Day Three in Portland
Shoutout to all the ballers and the hype beast :)
Another early wakeup call this morning at 6:15, my group traveled to Prebble Street, the local soup kitchen. My group consisting of Seamus, Isaac, Jenna, Austin, and myself went to work. We had already been there on Monday and we were slowly starting to get the hang of things. Instead of the harsh working conditions of being a dishwasher, which I was on Monday, instead I helped with food prep. With Jenna by my side cracking over three hundred eggs, I stacked yogurts and set up the tables for service. Seamus and Isaac set up the pastries and Austin helped cook tamales and home fries for service. Once service started, Jenna, Austin, and myself went to work serving. Jenna served the oatmeal and variety of soups that were a big hit. I was able to serve pasta dish which was initially mac and cheese with chicken and bacon. Austin by far had one of the hardest jobs. He was in charge of serving eggs. For the past two weeks, none of the people who came to eat had any eggs. The Avian Flu has prevented the kitchen from getting any eggs and at one time, they had cost as low as $30 and as high as $90 for a case. Austin had to tell people that there was only one serving of eggs that he was able to give out. Although, as service started to die down and when people asked nicely, he was more than willing to shell out another spoonful or so. They were so grateful for the wonderful eggs that they were able to eat. Some were even surprised that they were all fresh eggs! Seamus and Isaac both worked on dishes and did a fantastic job keeping up with the influx of people throughout the service. Sarah helped with dishes as well as the cleaning of plates and helping the boys with the rest of the washing. Pastor Dale on the other hand, was anywhere and everywhere! He helped switched out trays that needed more food and even started cracking his own eggs and frying some of his own on the griddle!
Other than cleaning tables and picking up the salt and pepper shakers from the tables, one of the best experiences I have had on this trip was where I least expected it - in the kitchen alongside one of the head chefs. Mary helped me clean the buckets filled with soapy and grimy water from the tables in the eating area. Formerly a caterer, Mary has been working in the soup kitchen for four years. Even though she is one of the sweetest women I have ever met, she had so much turmoil in her life. She lost four of the most important figures in her life within six months and struggled from a deep depression. After years of grieving, she decided to go back to school to study psychology and became a counselor for people struggling with addiction. She dug herself out from a deep hole and was able to make something good out of her personal struggle. Combining two of her personal struggles, she took to cooking where she could also help people with her newfound knowledge. Mary was one of the amazing people I had the privilege of meeting this trip. We also helped organize a closet at the Root Cellar and watch Rio 2 with the kids who came to eat lunch. After we finish the movie that we are currently watching, we have the rest of the day off where we are going to have dinner and visit a few places because we have the rest of the day off. (It was supposed to be a beach day, but it is raining a lot)
Lindsay
It's day 3 of our mission trip and virtually everything has run smoothly. Here and there we'll encounter minor conflicts whether it be within or outside of our actual PCMK group, but all are always solved with an optimistic attitude. I'm pleased to say that everyone has been nothing but gracious towards each other and there's nothing more gratifying than being acknowledged for your strengths. Last night, Theo took the initiative to recognize my compassion and patience with children. It truly made my day and it was nice to know that we are all so aware of each other and our interactions. It really makes for a better bond. Yesterday, my group of 5 stayed at The Root Cellar for kids club. The children are wonderful; rowdy and eager, but wonderful. Each is a pleasure to work with and they could not have been more happy to be in our hands for the afternoon. We ate lunch with them, sang songs, did arts and crafts, and performed a skit for them. They totally ate it up and could not have been more enthusiastic. Following that, we began to set up in the finished basement of The Root Cellar for a dance party that would take place from 6:00-7:30. We set up streamers to hang from the ceiling and decorated the walls with rainbow lights and the kids could not wait for the DJ to arrive. The dance party was adorable. What's better than 5-10 year old kids dancing around like nobody's watching to mainstream pop songs? That's right...nothing is better. I can't tell you how many pounds I carried and spun around that night. At one point I had a 9 year old on my back, a 5 year old in my right arm on my hip, and a 7 year old hanging onto my leg for dear life. I got more of a workout in that hour and a half than I ever would have at the gym. Prior to yesterday, my team painted a housing complex that was pretty close to "home". We really demonstrated teamwork and patience. It was a tedious task to say the least, but we got it done with smiling faces and a good disposition. I can't wait to see what the next few days have to offer!
Note to all upcoming high schoolers: These trips are unlike anything you have ever experienced. Exposure to the real world is something that we don't get enough of at our age and it is so important to educate yourself and immerse yourself in the things that will impact you for life, such as these trips. I can't express my encouragement enough and I hope all of you who are of age at PCMK will partake in these trips in the future. You can bring your friends too! It's a stunning and life changing journey and very much worth all of the blood, sweat, and tears. Just something to keep in mind!! :)
Bailey
