Karaoke!

Day 9

Hey Team

Today we got up at our usual time of around 7:15, but had to leave for the dining hall early because we were going to Angel Island. After a quick (but still delicious) breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes, the whole group met by the bus stop. Anne informed us that one of our buses had unfortunately broke down, so we had to all pile into one bus. Once we arrived in Tiburon, our group loaded onto a ferry, and Mike and I picked out a beautiful, yellow, Tuscan style house as our favorite. Once we arrived at Angel Island, our group was met by a park ranger who talked to us about the island's history. Then, we began the long, hilly, 144-step climb to the detainment center. Us native San Franciscans struggled a bit with the hills, because we hadn't had to face one in a week. Needless to say, our whole group was very excited to reach the detainment center. Our tour guide, Lynn gave a thorough introduction to the detainment center's history, and its importance to immigration history.  I found it interesting that Lynn believed Angel and Ellis Island had fewer similarities than I thought. Angel Island was more of a detainment center, meaning people ended up staying on the island as opposed to passing through. Our group then split up into two, because we couldn't all fit into the detainment center at once. Our group walked through four different barracks, made up of rusty, three storied bunks. On the beds, the Park had put replicas of belongings of people who lived there. Lynn also pointed out the poetry carved into some of the walls of the barracks. I though these pieces of art demonstrated the genuine fear those detained had. I couldn't helped but realize the similarities between poems by parents separated from their kids and the current immigration system in our country. After the tour, our group switched with the other group and ate lunch before heading back to the ferry. After returning to Sonoma State, we had a bit of time to change before dinner. Dinner was delicious. I continue to be amazed by the quality of food here at Sonoma State, because I have heard some traumatizing stories about dorm food. That night, we talked to Bishop Barry Beisner, who is the Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Northern California. Like Bishop Katharine, Bishop Barry (to quote Ryan) is dope. He shared three readings with us from the Bible, all which had the message of treating humans as humans, regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. He did a great job engaging our group in meaningful conversation, and it was apparent the importance he had to the diocese. For our evening activity, we watched Coco (yes I cried at the end). 

I have really enjoyed the activities and conversations we have had during the week. The people here are also so much fun to talk to, and I have enjoyed talking to them about school and interests. 

Lizzy 

Day 7

Today we covered a lot! First, we learned about restorative justice from a dean of an inner city public school in Oakland. Restorative justice is a system that focuses on rehabilitation rather than punishment by emphasizing the feelings of the victims, considering the perspective of the perpetrator and encouraging and facilitating conversations between both parties. In this particular school restorative justice lowered the suspension rate by 87%. We then talked about implementing restorative justice in our court system and on a smaller level in conflicts in our own lives. I really loved learning a way that could eliminate many problems we face in our society, like overcrowding in prisons, repeat offenders, and the fact that the victim doesn't always feel recognized. After learning about restorative justice I am very inspired to implement it in my own life and I wish that my school had a focus on it.

After lunch we had a panel of high level Episcopalians Skype in to discuss relevant issues, such as the separation of children at the border and racism, with us. I found having many perspectives very valuable to building my own opinion. Also, I was inspired by the people to use my faith to act in the world, whether in the church or in politics. After lunch and free time, an indigenous woman from the Pomo tribe named Rose came to talk to us about the suffering the people on reservations face and the historical trauma that haunts them. Talking with her about the past was a visceral reminder of the alcoholism and suicide that remains in their communities today. However, along with the pain, Rose also taught us about the vibrant culture of the Pomo people. I learned about their expertly woven baskets, usage of tule reeds, vibrant dances, and spiritual practices. I loved learning about full integration of the surrounding environment. It inspired me to respect natural non invasive species and conserve finite resources. I also liked to learn about the spiritual practices of other cultures; when we did a Pomo traditional prayer using sage I felt like I was learning about my own spirituality from another angle.

- Camilla

Sent from my iPhone

Day 6

Boom clap readers, 

We got around today! We woke up and got a quick breakfast in before grabbing a bag lunch and hopping on our bus. They surprised us with one big, comfy, luxurious bus and one small, cramped, not luxurious bus. Guess which one I was on? Making up for that slight inconvenience, however, was the fact that Bishop Katherine gave us a talk about the oceans. Bishop Katherine is dope. She studied Oceanography at Stanford and Oregon State (go Beavers) where she was stationed on a research base similar to the one we visited later. After a relatively long trip on the bus we arrived at the Bodega Bay Research Center. Soon after, half of us went to a small beach/cove for about 20 minutes. I think that was late addition to the itinerary when they realized not all of us could go at once. After our little excursion we got to go have the short lecture and tour around the center (not gonna lie I talked to Bishop Katherine most of the time). It was actually quite striking though. The amount of trash and pollution in our waters is obscene and the toll it is taking on the wildlife is no better. After that informative visit we packed back into the sardine can we called a bus and made a jaunt down to the Marin Headlands to learn about the area and its history, like the lighthouse and foghorn. After that we went down the hill to the Marine Mammal Center to learn more about the indigenous species. That was a very interesting tour and the work they do down there is quite noble and underappreciated. If it wasn't for my job at and loyalty to Chipotle, I would love to volunteer there. Anyway we got to see the animals they were rehabilitating there, like sea lions and otters, and learn about how they were cared for. After this,  we headed down to Rodeo Beach where we frolicked on the rocky sand and had a small service and Eucharist with Bishop Katherine and Bishop Barry (also dope), the Bishop.of the Diocese of Northern California where all.of the other kids' churches are. We sat down at the picnic tables afterward and feasted on exquisite Subway sandwiches and chips. Finally once we were adequately fed we drove back to the campus and had a wonderful lecture from Bishop Katherine on a range of topics including the ocean and its condition, immigration, the church, our future, and anything else we had questions about. I truly do urge all of you at home reading this to do some research into her and watch her speak because she is honestly astounding and I can't begin to do her justice on this. Finally, tired and with full bellies and brains, we retired back to our dorms. I am still having trouble getting used to my dorm because of both the size of the room and the lack of Bo sharing it with me. It was a very long, fulfilling, and fun day and we are all having a good time excluding some homesickness. 

Love to all and Jabwow forever,

Ryan

Dinner at Sonoma State

Angel Island Detention Center

Beach Worship with Bishop Katherine

Bo the Elephant Seal

Bo helps demonstrate how baby Elephant Seals are fed "fish milkshakes" at the Marine Mammal Center.

Marin Headlands

Closer to our native climate

Learning at Pathways

Day 5

Today was our first day full day at the Pathways Pilgrimage. We had a somewhat early start, waking up at around 7:20 or 7:30, and eating at 8. There is no possible way to describe Sonoma State's cafeteria with words. There are about 10 different places to actually get food, including salad bars, pizza places, barbeque places, and a frozen yogurt bar (the highlight of my day). We spent every meal in this cafeteria. After breakfast we start our morning worshiping, mainly consisting of religious songs. After, we started our discussion about global warming and the effect it has on our planet. We learned about the effect big fires like the ones in Santa Rosa have on our community. We started to come up with ways that we can help the health of our planet, such as using less plastic, recycling more, eating less meat, and so on. We then had a speaker from the Church of the Incarnation, in Santa Rosa, who talked about her experiences with others that suffered from the fires in Santa Rosa. She talked about taking an old couple (both in their 90's) into her home and personally taking care of them. She also explained how she used funds from their church to pay for a hotel room for a man that lost his house. From these stores, we learned about the benefits of helping others, and that both little and big deeds can be a huge help to people that have little to nothing. We then had former Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori come in to talk to us about the how science and religion can walk hand in hand, something that I (Bo) have had trouble understanding up until then. Dinner came right after, and I spent most of it in the frozen yogurt bar with Camilla, using all the crazy toppings. This was a great ending to a busy day. 

The main things that we took from the day were how we can better take care of the planet, and how our deeds can have a big effect on other people's lives. Saving our planet is something that our generation is able to do, which is why it is so important that we listen to the people that know how to do it. We all listened and took to heart what these speakers said. Learning about the fires was extremely important because it showed us how quickly things can change in our lives, and how some events can have impacts on the people around us. Hearing personal stories about helping others really inspired all of us to do the same. We get to hear about the positive impact it has on our life, and more importantly, the people you're interacting with. 

Bo

The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori!

Day 4

Today was our last day at Bishop's Ranch. We spent the morning packing, throwing away all 24 empty La Croix cans, and loading the van with our bags and obscene amount of junk food. For those wondering, we did manage to eat all 5 pounds of gummi bears in the first 3 days. Then the group headed to breakfast, where we feasted on pancakes and sausage. After breakfast, we headed to St. George's, the chapel at Bishop's Ranch for the 9:30 service. The chapel itself has beautiful stained glass, and Ryan and I recognized some of the opening hymns from our time in Arkansas last year. The service was intimate and enjoyable, my favorite part was the reflection after the Gospel because it allowed all of the people to express their thoughts. After the service we hit the road, saying goodbye to the beautiful Bishop's Ranch. We drove into the town of Guerneville, made our third visit to the Safeway sandwich counter, and continued to drive up to the Armstrong Redwood Forest. Mike pointed out how all of the trees were all really big as we parked the van in the parking lot. We picniced surrounded by the beautiful trees, and then went on a hike through the forest itself. After leaving, we drove through the small town of Villa Grande, and visited Mike's grandma's cabin that has been in the Stafford family since 1920. It was really interesting listening to Mike talk about the history of all of the small towns in Sonoma County. We then drove down to the coast, and played on the beach, Bo found a "dope bug", and Camilla did headstands. After leaving the beach we began to drive to Sonoma State, listening to ABBA. And then.... We made our entrance. We slowly creeped around the corner of the parking lot, the sweet melodies of the classic song "Everytime We Touch" by Cascada caressing the ears of other people in the parking lot. As the beat dropped, we all fist pumped and jumped, shaking the van and successfully establishing dominance. We met Mike's cousin Anne, we graciously welcomed us to Pathways. Kevin, one of the Young Adult Leaders, showed us to our spacious apartments. After settling in, our group walked very far to the Niagra room, where we met all of the other Pathways participants and adults. We ate dinner in our small groups, consisting of around 10 kids and 2 adults. The good at Sonoma State is amazing: they have a pizza station, a salad bar, and..... A soft serve machine. We then went on a short walk around the campus. My favorite part was learning about the Holocaust memorial, dedicated to those who were wrongful victims of genocide. The group ended  the night with worship and prayers about our intentions for the week, and then walked back to our apartments. 

