WARNING! The following blog is fairly lengthy as I have 2 whole months to fit in. Happy Reading!
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Well, today marks 2 months since I left
When I first arrived to New York for orientation, I met some friendly
smiles and a few bruises from carrying my luggage. I packed quite a bit as I
would leave for Denver
for a whole year after my one week in up north. The week was exhausting but
very informational and also filled with some fun. No, I did not get to go into
the city, see any Broadway plays, or ferry around the big statue, but I did stay
at Stony Point, which is a beautiful conference center focused on sustainability
and peace issues. I also got to be part of amazing worship and enjoy mostly really nice weather.
That Sunday, the day before we left, I went to a church that
will soon celebrate its 300 year anniversary. It was beautiful. 6 of us went
and we were supposed to share a bit of our testimony, what we would be doing
over the next year, and why we got into the YAV program. I didn’t know exactly
what I was going to speak about, but I had my bullet points and a song, called “Not
Alone,” that I wrote. It was in speaking there that the true irony of my year
came out. I said, "I got into the YAV program to live in a Spanish speaking
country, to work with children, and to teach music, and God decided that for me
that looked like living in Denver
and working at a daytime women’s shelter.”
Two months later, I have experienced what that really does
look like. My job entails many parts, with just a few glimpses of attaining my
year goals.
3 days a week, I work
with The Card Project, an awesome program for the members of The Gathering
Place community to make and sell cards. 75% of that amount goes to the artist
and 25% goes back into production. I pull for shows where the cards are sold
and get to witness first hand what amazing work these artists make. Spanish has
come into play with November’s “Card of the Month” artist, EHS. (Each of the
Artists goes by their initials.) She and I speak Spanglish to each other, while
I practice my Spanish, and she practices her English. There’s a lot of “como se dice” on my end,
but she’s very patient and sweet.
I also work at the Welcome Desk a few shifts a week. This is
actually where a lot of the action happens in the building. This is where new
members fill out papers and where all members get checked in for the day. It’s
also where I need to learn about more of the programs that happen in the
building. Most of the time I can just say “The resource desk, strait back, can
help you with those questions,” but I also need to know how to direct people around
our 4 story building and how to get where they need to go.
Another part of my job is to coordinate computer lab time
and find subs when volunteers can’t show up. The times that I myself have been
that sub have actually been nice, because I mostly just sit behind the control
computer, and while some of the members wait, I’ve been able to have some
really nice conversations, and have even been pleasantly teased a few times.
Lunch is another time that I really enjoy sitting with
various people and indulging in conversation. It’s amazing to me the strength
that some of the people I come into contact with have. One person I sat with is
also an artist, and she quoted 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to me which states “Give thanks in all
things, for this is God’s will according to you.” She said that this passage
has really given her strength through her struggles. I can’t tell you how
encouraging that was for me. I’ve struggled in figuring out my position and how
the job I do this year will affect my future, though I know it will in a great
degree, but to know and acknowledge that no matter what, it’s God’s will. Wow,
that was powerful. I had to excuse myself to go to the restroom and back to
work, and she asked me if she and her friend had bored me. I wish I had done an
even better job of explaining that nothing could be further from the truth.
I
am also in charge of making the weekly event and lunch calendars, and editing
the white board in the welcome area every day. Sadly, this is probably the part I’ve
struggled with the most. It’s funny, because it really is simple, but I’ve made
more mistakes in this area, probably mostly because I don’t give it the amount of
dedication it takes, it entails the most learning in using computers and different
programs, and I’m not as excited about it. Tough though, right? I am dedicated
to doing a good job in all things that are required of me, so I do get
frustrated in my failings, so by the end of this year, maybe I will be an
expert calendar maker. Haha
A
new part of my job that I haven’t started yet is working in the family area.
Finally! A chance to work with kids! It will only be once a week, on Wednesday
mornings, but this is something I know I’m good at, and I’ll have opportunity
to practice a little more Spanish with some of the moms and children. It will be
a nice spot in my week to “feed my soul” as two of my supervisors have put it.
Last,
but not least, I have an amazing team that I work with. My coworkers have been
great in making sure I have a smooth transition into things and check in with
me often. That’s how I ended up with a Family area shift, and they have also let
the musician that comes in of Fridays know that I play music too, and he’s let
me play a few songs. Sometimes he lets me sing with him on a couple, and sometimes
he plays harmonica along with me. He’s got a nice James Taylor style. (My dad
would appreciate that.) The members are also really encouraging when I play and
tell me I should do it more often.
My favorite thing that my coworkers have done for me though was decorate
my cubicle for my birthday a couple weeks ago. I had “subtly” let a few of them
know it was coming up, but the day it came, I wasn't sure if anything would
come of it. That day was a card project day though, and Denise, The Card
Project coordinator announced to the artists, and they sang the Spanish birthday
song “Las mañanitas”
to me. Later, when I went to the bathroom, I came out and a bunch of my
coworkers were standing around my desk and had cupcakes and streamers and sang “Happy
Birthday” (in English) to me. It was such a good day.
Oh, and of course I couldn’t end this blog post, as long as it already is
without giving a shout out to some of my new favorite people, my housemates,
and the DOOR staff. Each Monday we have community day and check in, but
throughout the week, we have a pretty great support system at home, and some
people we can call on in the office. These are really the people that are going to give me my peace and sanity this year. They’re the
ones that get to hear me gripe and celebrate about work and life, and missing and getting to finally see my fiancé, and they are the ones that have to put up with my mess and love me
anyway. Thanks guys!
So far this year has proven to be quite the learning experience, and I'm finding new ways of achieving my goals through all of the little and big things I am doing. I get little glimpses of why I'm here, day by day, and I will "give thanks in all things, for this is god's will".
So, I will try not to take 2 months before writing another post, and
these things can be more “check ins” than life stories. Thanks for checking in
and for your continued support of my year thus far and ahead. I miss home, but
am starting to make my little niche here. Oh, and I am just about $750 away
from my fundraising need, so thank you, thank you, thank you, for helping me
get this far!
Peace, love, music, and the best of all things!
Lacy
p.s.
In regards to my previous post, yes, I made it all the way to the top, as did all
my housemates who tried. Yay! Taking Denver
