So Much For A White Christmas

Alas, Christmas time has come and gone once again.

I have to say that this has been one of the most interesting Christmas' that I have had in a long time.  I can't really say that it was anything too special or extravagant, but I was surrounded by some of my favorite people, so I suppose that counts.

I don't know if the feeling of the "Holiday Season" ever really sank in this year.  Perhaps it's because the weather was fairly clear (with some rain) and 50 degrees pretty much everyday for the past couple of weeks.  Also, I watched the original Halloween movie like 3 days before Christmas, so maybe that killed the mood as well?

It could have also been the fact that I actually had to decorate for Christmas.  Who does that, honestly?  All I know is that I broke a sweat hanging like 30 stockings, using a bag of men's underwear donations to break my fall,  getting stuck under the tree, and had some close calls with a few light strands.  But it was for the Nativity House, so it's all worth it in the end.

Things improved throughout the days (including my self-diagnosed case of whooping cough) until I accidentally decapitated Joseph in the Nativity scene.  It went like this---we had a Christmas Eve worship service and of course we needed to bring out our Nativity scene from the shed.  After fishing out this mangy looking box and checking for mice, I brought it inside.

As I was pulling out the figurines and dusting off the grime (shows how often it sees the light of day) I didn't realize that Joseph was a little more fragile than the rest.  So, as the Queen of Hearts so eloquently states, "Off with his head!"  Oops.  However, Joseph was sort of in a kneeling position with a perfect little nook in his arms, so I just placed his head in there, like he was holding it.  I thought it was a fun new twist on the classic depiction.  I think Washington Irving would have been proud of my comparison of the Headless Horseman to Joseph, but we eventually had to use another set.  Oh well, no Sleepy Hollow style Christmas set for Rachel this year.

As for the actual days of celebration, they were fun.  The majority of my time was spent at NH with a multitude of guests, volunteers, semi-pro football players "giving back to the community," and assorted others.  I was told "Merry Christmas" by at least 200 different people and received nearly as many hugs.  Honestly, there is no other place that I would have rather been.  

I also got to Skype with my parents and family members in the morning and spent the evening at my boss, Dominique's, mother's house watching basketball and hanging out with the "Bro Club."

Now it's back to the awkward week between Christmas and New Year's.  I look forward to babysitting a 9 year old boy named Ben for a few days.  We have big plans to discuss Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Percy Jackson & the Olympians, well playing legos and watching Despicable Me.

Life has never been so good.

Yes, I am still alive.

I survived Thanksgiving.  Things actually went off without too much of a hitch, which I am thankful for.  I think the biggest speed bump was learning that one of our male guests does not wear underwear.  Then, to make matters worse, I got to experience that he was indeed telling the truth when his pants fell down.  Thankfully, I only caught the tail end (haha...both literally and figuratively) and wasn't exposed to nearly as much as everyone else.  I still shudder at the thought.

Things have been good for me the past couple of weeks in the work area.  It's been pretty quiet around the House due to everyone getting paid.  Checks on the first, live the high life for a couple of weeks, then back to the shelters.  It's a sad truth for many.  On the plus side, donations have been coming in like crazy and it's awesome to actually be able to have/distribute all of the things we're asked for daily.  Also, I'm really excited to spend Christmas at the shelter...it's going to be great.  One of the Jesuit Volunteers, Megeen, and I decorated Nativity House this week and it's cool to see the place actually look more festive and less like a jail.

On the health side of things, I've been better.  After my pink-eye cleared, I developed a weird rash on my hands.  Anyways, I had an allergy to latex/maybe oranges as well as overly dry skin/something else.  To make a long story short, it sucked.  My hands were bumpy, red, itchy, etc.  Thankfully, that's mostly cleared up, but not without some new fun nicknames.  I now answer to Cootie Woman and Murphy's Law ("Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong).  Whatever.

Oh, and the highlight/low point of my week thus far was when this old drunk man named Don snuck up behind me yesterday and kissed me on the neck.  It was really gross to be nuzzled by this old gross man. I told him that was not okay, but he's also got mental issues....he also calls me MaryAnn (maybe a Gilligan's Island reference?) Either way, I had nasty old man spit on my neck all day.  Gross

Until next time.

A Bad Taste In My Mouth

Let's see...what has happened in the last couple weeks of my life?  These past couple of weeks has been really strange and epic all in one.

