I've been meaning to write this post from the second I got back home but have been flooded with some time-consuming commitments. Now, I finally have a free second to sit down and write. Or should I say type? Regardless, I am super excited to share my experiences and convictions with you!
I had the pleasure of going to Washington, D.C. with my youth group for five days to serve the city and to contemplate what it meant to be a good neighbor while growing into a better neighbor.
One thing we talked about was food insecurity in Wards 7 and 8. Food insecurity is defined as "the state of being without reliable access to a sufficient quantity of affordable, nutritious food" (Oxford Languages). 160,000 people have to share 4 grocery stores. 40,000 people per store! Now you may be thinking, "why don't these people just get food from the grocery stores in the other wards?" Many obstacles prevent this possibly to the inhabitants of Wards 7 and 8. One being the fact that many work full-time or are working multiple jobs to support their family. These people don't have time to budget, plan out meals, and take the time to go grocery shopping, which we learned from one of the activities we did. Another obstacle is transportation. Some residents can't afford cars. If you take public transportation, it will be very difficult to carry all your groceries with you. You may also find yourself asking, "why don't companies build more grocery stores in Wards 7 and 8?" I myself thought about this. The answer? It is not as profitable to put grocery stores in these wards as it is to put them in the wealthier wards. A few years ago, Walmart was supposed to put 2 new stores in Ward 7 but ultimately backed out of their deal (https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/444186/walmart-backs-out-of-commitment-to-build-stores-in-ward-7/). Another reason for food insecurity is the cost to live in D.C.. As the city becomes wealthier and wealthier, it costs more and more to maintain the same living. People whose families have lived in D.C. for generations are being forced to move. If they stay, they don't necessarily have means to live by. Many people are homeless. But, there is hope. The needs have been recognized. It warms my heart to know that there are people who are trying to be the solution.
Two of the five days, we worked in a community garden at a monastery. The head volunteer wasn’t even Catholic! Yet, he still spends his time and effort being in charge of the gardens for the welfare of others. The first day, we harvested potatoes. Honestly, this was pretty fun! Because of the size of our group and few other volunteers, we finished rather quickly. The best potatoes were kept to enter into the Maryland state fair, and their prize money will go straight back into maintaining the garden. The rest of the potatoes were donated to parts of the Hispanic community and an organization that gives the homeless a place to stay for the night and a meal. I honestly can’t remember how many pounds we harvested but I do know that it was right on target for what the head volunteer estimated. The next day we pulled weeds out of the “tough love” bed so eggplant could be planted. The best part about that was getting to jump in the dumpster and flatten out the weeds. Working in the garden taught me that when the body of Christ serves together, the results are fruitful. Even though it was hot outside and many of us hadn’t worked in a garden before, our individual contributions made the workload lighter. Because of all the hard work that went into prepping, planting, watering, and harvesting the potatoes, many people in need were able to get food.
Another place we served was Children of Mine Youth Center. Children of Mine works with kids in the Anacostia neighborhoods who may not be in the best situations. We worked at the summer camp they were hosting. There were kids that were as young as four to a few teenagers. One day, they had to tie dye a shirt not for them, but for another person. They are shown kindness and are able to see examples of how to be a kind person. The work being done there is awesome. I personally played lots of basketball/knockout with some of the kids. But, I also had the opportunity to play/sing alongside our youth pastor and another girl in our group, Hannah. The kids were SO excited about the music. A few of the kids were really infatuated with the guitars, and people walking on the street nearby would stop to hear us play. The one song we sang was called “You’re My Neighbor,” which is actually called “You’re My Brother” but we changed it to “neighbor,” instead. We also did the songs “When I Think About You” and “Waves of Mercy.” All these songs had motions and EVERY camper participated in doing them. I didn’t know any of the kids’ stories but maybe they had never gone to church before. Maybe they didn’t know anything about God. So when they sang songs about how much God loves them, I was in utter awe. There is something so pure and sweet about it that I can’t exactly describe it.
It took me going to another city to truly understand it, but here’s the truth: We don’t have to go to another city or country to do mission work. We can start right here, where we are. At our workplace and within our families and friend groups. Now, don’t get me wrong, I know that God has called some people to go and make disciples in other nations. And those people are fantastic! But Jesus has commanded ALL of us to make disciples. Not just missionaries half-way across the world. Jesus commissioned His disciples in Matthew 28:16-20. “Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Another thing I’ve realized is that I really haven’t been acting on my faith like I should have. Works are not required for us to be saved but are an extension of the faith that we have that has saved us. When we act on our faith and serve others, we are showing God’s love to those around us. There is a saying that you may be the closest thing to a Bible that some else reads. So let’s draw others in. What sets us apart from the world is love. So love your neighbor as yourself (Mark 12:30-31). Your neighbor may not be a Christian. Your neighbor may be your enemy. But we are still called to love them. We need to humble ourselves. Humility has always been hard for me to understand but the best way I can sum it up is this: don’t degrade your worth and your identity in Christ, no, rather, think of yourself less. You don’t need to put yourself down to bring others up. Putting others' needs above your own is difficult, but that’s what I saw in those five days. Some who were putting children’s needs above their own. Another sacrificing their time so others don’t go hungry. Others who worked diligently while they were serving. This made me think about Jesus. He didn’t have to die on that cross for us, and yet He did. He came down from heaven. He put mankind’s, SINNERS’ needs above His own. This trip made me realize that I need to follow Jesus’ example better.
This was just a little bit about my experience in D.C.. My challenge to you is to find a way to serve others in your community, whether that’s helping an elderly person with yardwork or baking a dessert/cooking to give someone or praying with someone. One thing the girls on our trip decided to do was give out flowers to people we saw in D.C.. Just seeing the joy on people’s faces warmed my heart and made me smile. One woman rejected a tulip and told us to give it to someone who needed it more. We found a group of nannies and gave them the remaining flowers. As we were walking back, the woman gave us a thumbs up and nodded her head. That reminded me of what God thinks when we do kind things for others. It pleases Him. Love your neighbor. Serve them. Serving others brought me so much joy and I hope it will bring you joy as well! 1 Peter 4:8-10 really summarizes the conclusions that this trip allowed me to come to. “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace,”. Let’s be good stewards of His grace! Let’s serve one another using the gifts He has given us!
