Thursday was our last full day of mission work. One group went to help prepare food in the DC Central kitchen that feeds thousands every day. Another group cooked up 150 hotdogs and took them to feed the homeless hanging out on the street in downtown Washington. Imagine homeless vets and American citizens living on the streets literally in the shadow of the Capitol building.
IN the afternoon we had our final kids club and VBS time. Our youth were sad to say goodbye to some of the children they connected with. We heard stories of rough family life, including a ten-year old boy who was asked to hide a gun for older kids and a child who had a brother killed in street violence.
After dinner Tyrone, one of the Salvation Army staff members told us about the SA and the issues in this neighborhood. He had been a prep-school teacher and decided he wanted a different kind of challenge, so he taught high school in Baltimore and then came to the SA here in DC. This neighborhood is 60 % Latino, with a significant African American population. Gentrification of downtown has pushed poverty out into these older suburbs. One of the best things the SA does is offer after-school programs free of charge. They have seen a one grade reading improvement for kids in the program. This is important because sociologists have seen a link between third-grade reading levels and crime rates.
It was our last regular evening together with the Experience Mission staff so it was hard to get everyone to settle. But now they are up for our Friday of exploring DC together. Lindsay is already on her way to Seattle, and we will lose Isaac and the Blair boys in the morning. So it will be a quiet ride home on Saturday, with room to stretch out in the vans. We hope to be back to the church by about 4 or 5pm. We'll call when we get close.
We may write again, but if not, it was a wonderful trip. Thanks for all your support.
A tired Pastor.
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