I contracted pink eye like 3 weeks ago.  My best guess is it happened at Nativity House when I had to clean poop off of one of the bathroom walls.  Not kidding.  It happens fairly frequently.  Anyways, I figured out an equation of what I believe happened.   Poo particles + my wall scrubbing = pink eye for me.  Awesome.  I went to this semi-shady clinic, but I figured it was just pink eye, so how bad could things get screwed up right? Wrong.  I took my drops for the correct amount of time yet things got worse.  Turns out, after an appointment with a real eye doctor, I was allergic to the original medicine.

Thankfully, I got new drops, but things can never be that easy with me.  I learned that 1-4% of people have strange reactions to these specific drops.  Yep, you guessed it, I'm one of those people.  After each drop (4x a day) came this awful taste in my mouth that lasted like 45 minutes each time.  The closest thing I can compare it to is that taste you get post-vomit and pre-toothbrush.  My housemate Mike told me I looked like a cat hacking up a hair ball when this effect set in because I was constantly on the verge of gagging.  I'm almost fully recovered now.  If my eyes don't fall out when I put in my contacts tomorrow for the first time this month, I am cured.  If not, I'm S.O.L...I s'pose.

This last week of work culminated into a 17 year old girl and her "23" year old boyfriend screaming expletives at me when I told them to leave.  *No one under 18 without a parent or guardian because of liability with other guests.*  Topping that series of events can only be described in two words...Preacher Man.

There are 2 guests that have come from who knows where and have taken the Tacoma homeless system by storm these past few weeks.  Let me give you a little description of these characters.

"Preacher" man is a large African American man who likes to sing hymns, read from the Bible (or his own version of the Bible), smoke crack, occasionally get violet, curse people, and just chaos overall.  He sounds wonderful right?!  Anyways, his wife is fairly sweet and I actually feel really bad for her.  Preacher really dominates her as well as spiritually abuses her.  I'm pretty sure that June is intellectually disabled in some capacity.  For example, she is not allowed to talk to other people that smile at her because "even the Devil smiles at you."  However, she stays with husband and refuses to get help to be away from him, so there's only so much we can do.

When I say that they have taken Tacoma by storm, it's true.  In less than 2 weeks they have been banned from 95% of all of the homeless resources that the city offers...churches included.   Nativity House was their last resort, until Sunday happened.

Preacher was up to his usual causing commotion as soon as he stepped through our door.  *Let me also note that all of the guests can't stand these two because of the havoc they wreak at every establishment.* Basically, we knew that Dante (Preacher) was going to get himself kicked out for the day, it's pretty much inevitable...the calm before the storm.  Well, to make a long story short(er) Dante got in my face, harassed me, and then started to subtly threaten.  Not cool.  My boss Dominique told him to leave because he was causing a commotion.  His response..."A commotion...I'll give you a commotion!"

Let me paraphrase what came out of his mouth followed by his wife's.  "Nativity House is cursed and calamity will fall upon this building." "I curse every single person in this building."  "You will all feel the wrath of God and face eternal damnation."  "Mt. Rainier is going to blow up (it's a volcano and if it blows, Tacoma is gone) and cover you all in it's fiery lava." Etc. Etc. The list goes on.  Case and point...according to this crack-smoking man, I'm cursed.  Shoot.  Oh well, I'm still gonna pray for them daily.

Needless to say, we banned them too.  In fact, I was really sad that I had no video camera handy or video capability on my phone...the whole scenario was hilarious.  Lots of booing homeless people with this man yelling curses at everyone.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving and the start of my longest work week thus far.  For those of you that don't know...I work EVERY holiday all day.  Anyways, Happy Thanksgiving to everyone near and far!

Spawning Salmon, Courage, and Jurassic Park

Things have been crazy these last couple of weeks.  I need to try and be better about updating this.  I think I have a guilt complex about this blog because I have been reading the book, Julie and Julia.  I don't really know why I'm reading this because I have seen the movie a few times.  Anyways, if Julie can work full-time, cook French meals and write about it daily then I am super lame for not even being to update weekly.   Oh well.

To fill you in on what I have been up to, let me tell you about Myrtle Creek, Oregon.  LVC requires us to have retreats 3 times this year, which is basically 5 days at a camp somewhere in Washington or Oregon for times of "relaxation, re-creation, and rejuvenation."  And because my work weeks are Thurs till Mon, that meant that I coming off a 9 day vacation (the retreat was Thurs till Mon).  I'm excited for work tomorrow because I am starting to get antsy, but I am so happy to have had this vacation...it was much needed.

