"What's your share?" - That's the question that was asked of all of us on the Junior High Mission Trip this last Monday by Shirley Johnson, one of the staff members of the Central Union Mission men's shelter on I Street in Washington DC. When we arrived at the shelter it was after a morning spent traveling the metro and walking 2 plus miles to visit the National Cathedral and back, as well as an additional half mile or so from the metro to the shelter, all in 94+ degree heat. Needless to say all of us were a little less than our normally cool, well-groomed selves by the time we arrived. I personally was pretty much a soggy, sweaty mess. And Shirley, one of the social workers on staff, greeted each and every one of us with a great big hug. She of course was dressed better than many of us would be to attend church.

What Shirley's welcoming hug taught me that day was to reassess my own ideas of what it means to be welcoming and accepting of others. Here was this well dressed, well spoken, African American woman from the city, hugging a bunch of sweaty white folk from the NJ suburbs and challenging us to think about the special things that God has gifted each of us with that we can "share" with others.

We then went to work "sharing" by working at everything from cleaning bathrooms and the kitchen, to washing walls and vacuuming, to scraping paint off the iron railings and fence in front of the house. It was only one of many amazing encounters with some really special people as we traveled through the city serving and learning. During the four days of our trip we walked, and served, and walked and learned about the White House and the Capital and walked and served and walked... well, you get the picture. But we also got a chance to get to know each other better and to share a great deal of laughter and even Communion with one another.

During the course of our four days together we also got the chance to "share" who we are and what we can do as we picked and packed fresh produce for food pantries and kitchens at homeless shelters and as we prepared and served dinner to the homeless. And along the way others "shared" with us, especially their personal stories, and in so doing changed our perceptions and assumptions of the people who are served by these ministries.

I want to thank Tina Leach for the wonderful work she did in leading this trip and especially the other adults who came along for the ride - Fran Bubeck, Marie Lamb, Anita Rickershauser, Jennifer Schultz, Christene Willetts, and Pastor Jones - for all their support, as well as all of the parents out there who trusted us with your young people for a few days away.

I think all of us who participated in this trip would say that we have stored up some memories that will last a life time; memories of the lives we touched and the lives that touched us. And we have moved a little closer to understanding what Shirley meant when she asked us the question "What's your share?" I wonder... what's yours?

Blessings! - PJ2

 July 13: Ready to go to Washington DC on the Junior High Mission Trip!