Erin writes:
….As we walked through the center [for people experiencing homelessness], I was both amazed and ashamed at how I have been taught by society to shrink away, to avoid, to dehumanize these people who are children of God just like me. The seven of us (my site coordinator, 5 housemates, and me) were clearly conspicuous in this space, because as we left, a man called out to us: “What are you going to teach us this time?” I was floored. This man saw people he identified as out of place, and concluded that we must be there to teach — with all of the condescension and judgment that so easily comes with service. As I struggled with how to respond, our site coordinator jumped in and said: “No teaching, just learning!”
Read Erin’s entire post here.
On Sunday, August 26, 2018, we commissioned Rachel Carpenter, Brooke Cobb, and Erin Tolar, who dedicate a year of their lives to learn what God is doing through them and in them. We hope to follow their journey through their online blogs.
To learn more about the YAV program, visit: www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/yav/
To read the blogs of our YAVs, click their links below: