On Wednesday morning, we woke up early, and headed over to the River of Life Mission. We broke up into groups and did several different jobs; some people cut and folded information packets, others such as Gloria put together hygiene packs, and the rest packaged "blessing baskets" which had supplies like tarps, flashlights, and blankets. After a couple hours of working, we transitioned to St Elizabeth's church. There is a structure on the church property which is called a hub spot; it is a space where the unhoused people who live nearby can get meals and other services. Some of us handed out hygiene packets, while others stayed and handed out food under the shade. We also talked story and prayed with the guests at the hub. After our service, we had lunch underneath some banyan trees, which were really pretty and interesting. Once we had finished our lunch, we headed over to Iolani Palace, which was the living place of the Hawaiian king and queen in the 1800s. It had a very interesting history, and the stories of the kings and queens were very interesting. Once we had finished the tour, we headed to Waikiki beach, which was very beautiful, but not very good for swimming, so we found another beach that was calmer and more sheltered. After a long day of service and fun, we headed home and went to bed.
Caroline:
The service that we did today was truly amazing, and the memory will stay with me for a long time. Learning about the way River of Life Mission helps the unhoused people of Oahu was very eye-opening, and it made me think about how we could possibly use a similar system in SF. Talking with some of the people there for food made me realize how there is no difference between us and the people who eat there, they are just going through different challenges. Going to the Iolani palace was an incredible experience, and I learned a lot about the history of Hawaii. One thing that stood out to me is that the kings and queens of Hawaii cared so much about their people, that they would go door to door fundraising to be able to build hospitals and help their people out. They did their best to listen to the needs of their people, and even though they were taken over by the corporations in the end, they still tried their best to listen and care for their people. I think that we can make a lot of progress as a county if we adopt a similar mindset, and listen to the needs of our people.
Jude:
When I went to St Elizabeth's I got the chance to talk to people. I got the chance to talk to a man 👨 who talked to me about how he has been homeless since 1996. He told me about how he keeps getting kicked out of housing when he finds it because of his two small dogs. He told me about how he was born in Georgia but moved to Hawaii when he was around 3 and was raised by his grandparents. When I walked away from the situation it helped me come to a better understanding about homeless people and how they aren't different at all from us. met another man named Rashawn and he told me he was in the military and was brought to Hawaii, but decided to stay he told me about how he was trying to stop gun violence and spread God's praise. Sometimes it can be hard to hear what these people have gone through, but they need someone to listen and to comfort and to support and to love. Every day blends together some days feel like two or three. I enjoyed my service and I hope to do more.
Sent from my iPhone
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