We stayed at Camp Myrtlewood while we were in Oregon.  First of all, let me tell you how I excited I was for this place...mainly because of the name.  For anyone that doesn't know, my car is named Myrtle.  So, in honor of my little Galant, I slept in Myrtle cabin because Laurel cabin just seemed like it would be a slap in the face.  Anywho, it took us about 8 hours to reach Myrtlewood from Seattle/Tacoma.  I just have to throw out that driving though Oregon reminded me a lot of driving through the Smokies in Tennessee and North Carolina.  Lots of rolling hills/mountains, very green, and fairly long stretches of nothing.  Here's a glimpse, but it doesn't do it justice.  Please note the loner Charlie Brown tree at the top that sparked my interest for this particular picture.

Pretty much my time in Oregon was spent hiking, reading, hanging out with the LV's from Seattle and Bay Area houses, eating smores, doing absolutely nothing, etc.  I will talk about a couple of highlights though.  The camp had 4 all white cats and there was one in particular that forced itself on everyone.

Courage is his name and being friendly is his game.  He would first lure an unsuspecting LV in with his meows and cute demeanor, and as you bent down for a pet, he would pounce.  Landing on your shoulders, lap, chest, or wherever he decided was most fitting, Courage had you in his web.  More than once I fell for his antics and found myself trapped with a sleeping cat on my legs or shoulders.  You may be asking why I didn't try and move him, well let me tell you.  Courage has 3 powerful weapons-nails, teeth, and persistence...all of which he uses continuously.  If you tried to move him, he would bite or dig his nails into tender flesh, and if you did manage to get away, he would follow.  So for me personally, I'm weak and let him sleep on me because I didn't have much else to do.  This picture is specifically for my mom...note how happy I am.

It was really cool being at the camp too because it was super foggy, so the hiking was slightly terrifying. I really felt like I was in Jurassic Park and was waiting for a Velociraptor to come out and take me away...not kidding.  I even helped to calm my nerves by making my best raptor impressions and stomping around with my arms up to make me seem big.   Thankfully, I made it out alive.  Also, see photo above if you have doubts about what I say.  Ferns are great hiding places for dinosaurs.

Finally, it's salmon spawning season and Myrtlewood has a creek (or stream or river?) that runs through it, so it was awesome.  There were tons of salmon that were swimming up-stream to lay their eggs in the shallow gravel beds.  We saw some salmon that were over 3 feet long and it was so cool to see this part of Creation that few people get to witness.

On our drive home we saw 3 rainbows which was pretty awesome.  I would say the best part this was the fact that we drove through the end of this particular (photo) rainbow.  I've never experienced that before and it was crazy because one second it was in front of us and then next it was behind us.  Crazy cool.  Sadly, I found no leprechauns or pots of gold at the end of this rainbow.  Also, please note how prominent all of the colors are...rainy season has its advantages I guess.

I think that's about all I've got for now.  Until next time, that's all folks!

It's a Daily Thing

So, I have decided to do a more uplifting post because as my dad so kindly pointed out, I seem depressed based upon my last 2 entries.  To be clear--I'm not depressed, I really do enjoy my job, and I write about things that make a lasting impression on me.  Also, I choose not to use guests real names because it's a privacy thing....you understand.  Personally, if I had issues to this caliber, I would probably change my name to Scarlet (as in Ms. Scarlet from Clue).

Anyways, I have yet to speak of my numerous fellas at Nativity House.  They are all different and have different approaches to how they either ask me to play cards, ask out on dates, or propose.  It's a daily occurrence and it never ceases to amaze me of the audacity these guys muster up.  I will tell you about some of my favorites (in a couple of posts) and change their names, so it will make things a little more personal...sort of.


I should probably start with my very first proposal, James.  It's pretty funny because I call this man James when I speak to him.  It's not his real name, but for some reason he likes me to call him that.  My guesses are it's either his alter ego or it makes him feel debonaire, but really I have no idea.  He is a bit of an addict as well as felon (for which he claims his innocence), but that doesn't stop him from trying.  He told me that he is currently supporting his kids, 4 girlfriends (one is in jail), and his boyfriend, BUT I am truly the one for him.  His proposal (the first time) went something like this...

James (sitting at a table): "You should be my wife.  I've looked all around the shelter and the streets at the women and I like you best. We can get married, move back to your town, and I know you can clean me up.  Plus, you'll have one of the baddest names around and nobody will mess with you.  


Me: "Really?  James, that was one of the worst proposals I've ever heard.  No, I will not marry you. Go marry one of your girlfriends."

James doesn't even look defeated and his buddies all laugh.  We then proceed to play cribbage and he later tells everyone about our engagement.  A couple of days later, he proposes again but this time gets down on one knee and calls me Jennifer instead of Rachel.  You may have guessed, but James also gets shut down for this one.

Following James comes Frank.  Frank is this crazy old guy that floats around Nativity House.  I am pretty sure he's usually drunk, but he does this weird fairy kind of walk/prance.  It's hard to describe and entertaining to watch.  Anyways, here is the scenario for when Frank asked me to marry him.

I am sitting at a table eating lunch when Frank comes up and says, "Rachel, so when we gonna get married?"


Me: "I never said that I was gonna marry you, so get outta here." 


Frank keeps on pushing until one of my bosses (who was sitting at the next table) says, "Frank, go away and leave that child alone."


Frank: "But, Ms. Paulette we're gonna get married."


Paulette: "Leave that girl alone.  She doesn't want your old and crusty self, so leave her alone and go away."


Ha Ha Ha...poor Frank.  I wish I could say that he learned his lesson, but he still likes to pester me every time that he comes through the door.  More stories to come...

Project Homeless Connect

Today, I got to participate in a really cool event that has taken place throughout many cities across the U.S.  It's called Project Homeless Connect.  Pretty much, the main event center, the Tacoma Dome (who happened to host Lady Gaga the 2nd night I was in Washington) opened its doors to the homeless population of Tacoma.  Inside were tables and booths with pretty much every resource a homeless person would need...for FREE!  I will give a brief run through of the opportunities available (with some highlighted favorites):

Chemical Dependency Counselors
Child Care
Child Support (to make payments or to get set-up)


Dental: this was probably the most popular area with people getting teeth pulled, cleaned, X-rayed and everything else you can expect from the dentist only behind a curtain in an event center or in the "Smile Mobile" which are huge traveling dentistry RV's 

DSHS (food stamps)
Employment Information
Family Housing assistance
Family Services
Flu Shots
Haircuts
Immunizations: Hep A, B, & C as well as HIV/AIDS testing
Legal Information
Licensing (ID's, drivers licenses)
Medical: also popular with everything needed for check-ups and free follow-up appointments
Mental Health
Pet Care: collars, leashes, food, beds, toys, ect.
Podiatry


Shoes: Probably my favorite area because of the story behind these shoes.  A man named Monte from a local church was put in charge of coming up with the shoe donations for this year.  His task: 3,000 pairs of shoes.  With help from local school districts, churches, fire stations, family, and friends...his goal was reached.  There were between 2,000-2,500 pairs of shoes (new and donated) given out to men, women, and children today.  The rest will be donated to street ministries.  


Social Security
Taxes
Tobacco Cessation: "Stop Smoking"
Transportation
Veterans Services
Vision: which offered free glasses lenses (another very popular area)
Voter Registration

In addition, people were allowed to participate in surveys for $15 grocery gift cards and were given food vouchers to a Tacoma institution called Freighthouse Square.  Pretty much it's a a mall food court (with better food) inside of an old train station.

Overall, it was awesome to see the greater Tacoma community to come together to serve about 1,000 homeless people that came through the doors today.  It was also cool to see Nativity House guests excited and utilizing services that have the potential of getting them off the street.

I would say that one of my favorite moments of the day was watching one of the guests get his first haircut in years.  He was nervous, but with a little encouragement, he shaved his head!  The new look took years off his face and gave him the biggest smile I have ever seen him.  His excitement and genuine joy were priceless.

Yelling At The Vents

Disclaimer: This is a little bit disturbing.


There is a guest at Nativity House that is becoming a daily concern for both myself and the rest of the staff. R is a woman whom I would guess is in her early to mid 50's.  Upon a psychological examination, she would be/possibly has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and delusions brought on by psychosis.  However, due to the rapid decline in social service jobs and confidentiality, there is not much we can do for her unless she becomes physically violent (to herself or others).  She was receiving help from a mental health agency, but due to her choices and delusions, she lost her apartment and is living on the street.

Now for the delusion that is causing concern:  R is convinced that her daughter has been kidnapped and is being beaten constantly by the woman who kidnapped her.  Now, you may be thinking that this is terrible, but R's daughter is 26 and the woman who "kidnapped her" does not exist.  For example, yesterday R's daughter was having her head beat into the wall, drowning, and being cut by this woman.  She told us this was happening at Nativity House in the walls.  R will actually roam around Nativity House and yell at the supposed locations of wherever she believes her daughter and this woman are at that exact moment.  This could be on the roof, in the walls, in the vents, etcetera.  She is convinced that we will be able to hear her daughters screams if only we stop and listen.  She is always being beaten to within an inch of her life in some of the most gruesome manners that you have ever heard.  

