Being the change...

Dear Jillian,

Welcome to Tent City, and I'm very happy I got to meet you yesterday. "Be The Change" is a great organization, and it's extremely inspiring to see young adults coming together and using their gifts to serve others.

But specifically, I find YOUR choice - to spend your spring break in Tent City - remarkably inspiring. Even with the worst of the winter being over (we hope), it's a far cry from a sunny beach in Cancun or Daytona. Or even Mom's sofa playing Xbox. For lack of a better comparison, Tent City is basically a Third World village in a first-world town.

Some things you have probably discovered by now: first off, that roosters do not just crow in the morning. And, those little feathered devils can be loud enough to wake the dead.

Secondly, when you hear the bell (actually, the big empty propane tank), a certain number of rings means a sermon is about to begin, and a different number means food has arrived and/or is being served.

Thirdly - and this I can promise you - you will leave a completely different person.

I started out solely doing online advocacy work for Tent City - blogging, video editing, and assisting with online promotion and PR. On one of my very first visits, sometime in late October of last year, I didn't come with truckloads of donations. I came with a bag of apples, a few women's coats, and a case of water. There was a large church group (possibly two) that brought in truckloads of items. In terms of what I was able to, literally, bring to the table, I felt pretty small.

But I also realized how fortunate we are in Tent City to have food and clothing in abundance, so those temporal needs are always met, with enough left over to help the working poor of the greater community outside of Tent City. You'll note that the big yellow behemoth in the middle of camp is always very packed, and there are makeshift storage pods here and there as well. We are a society of great material wealth, even among that which we might normally throw away.

Emotional and spiritual needs, however, are much more of a challenge - to give them, but also to receive them. Because even if giving seems effortless and natural, you never know how you will be received by someone going in.

Recently, a pastor visiting Tent City gave a sermon about how we are all "cracked pots" - and how our flaws are actually opportunities to let God's love shine through. I cannot tell you how much that resonated with me. I wrote a blog entry a while back about how God doesn't call the qualified, but instead qualifies the called.

So while you're here, don't forget to pray, and keep an open heart. He will give you everything you need. And when we open ourselves to that, it is the most powerful, transforming experience you can have here in your time on Earth.

So, thank you for flying, please fasten your seatbelt, and remember that your seat cushion can also be used as a flotation device...just kidding. Again, welcome, and may Love shine through you, guide you, and keep you warm during your stay.