the care that insured patients receive is a beautiful thing to be part of.
Work is challenging but it is so rewarding. We are making progress with the prevention education classes as we are starting to go into biology classes as well as detention and long division classes. I am also working on a schools packet that explains the various educational services the clinic provides – so all those marketing classes at University are starting to come in handy. Having settled into clinic life I’m starting to get to know the staff better and can definitely count them se friends. Vanessa, one of the Maternal Child Health nurses is really fun to work with – there was a bomb scare at work last week and we had both been working with a patient and her two young girls so we spent the 40 mins that we were standing outside playing various highly immature games with the girls much to the amusement of some of the doctors. Nicole does my job on the days I’m at the Belle Whaley clinic and she’s a great source of knowledge as she’s a Social Work masters student and has had 6 years of hands on experience – she also hides great treats in our filling cabinet and she is an amazing cook. I am trying to encourage her to open a bakery and let me be the taste tester.
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Community Living is a challenge and a half.
We have a small house. No one can enjoy the privacy of their own bedroom. We have two doors a backdoor and a front door so when tempers flair no one can even enjoy slamming the door as we have open planned architecture in our apartment. It’s about being sensitive to other peoples needs and feelings, instead of leaving your dirty dishes lying in the sink it’’s about washing them and also the coffee pot even when you don’t drink coffee. It’s about not eating the last brownie before everyone else gets home but enjoying being able to share. There have been many highs and many lows. Everything is more intense. But I have 4 people in my life who probably have a better understanding of who I am than I probably would like.
They see me with no make up on!!!!!
They get to listen to me grump when I’m feeling homesick or I’ve had a long day at work.
They encourage me when I feel like there are too many hurdles to even attempt to jump over.
And they even let me have the last of the ice cream and sometimes when they know I’ve spent my monthly allowance within the first week – therefore leaving me no money for sweets or cinema trips, Hassan shares his M&M’s with me and Tash offers to buy me chips/fries………
So I guess community living has its benefits and believe me when I say they stretch farther than just impromptu sweet sharing. It’s those early morning conversations when you are too tired to have the usual barriers – so you’re that little bit more honest and a lot less socially edited. It’s when you get in from a day at work that although rewarding has drained you and James has made dinner – and the most amazing egg fried rice that after many experiments his secret recipe has reached perfection. It’s when Lindsay lets you watch movies on her laptop even when she needs it.
It’s about learning about other people’s cultures and seeing how other people worship God . It’s about listening to Christmas music even before Halloween!!!!!!!!!! It’s about breaking down the barriers that you have created over the years to protect you from being hurt. It’s about being honest even when your unsure of the reaction.
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11 weeks…….. 77 days…….since I last saw t.v. Ate my Mums chicken dinner. Slept in my own bed. Seen Timothy the cat. …. And the list could go on all day of all the things I no longer do. But that would be short sighted as since I have been living in Chicago my life has been turned upside down by God . It hasn’t been the easiest of experiences and at times I have questioned what on earth possessed me to live behind everyone I love and know and move 4,200 miles away to a country that speaks a very different version of English.
Despite all the changes, all the sacrifices…. I have gained so much. I have made friendships over the past 3 months that have grown into relationships where I can vent, I can rejoice, I can get upset and I can snort with laughter and not be afraid of how they might view me.
I work in a clinic beside people who go beyond their job description often grabbing lunch when they have a spare minute and allowing their schedules to be double booked in order to make sure a patient gets seen that day. I am at the bottom of the rung at the clinic, I am a lowly intern and I have no medical experience and I can’t speak a word of Spanish and yet the doctors still take time to find out how my day is going. Each day new things happen, schedules change and I encounter new challenges but I love it. At times it hurts my head and my heart with some of the situations I deal with but I can see God at work in the clinic and the staff there. The fact that people who have no medical insurance can come and receive care that is just as high a quality of the care that insured patients receive is a beautiful thing to be part of.
Work is challenging but it is so rewarding. We are making progress with the prevention education classes as we are starting to go into biology classes as well as detention and long division classes. I am also working on a schools packet that explains the various educational services the clinic provides – so all those marketing classes at University are starting to come in handy. Having settled into clinic life I’m starting to get to know the staff better and can definitely count them se friends. Vanessa, one of the Maternal Child Health nurses is really fun to work with – there was a bomb scare at work last week and we had both been working with a patient and her two young girls so we spent the 40 mins that we were standing outside playing various highly immature games with the girls much to the amusement of some of the doctors. Nicole does my job on the days I’m at the Belle Whaley clinic and she’s a great source of knowledge as she’s a Social Work masters student and has had 6 years of hands on experience – she also hides great treats in our filling cabinet and she is an amazing cook. I am trying to encourage her to open a bakery and let me be the taste tester.
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Community Living is a challenge and a half.