Today, R shared that her daughter was recently brought to the hospital because this woman had beaten her daughter so badly that she lost consciousness.  However, the doctors were able to bring her back to life, but she is still with the woman who is continuing to beat her.  Also, the woman and her daughter were on the roof today...at an event center.  When I saw R, she was going to go speak with the police about filing a report about her daughters problems.  This is not the first time she has tried to do this.

To be honest, talking to R is both terrifying and incredibly sad, as you might imagine.  R is so intertwined in this story that she has completely lost all sense of reality.  She can no longer communicate in a regular fashion because these delusions are her entire world.  She believes 100% that everything she is saying is actually happening and we are all the crazy ones.  When it comes to R, I'm really at a loss of what to do besides prayer and trying to show her the love and grace that God shows me on a daily basis.

Things I Have Learned Thus Far

1. If you eat a piece of raw kelp that washes ashore, you will not get sick.  Don't let the bad smell defer you from eating because it tastes like salty celery.

2. Walking around is one of the best ways to learn a city's layout.  I know Tacoma pretty well from my extensive times spent wandering around.

3. I feel safest when I am by myself in areas of Tacoma with large large percentages of homeless people.  I spend my days with them and feel more comfortable than with strangers.

4. Stamps are expensive. Enough said.

5. I honestly didn't realize how much I drove my car until I got here.  No one in my house has a car in Tacoma and it's a rarity that we have access to one.

6. There are 150 variations of solitaire.  Of of the guests at Nativity House knows more than half of them too.

7. Receiving mail (not bills) is something I have come to love.

8. To thaw frozen foods (specifically meat) you have to leave it running in cold water.  I learned that when I had to take my "Food Worker" test so I am certified to handle large-scale cooking.

9. I know almost nothing about gardening except for reaping the harvest.

10. Seeing Mt. Rainier on a clear day is something that never gets old.

Voices From The Street

Disclaimer to my last post: Nativity House has people getting banned daily.  In fact, it's more of a rarity for the day to end without someone being banned for a period of time than to actually ban a person.  Those particular guests were just more creative then the rest.  Usually guests will get banned for exchanging money, drugs, etc. rather than using cupcakes as weapons....lame.

Nativity House used to put out a street newspaper called Street Pulse as well as an anthology of the works of various guests.  The newspaper/anthology had articles, poetry, stories, and a bunch of other things.  We are trying to get the paper started again, so if that happens I'll keep you updated.  On the other hand, I managed to find anthology copies from 2003-2005 that I think would be neat to share.  They will be put in future posts as well  Here are a couple:

And This is the Face of Need: Garnell Davis 

The shrunken frame and glassy gaze

of the woman sitting in the doorway, 

mumbling jumbled syllables

to no one in particular.  

The young man who ambles through

the streets, both day and night

in tattered clothing, begging

for change that we all know

will be used for other purposes.  

OR

The small baby that constantly 

cries out, seeming to be always in 

need of comfort and reassurance 

that love is near.

This is the face of need. 

Like the twelve year old girl who 

in 90 degree heat wears long

clothing, concealing her whole body, 

always avoiding direct eye contact

ad allowing no one to break 

her physical or mental barriers.

These images are constant memories 

of the faces of once happy and thriving creations, 

now diminished to mere shadows

passing through life, not living, 

only barely existing. 

And this is the face of need. 

And the mother who spends

her last twenty dollars to buy

a birthday gift for her child.

With a bright-eyed smile she hugs

her mom and pulls her present closer.

As a tear trickles down her mother's cheek, 

she snuggles the child warmly in the 

3rd-hand sleeping bag and kisses

her to sleep under the bridge.

And this, too, is the face of need. 

The honesty in this one makes me want to laugh out loud at the absurdity as well as be heartbroken at what is actually being said.  Primarily, it's heartbreak because I see this all too often.  All I can say is "Really?"  See for yourself...

Why I Love Dope: Anonymous

I love crack more than anything because of the rush it gives me every month.  When I my check from ProPay, I head straight to the Dope man.  He gets all my money.  Yeah, he or she tells me I am their best customer.  They say if I bring in another customer they will give me extra crack.  I love crack so much.  I will rent a room for a day or two until the money is gone.  Then I go from Nativity House to Tacoma Rescue Mission for the next 27 days begging for cigarettes and a warm place to stay.  This is the life that I live because crack is more important in my life.  I will do anything to get it.  I will kill if I have to, sell my body if I'm a woman or gay man.  Stealing from my family is no big deal.  What my children think means nothing to me, my mother, sisters, the people in church.

