Orientation Week

The last week seems like a blur.  Most of my time was taken up with orientation for the program and special events to kick off the year.  Each day we met at a different location: Baptist East Hospital, Memphis Athletic Ministries, Urban Young Life, First Evangelical Church, Barnhart, and Network of International Christian Schools.  Each day consisted of different activities, including teaching time, being introduced to different ministries to volunteer with, and helpful information.  At the end of each day, my housemates and I felt sufficiently overwhelmed with the amount of information we had heard.  Overall, it was a great week with a fun ending.  Friday night, we had an EL cookout and time to hangout.  Then, Saturday night, there was a DownLine welcome dinner.  Everyone, who is in the EL program or taking the DownLine Institute classes, was invited.

Our first day!

Welcome dinner pic!

One thing that really stuck out to me this week was visiting the Civil Rights Museum downtown.  I'm ashamed to say it, but I had never actually been inside it.  I'm glad I was the given the opportunity though.  Going through the museum really made me think, and I learned alot too.  At one point, I remember standing in front of an exhibit made to look like a restaurant.  I was standing next to one of my housemates, JaNell, as we watched a video about what it was like during the Civil Rights Movement when African American people staged sit-ins in restaurants.  As we stood there in silence, we watched video footage of white people beating black people for sitting where they were not allowed to sit.  And, it made me sick.  And, it made me thankful that I wasn't born during that time.  And, it made me thankful that one day I'll be home in heaven.  All racism, hatred, prejudice, and evil will be no more.  And, I will worship my Jesus alongside people from every nation and tongue.

Our little family :)