Amazing Week

My dang memory card isn't working!!!! I have a zillion pictures to post, but can't get to them yet. I'll have much more interesting pictures to follow.

In the meantime, here's some great pictures from working at God's Love We Deliver.

Anyone living in the NYC area or visiting there should really check into volunteering! I can't describe how amazing it was.

This was defiantly one of the best experiences of my life!

We worked our butts off too!!

I would be so thankful to finally make it through chopping 200 lbs. of potatoes only to watch the chef drop about 200 lbs. of hamburger meat in front of me to mix with ingredients for meatloaf, then only to realize after that I would need to chop about 100 lbs. of onions!

No kidding...this is how everyday, all day was.

I met the most amazing people.

One of the guys I volunteered with had an amazing story. He was from Somalia and has lived in NYC for 8 years. I asked him why he volunteered and he said that he felt a strong desire to give back to NYC because he felt so blessed to be there. Here is his story:

After his entire family was killed, (mother, father, brothers, & sisters) he escaped Somalia with nothing but the clothes on his back.

He came straight to NYC without knowing one word of English and no money. He came all alone. He said he didn't know where to go for help or how to even ask anyone.

Eventually he found some help. He made friends with a man that starting trying to teach him English. The man mentioned that he should learn to do something with his hands to help with his nervousness and extreme depression.

He learned how to cook and is now a chef for an upscale private elementary school in Brooklyn. He recently found out his mom is still alive in Africa, but is struggling with breast cancer.

He was a little nervous talking to me, but I could tell he really enjoyed it. I think he was probably in his early 30's.

Can you imagine??? Talk about courage. I can't imagine being able to survive that. And now thousands of people are benefiting from his contribution every day through God's Love We Deliver. He said the only thing he couldn't do was help deliver the food because it was way to emotional for him. He has been there...starving and helpless.

And...he feels the need to volunteer his time each week to "give back"?? Most people would feel so cheated and that the world owes him not vice versa.

Not this man. What an amazing person! My life may be better from meeting him.

I could have spent the entire day with him listening to his stories.

Amazing...truly.