Come and See

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted. I can't even begin to tell you how busy this trimester has been. But there has been some really exciting things happening the past couple of weeks.

community dinner!

I will start with two weekends ago. We had what is called come and see weekend, my mom and sister came down and experienced a little of what my life is like here. I had a blast with them here. They got in late Thursday night and stayed until Sunday afternoon. It was a very busy weekend, but we had a ton of fun. We started Friday by going to Cafe 458 and volunteering. I wanted them to see what I do everyday. I think they really enjoyed themselves. I know I had a great time. On Saturday they got to experience a normal Saturday for me starting with morning devotionals, then curriculum and grocery list, and then getting out into the neighborhood for the day. We visited with my neighbors Ms. Rouse and Casandra. It was really neat to see my life in Tennessee meet with my life in Atlanta.After we visited with Ms. Rouse and Casandra for awhile we headed over to the church because I had praise team practice so they got to meet some of my church family here. Finally to end the day we headed back to the house for community dinner. There were a bunch of the kids from S.A.Y Yes! there. So they were able to meet a lot of the students that I help tutor in the after school program. They also were able to meet a few more of my neighbors. It was a beautiful day. On Sunday they came to church and experienced a normal Sunday for me. And after church the whole house headed up to The Varsity for lunch. I had a great time with my family here. I'm glad that they were able to experience just one weekend of what I'm doing.

To shift gears a little, this past Saturday we went to the Civil Rights Institute in Birmingham, Alabama. It was a very powerful experience. The museum followed the history of the Civil Rights in Birmingham as well as showing a bigger scope of the movement. There were parts that made me angry and sad one particular was a room with a KKK robe and a cross that was burned on a biracial couples yard in 1991. It is hard to believe that was only 22 years ago. It is even harder to believe that the Civil Rights movement was only 50 yrs ago. There were great strides made by all those that fought for equality in the movement, but I believe we still have a long way to go. We still have a lot to fight for in this country and around the world. There were also parts of the museum that gave me hope the one that really stands out is watching the I Have a Dream speech by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and another that brought a strong sense of hope was reading about Birmingham's first black mayor and all he did to help the people and the area. I would encourage everyone to go and visit. It is a very powerful and moving trip.

An exhibit at the Civil Rights Institute

Thanks for reading!

May grace and peace fall upon you.

Shalom,
Adam Q.