To end on a happy note...

This is me (obviously) taken about a week ago at Point Defiance park in Tacoma.  I am holding a 8-9 foot sprig of kelp (seaweed) that washed on the shore.  It was slippery and sturdy so of course I decided to play jump rope!  This is pre-jump.  Enjoy.

Brandishing A Cupcake

Sunday and Monday were two of the most interesting days that I have had at Nativity House thus far.  

Sunday:  To begin, we usually operate with a staff of 9-11 people during our long day shifts.  However, for the majority of the day there were 5 of us, that doesn't sound terrible, but the ratio between guest and staff was about 22:1.  That has the potential to create quite a few issues.  

The day started off semi-normally, but began to take a weird turn when the ambulance and fire trucks showed up around 10:30am.  This is a fairly normal thing as well.  However, the lady we were dealing with was not.  We called the ambulance because Diana slumped over in the Smoke Room and started seizing.  She was unresponsive, but eventually came to and was able to talk to the paramedics.  She told everyone that she had MS and what she was experiencing were muscle spasms brought on by stress.  These spasms (according to her) were usually treated by alcohol and marijuana....no lie.  Diana claimed this is what her "doctor" told her.  Anyways, the paramedics took her to the hospital and things returned to Nativity House normal.  The End...for about 4 hours.

About 2 hours after Diana was taken away, she came back.  She said she was released from the hospital and everything was fine.  Things were fine until she started having her spasms again.  She was slumped over a table completely immobile, so the ambulance and firefighters arrived once again.  Yet again, Diana claimed that she was completely fine and this was normal.  Really?  However, the paramedics (being the intelligent men that they are) had to disagree.  So, Diana once again rode off in her boxy yellow chariot.  Thankfully, at that point, I left work.  

Monday:  Short-staffed again.  Megeen (one of the Jesuit volunteers) and I decided that we were going to take a crack at making lunch for all the guests.  Side note...my hands still smell like the onions that I spent slicing and dicing yesterday.  It refuses to leave.  Anyways, things were going great until we were just about to clean up after the meal was served.  This fellow came up and asked for a plate, no big deal. However, I didn't know that he was banned from Nativity House for 30 days and now he was sitting on a bench eating.  Cutty (our security guy) went over and the guy got irate and threatened Cutty.  He later tried to shove a cupcake in Cutty's face.  We won't be seeing him for at least a year and the police have a report against him.  

To make matters worse, his friend (we call him Skippy) decided that he needed to follow suit.  He started arguing with the staff about some kind of phone charger and going through his not-present "girlfriend's" stuff before brandishing a fork and shoving it in our director's face.  Not smart.  The police now have his information and he is unwelcome until next year as well.  

The day was topped off by some unfortunate information that I will not realistically get a non-LVC retreat vacation until at least February, so our boss, Dominique decided enough was enough.  "I'm taking ya'll out for a drink" was what she decided.  We went to a micro-brewery in Tacoma and laughed for about 3 hours.  I sipped my iced-tea (no alcohol for me...don't worry Mom) and laughed the hardest I have in a long time after a very long and weird work week.  

All I can say now is thank the Lord for the weekend....which happens to be Tuesday and Wednesday for me.

Chao.

The Chair Next to the Stairs

I have to tell you about one of my favorite guests at Nativity House.  His name is unimportant (for confidentiality reasons) but I will call him JG.   JG is a schizophrenic man that looks like a cross between John Lennon and the white rabbit from Alice in Wonderland...no lie. He has shoulder-length hair and one of the biggest mustaches I've ever seen.  He hails from Little Rock, Arkansas and has a great memory if you tell him about yourself.  He is quite concerned about his appearance because he is constantly brushing his hair and mustache with his hands.  He's also got 2 big buck front teeth that gives him one of the best smiles ever.  And his plastic purple sunglasses are the icing on the cake.  He is one of the guests that makes me happy everyday. However, he's really weary of new staff and takes a long time to warm up to people.  So, it's constant work to gain his trust.

Let me give you a little synopsis of JG's days at Nativity.  He has to come in exactly at opening time and sits in the same spot everyday.  He always wears either brown or navy pants pulled up really high with a belt and a navy shirt.  JG is very particular about people in his immediate surroundings and how close they are to him and his "spot."  It's pretty funny to watch him though because he usually has a book open on his lap like he is pretending to read, but really he's watching the guests and staff.

