March 9, 2020

Spring Break - coming to the lowcountry from other parts of the US!

 There once was a time when I was allowed to go on a Spring Break with my friends.  We headed to the beach and spent alot of time enjoying the sand, surf and being with each other.  Seems like these memories are now falling into the "ancient" times, like perhaps my young friends would ask me if that was "in the olden times?"

My Renewed Spirit - College Youth Today

Members of a choir from Grove City College in Pennsylvania sang a "thank you" to me as they traveled through our town. All I did was offer them "Free" cookies from a sample bar.
They had recently performed at St. Helena, 1712 Church in Beaufort, SC. They asked me if knew Rev.Jeff Miller?  He was once at the church that they had performed in, and now here in Charleston.  They knew he was at St. Philips and he and his family had been so loved in Beaufort.


https://vimeo.com/396593562

Then a few days later, a young man, Alexander from UVA ( University of Virginia) shares with me he is on his spring break with his group "The Navigators".  His group is working at Habitat to Humanity, and visiting Water Mission.  This year they have 42 youth (from 16 last year!). These youth are members of the University of Virginia, Campus Ministry, with an estimated 600 students of the 16,000 students involved.  He spoke of his faith with me.

As I shared with the UVA student:  "Your governor made it into the news with his proposal of limited gun ownership right? So much so, there was a protest, peaceful I might add, with American Flags flying by thousands of Virginia residents?"  I could hear the student laughing.

Keeping up with the national media, I could not recall ever hearing any stories or reporting on college kids on their only spring break, traveling about and offering up community service.  Singing to communities in our area, for certain, I not found a word in print or other types of media.

Give all of this thought.  Where is the reporting on the goodness that young people are sharing with us today. These two groups traveled hundreds of miles spending their spring break, in service to people who live right here in the lowcountry.

As the conversation went forward with each, found that it was easy to ask - who, what, where, why, when and how.  IE the "backpack journalist" training in me appeared!

Each willingly shared their personal mission, and from the singing to the open conversation with the UVA student,  I felt so blessed to have spent time with these young people and  to be among them.

Looking forward to bright futures...Linda Dennis










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