Service Learning Issue 3 - Heros

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

The team slept last night in church classrooms. I use the term sleep loosely. It seems the anticipation of the past 10 months was all coming down to right now and my mind would not let me forget it. Every possible thought was occurring at once – a curse of ADD. I laid awake most of the night wrestling each rudderless notion into prayer leaving them at the cross. I finally fell asleep, only for my alarm to wake me up 2 hrs later.

I made the trek to Starbucks to get coffee for my leaders. I had learned a long time ago you need to take care of your leaders and if that means Starbucks in the morning, so be it. Might as well get one for me to. Good idea.

We meet Jeff and his students at the school at 8:30am and followed the school bus to a nearby city. We were on our way to a pre-school. Not just any pre-school, it was for young kids whose parents were in a shelter, homeless or in rehab. These young kids have seen more than most of us will in a lifetime, and yes that has shaped them. They are adorable yet very challenging for the staff.

Jeff introduced us to the teacher who takes care of the preschool. He said you may want to get your picture taken with her, because she is a hero. After we leave, she will be putting in long hours caring for kids with unimaginable emotional needs. She is there not because she needs a job, but because it is her calling, her passion. God does that, he prepares and gifts people to care for the uncareable. I got my picture taken with her.

The agenda for the morning was to pile the kids in the school bus and take them on a field trip. Our team’s role was to feed the kids, Jeff’s students and preschool staff lunch. We had to find a place where we could setup our stoves and tables without getting asked to move along. We cooked 140 hotdogs, distributed salad, fruit, cookies and juice boxes. We had a blast. The team worked well together.

It was a small thing for us, but Jeff put the perspective right. He said, “We come to honor the staff and give them a break and encouragement. They are at it 24/7 and for someone to think of them, take them on a field trip, take care of the logistics and spend time with their little 4-5 year olds can be a big deal to them.”

Service Learning Issue 1 - The Idea

Jeff and I were talking last summer and the idea formed to take a team to see and experience what he has gleaned in over 10 years of service work.

Jeff is the service/mission coordinator at his school and he has friends that provide services and programs to marginalized people in the Los Angeles area. A true teacher, Jeff takes his students out of the classroom for them to be involved in the problems of modern society - mental illness, homelessness, addictions, urban poverty.

Why? To learn, to be changed, to serve, and to honor those who give their lives for the betterment of others. His approach and heart, as we experienced, is very contagious.

The project became known as Crossing Borders. The idea is to cross economic, social, class and international borders to learn and serve.

We left on March 8th and arrived home on March 14th.

There was 4 adults and 6 youth - affectionately known as "The Trippers."

Buy Bruins Tickets and Help Build A House For Homeless Oaxacans

Friday, January 23rd, the Chilliwack Bruins take on the Kelowna Rockets. Game time 7:00pm.

In partnership with the Bruins, Heartland Youth are selling game tickets as a fund raiser for a trip we are planning this summer down the Baja of Mexico to build a house for a homeless Oaxacan family.

Game tickets are $14/each.

We also have raffle tickets for a David Robinson game worn jersey (1st prize) and a team signed hockey stick (2nd prize).

Raffle tickets are $2/each.

Support a great cause and purchase game tickets and raffle tickets.

Raffle draw will be following the 2nd period.

email me "mikevkshema at yahoo.com" if you want to help