Launch the Journey to the Res

“Where there is charity and wisdom, there is neither fear nor ignorance.”

~ Francis of Assisi ~

Launch the Journey to the Res

Recently, a good friend sent me an email with a link to a group called Simply Smiles. As soon as I opened it I knew it was for me. There are two places that this group spreads hope; one is in Oaxaca, Mexico and the second is in South Dakota at the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Reservation.

I have chosen to go to the CRST Reservation in May for eight days. I will be living and work side by side with the people of the reservation, helping with projects and activities with the children. This is an opportunity that I am very excited about; to be able to be immersed in the Native American culture and to help preserve that culture.

I am still waiting to receive the specifics and more details about what I need to do to make this trip but, I pretty long walk, that’s why I started a GoFundMe page. I sincerely hope that this will not be a onetime trip to the reservation, and someday, I would like to make the trip to Mexico. If you are able to help in any way, I greatly appreciate it. You help send me there and I will work my tail off to help bring hope to the people living there.

https://www.gofundme.com/bring-hope-to-cr-sioux-reservation

Like I said in my opening paragraph, I knew that this was for me as soon as I read about it. We all are in search of our purpose, and this is part of mine. I will keep everyone posted on the progress leading up to the trip, report on events during, and how it affected me. I am looking at this as part of my spiritual awakening.

Thank you for reading! Please share this and the link to the GoFundMe page with anyone you think might help. Stay tuned!

Altering the Future with her Grace

 “Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.”

~ Helen Keller ~

Altering the Future with her Grace

Last week when I dropped something off, I met Sonia, the woman in her 90’s who runs a tailor shop. That is pretty impressive in itself, and then you talk to her. She tells me that she is a Holocaust survivor and there is a movie that they made about her coming to a local theatre in December. She is very friendly, sweet and pleasant to talk to, not to mention interesting.

This week I went back to pick up my vest and I brought her a couple of candles from work. She was very excited and said that when people do things like that it gives her hope that there are still good people in the world. We talked a little about people, education, greed, her life, and movie. As she leaned on the counter I looked down and saw the number tattooed on her arm. Honestly, you could have knocked me over with a feather. It made everything so real. It is one thing to hear someone tell stories and share things that have happened to them. I have seen pictures of identification numbers on people but I do not believe I have ever seen one in person.

The thing that stuck in my mind on the drive back to work was the fact that after all that this person has been through, she still looks for the good in people. I can only imagine that for every story she shares, there are just as many that she does not talk about. She was a young Polish woman, seeing people dying at the hands of the enemy as well as by their own hands when they could go on no longer. People were torn apart from their families, tortured, starved, beaten and degraded to the point of feeling sub-human.

There are those who wish us to forget about this along with so many other injustices and atrocities. It is critical to our survival as human beings that we do not forget these events, lest we continue to repeat them.  We must love and respect each other and celebrate our differences, whether it is skin color, religion, nationality or whatsoever. Why is this so hard for so many people? Is it simply an excuse to build power and control or can there really be so much hate in people’s hearts?

 If you ever find yourself around 95^th and Nall in Overland Park, KS and meet Sonia for yourself. Also, watch for the movie Big Sonia in theatres for special showings. Check out https://bigsonia.com/ for information. In the meantime, engage strangers in conversation and learn something about them.

Peace out until next time!