I have enjoyed my first night at Pathways, and the community here is very welcoming and committed to the program. I'm excited to get to know all of the other Pathways participnts, as well as the other Youth on the mission trip. 

Lizzy 

Day 3

Day 3: Turnip the heat

Today we headed straight to the Valley of the Moon and Habitat for Humanity work site. While some built fire pits the others continued gardening. Before we began, the terrrain was overpowered with years of top soil and brush. By the end of the day we cleared enough to the extent we that were able to plant lavender and rosemary. In the process of clearing the soil, we disturbed a bee hive and one of the bees unfortunately stung Bo. Luckily Bo did not cry and seemed to recover quickly. In order to survive the heat, we took many water breaks and occasionally used the hose to cool off. After a hard two days of work we thanked the supervisors, departed the sight and headed straight to the pool. We then had a wonderful dinner at the Bishops Ranch followed by a reflection of our experiences.

Mike pointed out how the work we were doing is the type of field work that some mothers need to do with a baby on their back everyday. While it is not limited to women, this image stuck with me. I was reminded of our privilege that is often unearned, which is why it is important to give back and serve the community. I also thought of the children that will attend the place we are building. I am so grateful for the opportunities I have and I hope that these children can receive help, a home, and an education.

Relaxing at Jenner Beach

After Armstrong Woods we headed to Jenner Beach. It was about 60 degrees and foggy, much more familiar for us San Franciscans.

Brothers at the Beach.

Goat Rock Beach

Armstrong Woods State Park

On Sunday Mike took us to Armstrong Woods, a park with beautiful, big trees. We had fun exploring the space.

Serving in 100+ Degree Weather

Planting the garden at Valley of the Moon on Saturday. Once we got in the van it was about 106 degrees-very toasty for our San Franciscans!

Virginia planting a tree.

Touring the fire-ravaged parts of Santa Rosa

End of the >100° Day

Working for Habitat

Day 2

Day 2: (Moving) Rock(s) On!

After we had a quick taco breakfast we headed to the service site for the first time. There, we worked with Valley of the Moon and Habitat for Humanity to build the garden area for a youth center. Valley of the Moon is an emergency shelter for abused and neglected youth who have no place to go. We moved dirt, bark, pounded nails and dug through solid rock to make some holes for trees in heat reaching 108°F. Then, we went to wash the dirt off in the pool back at the Bishop's Ranch. In the early evening we discussed our definitions of social justice, and we considered it from a biblical perspective. We finished off the night with stargazing; the sky at the ranch is clear enough that one can see all the constellations and some satellites.

Coming to Santa Rosa, I assumed that I would be doing something fire related. Although we did not rebuild or do prevention, we learned that the poorer people were affected by the fires exponentially. I was able to see in a very real and raw way how these people were stripped of everything by nature. It really impacted me to build a youth center for people my own age, because I realised how the only thing  that separates me from them is circumstances.

Camilla

Hard at work!

Day 1

Jabwow everyone, 

Yesterday we took off around 10:30 from the church. After driving for a few hours we stopped into a Target to load up on food, water, sweets and sunscreen. After that we rolled over to an In-n-Out for a scrumdiddlyumptious lunch. After our meal, we did a little touring to see the fire damage throughout the area. We explored areas and neighborhoods devastated by the events like Coffey Park where driveways leading to nothing but rubble were abundant. It was a very striking experience. After this we took a short tour of the town of Healdsburg and then checked into Bishop's Ranch, immediately hitting the pool. After spending many hours (I think, I have not been keeping my eyes on any clocks) splashing around, we slid back over to cabin 4 to shower, change, and retreat back to Healdsburg for some dinner. We settled on our meal at Bear Republic and got through the meal with minimal disruption. Upon finishing we drove back to Bishop's ranch in this hulk of a van we have and took a beginner's tour of the area, led wonderfully by Camilla. We mingled with another group staying on the ranch representing St. James' (also in the city) and sat down to discuss the upcoming week. Upon the conclusion of this meeting we moseyed back to the cabin for cards and unwinding from a long day of fun, sun, and establishing dominance. We are excited to start working and thank all those actually reading this for your thoughts, prayers, and support. 

Ryan  💘

Heading out!

And we're off! Another SMV Youth Mission Trip has started. We've arrived safely at the Bishop's Ranch, and are looking forward to our first full day of service. More updates about our first day are coming soon!

Lunch and Sticker Art