If someone moves into JG's personal bubble he gets really angry and starts chattering to himself.  I should also probably mention that he is constantly talking to himself.  The talking/chattering is dependent on his mood.  When he's happy, then he's smiling and laughing as he talks, but when he's mad...watch out.  He will get really agitated and slam down his chair/whatever else.  The best visual example I can think of is when a squirrel gets angry and starts barking/chattering...that's kind of what it's like with JG (sound and all).

Why am I going into this description?  Because, this past week I made some breakthroughs with him.  Like I said, it takes a while for him to warm up to people, so any baby step counts.  These things happened in a period of three days, one occurrence for each.  It started with a smile when I walked past him, then it turned into a wave when I was on the 2nd floor, and finally a "Hi Rachel."  Those tiny instances were some of the highest points of my week.    

A Day In The Life

I have been asked countless questions regarding my placement or job, so let me give you a brief synopsis of what I encounter on a daily basis.

Nativity House is primarily a place for homeless people in the community to hang out.  About 95% of the NH population are men, so that always makes things fun and interesting.  The guys have warmed up to me really well due to my "aggressive" personality.  Aggressive is the word our boss Dominique used to describe me, but in a way that means engaging and willing to throw myself into any conversation.  Let me tell you, being shy or feeling awkward about joining a table of strangers has no place at Nativity House.  I literally talk to people all day long and I love it.  

Cribbage, chess, or card games in general are other daily staples at Nativity House. Me being the competitive spirit that I am, quickly established myself as a card player.  My first day I beat 2 of the top cribbage players in the place.  I also beat another top player (and trash talker) on my 3rd day which has gained me a pretty good reputation.  All the cribbage playing guys agree that they thought that I was going to be an easy target and someone that they could beat easily, but they were sadly mistaken.  When they complain that they thought I was a rookie, my response is always "What can I say, my daddy raised me right."

Finally, let me tell you about the types of folks that are regulars around the shelter.  Drug addicts, Schizophrenics, people that are chronically homeless, alcoholics, transitional homeless, mental illnesses, and everything in between are my new community.  I'll be honest, some can be a little intimidating or strange at times, but at the end of the day, they are just people.  I think a lot of people forget that the homeless population are just like everyone else, but they made some different choices or had other circumstantial situations than I did.  However, it's fun and certainly a new kind of reality to be hanging out with them everyday.  

Mike (my housemate who also works at Nativity House) likes to joke and call me the "Queen of the Homeless" because of my newfound popularity.  I usually laugh then punch him when he starts making up lyrics to the corresponding song that he wrote for my title.  I will say though, it's hard to go anywhere in Tacoma without seeing at least one of the Nativity House "guests" at some point along the journey.  In some weird way it gives me a sense of security to see a familiar face and know that even though my new friends aren't exactly "normal," I can quickly find them anywhere at any time of day.

Alright, I'm now going to go and make good use of the soapbox that I have been standing on for this post.  Adios!

I Lie, So Sue Me

So, by tomorrow I really meant 7 days later. Whoops.

This is our living/dining room...except you can't really see the "dining area," but its like bathrooms...you've seen one, you've seen them all.  Also, notice the piano.  I don't play, but it adds class and my housemates do.

I'm pretty sure our kitchen is wonderful and actually has a dishwasher!

Last but not least, my bedroom.  Now this was taken with my computer, so you need to use your imagination with this photo.  Everything is actually backwards, so yeah.  My bed is the unoccupied one and that's my roommate Allison...she's A+ material.  Also, in case you were wondering...those are sheets on our windows.  We enjoy living in a non-light existent cave.  

Nelson and Winnie Mandela House

House pictures for the curious!  Inside pictures to be posted tomorrow.

Front of house. Followed by backyard view of 20 by 40 foot garden with lots of veggies and produce, apple trees, and blackberry bushes.  Finally, also in backyard, plum trees and giant tractor tires

Here comes the part I know that you really want to hear about...Tacoma.

I arrived in Seattle/Tacoma late on Friday night after a remarkably uneventful flight from Minneapolis.  In the 15 minutes prior to landing I was able to see Mt. St. Helen's, Mt. Rainier, the Puget Sound, and one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen.  After arriving at my new house I almost immediately went to bed and slept in as long as I could. 

Saturday was a rather sleepy day with my housemates arriving periodically throughout the day.  In case you didn't know, I live with three other girls (Molly, Allison, and Alayna) and two guys (Ian and Mike) in a wonderful four bedroom house literally a hop, skip, and jump away from both an Albertson's grocery store and Lutheran church (the home is actually owned by the church).  Most of Saturday was spent taking walks around our neighborhood in order to get used to the surroundings, unsuccessfully trying to make my body adjust to the Pacific Time Zone, and meeting an older Lutheran lady named J.B. who welcomed us to  the church that we live next to by busting our chops about volunteering in places "that put the tax dollars into the hands of the city and the people have no say."  Haha. We think this means that she likes us...maybe?  

