D.C. Day 1: Monday, March 16
Today was a blast! We were fortunate enough to work with several elderly ladies through the Seabury organization. These kind ladies were not necessarily able bodied enough to attend to their households, inside or outside. We helped clean up their homes from dusting, sweeping and vacuuming, to raking leaves, preparing gardens and cutting a hedge. I am thankful for this wonderful opportunity to give back to a community.
One moment which will stay with me is when Miss Dawson, one of the sweet ladies we served, told us to sit down. She had been offering us food throughout our time while helping her: cookies, crackers and pie were all available. We were about to leave the service site but stopped to take pictures with Miss Dawson and the entire group. After we finished with our pictures, everyone started to get up. “Sit down!” she said. We all looked around with surprised expressions. Could she command us to stay? We needed to start heading back to attend a presentation YSOP prepared. She was one of the sweetest ladies we have ever met so we did the only thing we could, we sat.
I will forever be glad that I sat like she told me. Miss Dawson immediately began
praying. In her prayer she said that she was so thankful for having us there, that
she was blessed with having us there, and that she was praying for us to have a wonderful
experience here and a safe travel home. Here kindness and faith was powerful and affected
me, a faith based person, very deeply. I want to be more like her, especially in my
older days. Hopefully, I will be able to maintain my own establishment for as long
as possible but the way she treats others and how she lives her life is inspiring.
Already, this trip has enlightened me in more ways than I expected and I am sure that
there will be many more life altering experiences!
– Carol Gibbon