Day 1 was great! Waking up early after a terrible night of sleep was rough for everyone, but Ellie’s Keurig got us up and kicking (except Libby who started her morning with a monster energy). After a great sausage and egg breakfast provided by Donna, we got to work cleaning the Chester house, a house that Shepherd is preparing to house a neighbor. We cleaned most of the house except for a few final things, (including many paint splotches on the floor that we put very much effort into trying to scrape off) and made sure the floors and walls were just free of dirt and dust.

We then headed back to the church for a Poverty 101 class. This was a very eye opening experience. We learned about how people see the world differently, using the analogy of a stained glass window that you see the world through. We then filled out windows with separate sections each having a different aspect of daily, comparing people in poverty vs. people in middle class.

After this, we ate lunch and then joined up with our classes to help the interns out for the afternoon. After some worship time, which included a skit that was prepared by your very own Faith Students, we set out with our separate classes, enjoying bible time and snack with the kids. After school ended we all helped out with the Shepherd aftercare program which included soccer, art, and a derby car workshop, where kids made templates for derby cars and once they were cut, they sanded them down.

After an amazing dinner prepared by Mrs. Buben we played a few games as a group and with the free time we had after that we played basketball. Unfortunately, Ellie is very strict about the lights out, and the boys in the group were left with only a 20 minute period to shower (editor’s note: it was BY THEIR CHOICE). A clutch speed showering ensued with timed runs in the room, leading to all of us showering before bed. Success! Day one is done.

Written by Josiah Foor and Elliot Wiley