We have a small house. No one can enjoy the privacy of their own bedroom. We have two doors a backdoor and a front door so when tempers flair no one can even enjoy slamming the door as we have open planned architecture in our apartment. It’s about being sensitive to other peoples needs and feelings, instead of leaving your dirty dishes lying in the sink it’’s about washing them and also the coffee pot even when you don’t drink coffee. It’s about not eating the last brownie before everyone else gets home but enjoying being able to share. There have been many highs and many lows. Everything is more intense. But I have 4 people in my life who probably have a better understanding of who I am than I probably would like.
They see me with no make up on!!!!!
They get to listen to me grump when I’m feeling homesick or I’ve had a long day at work.
They encourage me when I feel like there are too many hurdles to even attempt to jump over.
And they even let me have the last of the ice cream and sometimes when they know I’ve spent my monthly allowance within the first week – therefore leaving me no money for sweets or cinema trips, Hassan shares his M&M’s with me and Tash offers to buy me chips/fries………
So I guess community living has its benefits and believe me when I say they stretch farther than just impromptu sweet sharing. It’s those early morning conversations when you are too tired to have the usual barriers – so you’re that little bit more honest and a lot less socially edited. It’s when you get in from a day at work that although rewarding has drained you and James has made dinner – and the most amazing egg fried rice that after many experiments his secret recipe has reached perfection. It’s when Lindsay lets you watch movies on her laptop even when she needs it.
It’s about learning about other people’s cultures and seeing how other people worship God . It’s about listening to Christmas music even before Halloween!!!!!!!!!! It’s about breaking down the barriers that you have created over the years to protect you from being hurt. It’s about being honest even when your unsure of the reaction.
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So living without t.v isn’t actually that bad. I don’t miss Eastenders and whenever I talk to people from home I can’t keep up with the plot of Hollyoaks. Instead of sitting in front of a t.v at night we have to create or own entertainment. Last month was the month of Board games….. this month we are a little bored of Monopoly… so November has been the month of going a bit crazy. On Friday night we dressed like superheroes for family night – each person created their own costume with anything from the house alongside dressing up we had to create a super hero persona – good or evil and a theme tune/rap to accompany our hero. Well lets just say we discovered hidden talents that night in Tash and James.
I hope the pictures below help to reveal hidden depths in our characters – I simply enjoyed being able to pose again…… it’s very hard to pose and be servant hearted. We had an impromptu silent rave at the end of the night that ended prematurely when the neighbours below banged the ceiling with their brush – we forgot Lindsay was wearing boots with a heel that night.
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This is Jay. He’s a big a poser as me. I thought you’d like to meet Jay. He’s is one the kids from Si Se Peude the after schools program that runs at our church. I help out for the last hour of each day. After working in the clinic I love being at SI Se Peude as I get to be around kids and all the stresses of the day disappear. Me and Jay have developed a relationship which basically involves him telling me what to draw and then we design a card for his teacher. He also introduces me as “Miss Rebekah, She’s an artist.” He is very cute and he brightens up my afternoons no end.
He lives on the same street as me so we also bonded over the scary dogs that bark at me every time I walk past. There have been a number of times that me and Tash have forgotten the dogs exist and have literally jumped in the air as the remind us of their existence.
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BiLD Project. This is an educational program for 2nd grade boys that encourages them to learn using Lego. I really enjoy helping with this program as the boys have loads of energy and every week brings new challenges. The boys have also been teaching me Spanish and the literary gem of a book that is Captain Underpants. I got asked this week if I was born speaking the way I do. It took me ten minutes to explain that my vocal chords were perfectly normal and that I come from Ireland. I love the directness of young people.
I hope this gives you a small insight into what being on Mission Year encompasses. To anyone who may be reading this who is thinking of applying for Mission Year feel free to email me everylittlehelps@hotmail.com
My first blog I talked about wanting a challenge. I wanted God to take away everything I rely on and to mould me into the person he envisaged me to be when he created me. Well let me tell you there is a lot of moulding still to be done. This process is hard at times but in the next moment God reminds me why I’m here doing this, whether it is by one of the girls next door running up the street to give me a big hug or just being able to be part of this community. I see God at work not only in my life but in my team mates lives and also in this community.
Chalk and Cheese or well maybe just chalk. / Sep 24, 08:24 PM
I hate Chalk. There I said it and I already feel better. Chalk scares me. I hate the feel of it and alongside cotton wool it gives me the creeps. The sounds of someone writing with chalk sends tingles up my spine – all in all I basically avoid chalk whenever I see it.
For the past 2 Saturdays for neighbourhood outreach I’ve been decorating our sidewalk with the help of the 4 girls from next door and my landlords nephew and neices. We’ve been drawing flowers and butterflies and cars all over the street.
We’ve also been retro and revisited the childhood classic game – hopscotch.
And all of these drawings and games have been done in guess what – sidewalk chalk!!!!!!!!
I still hate chalk.
It still gives me the creeps.
But I love how it enables me to engage with my neighbours and helps me build small steps of friendship.