Oh yeah, and I found a purple and yellow 2 story house that looks like a box...literally.  We met the owner/builder Steve, who informed us that this house was his first building project and it was a box house.  He also pointed out the boards on the windows which were a result of not using a leveler, so nothing matched up.  I liked Steve.  He was shirtless, chubby, and had a case of the startled shakes, but he was nice.  

Now we come to Sunday Sunday.  Allison (or Al...she's my roommate) followed the advice of Google search and visited a local church close by our house.  Let's just say that I will now be switching to Bing search engines.  I really enjoyed the people, but overall, no thanks.  However, on the bright side, we got to go to a BBQ at American Lake in a nearby city about 15 minutes outside of Tacoma.  It was hosted by the LSC's (Lutheran Support Committee) that look after us.  It was an evening of skipping stones with kids, chasing ducks, lots of people meeting, and touring rooftop gardens (to keep away the deer!).  

Pictures: Molly in the garden and the lake.

Today was spent on a city tour with our LSC leader, Ray.  We learned that our house is located in the area of the city that is considered "disputed gang territory between the Bloods and the Crips."  Sorry Mom and Dad!  It is comforting to learn though that neither are prevalent in the area because it doesn't actually belong to either.  Not to worry because our doors are always locked and we live in a very public location.

The city is awesome and filled with hills that may kill me if I attempt to ride a bicycle down them.  I got to see some Tacoma must-see tourist attractions.  For example, Stadium High School (as seen in 10 Things I Hate About You) or as Ray referred to it as "Stay Dumb and High School."  We also saw Pt. Defiance which is is a park on the Puget Sound that is 2nd in the nation in terms of public parks.  It follows Central Park in New York, no big deal.  Finally, it was clear enough to see Mt. Rainier!  

I really could go on about today, but its getting quite late and I am spending the day in Seattle!   

Pictures: "Clear Rainier" and "Blue Rainier" and the Puget Sound (look closely)

From the Mall of America to the Puget Sound

Hello All!  I am writing to you from my new home in Tacoma, Washington!

However, before I get to Tacoma, let me update you on this past week....

From the 20th till the 25th I was in St.Paul/Minneapolis, MN for LVC Orientation.  Basically, my days began at 7:00am (blah) and lasted until about 8:00pm and were quite busy.  Our days were spent with learning about the Lutheran Volunteer Corps as an organization, ways to live in intentional community, anti-racism training, and so on.  I appreciated the time that was spent at Orientation, but there were a lot of times that I would have rather been elsewhere.

However, well I was in the Twin Cities I was able to make a pilgrimage to the heartland of American consumerism, the Mall of America.  It was everything that I thought it would be...overwhelming, huge, and filled with hundreds of stores that (while unnecessary) were an experience.  It was 4 levels of shopping extravaganza with each wing decorated in a different manner and a Nickelodeon amusement park in the center.  For example. the wing with stores like Coach, Burberry, and Hugo Boss was very classy with floor to ceiling white decoration (paint, tiles, etc) and very brightly lit.  In contrast, some of the areas with bars and restaurants was lower lighting, darker paint, and carpet.  Overall, it was an adventure and yet another item to check off my bucket list.

What's to Come: An Overview

Greetings!  As you may or may not know, I will be spending the next 11 months living and volunteering in Tacoma, Washington with the Lutheran Volunteer Corps.  This is a simple and sustainable non-profit organization that is dedicated to spreading faith, living in intentional community, and servitude.  I will be placed at an organization called the Nativity House.  NH is a day shelter for the homeless peoples of Pierce County.  I will be serving as a "Staff Member" which basically means that I will be building personal relationships with guests, offering counseling services, cooking and serving meals, helping with a street newspaper, exploring art therapy, and whatever else happens to occur that day.

This upcoming year will be like nothing I have ever experienced.  There is no doubt that it will be filled with laughter and love, but also tears and sadness.  I have never had to spend this much consecutive time away from the people that I care about the most.  However, I am excited about the growing of self and my relationship with God that I am confident I will experience.  So, I have one simple request for whomever decides to read and or follow this.  I ask that myself, my housemates, and my placement be kept in your prayers.  And this will not be a one-way street relationship.  I can guarantee that you will also be in mine.

I will let you know how Orientation goes.

Blessings!