Hopeful Eyes

Aloha and Namaste,

This is Savannah Lyn Delos Santos and I will be retelling Shirish Amatya and I’s experiences on the first day of the 2018 LA Immersion trip. I am an upcoming Senior Business Marketing major from Chaminade University of Honolulu. Shirish is an upcoming Junior Computer Science major from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio. Today, Wednesday, May 16^th, 2018, was our first day of service. Not only was it our first day of service, but it was the first day all of us formally met each other. Because our group from Chaminade University arrived later than anticipated, we had not had the opportunity to bond prior as it was planned.

Our dawn began with the ringing of the courtyard bell. We had twenty minutes to be up and ready for the day ahead! Quite the morning, we might add! As we gathered in the kitchen for breakfast, clueless about each other’s identities, we initially introduced ourselves with hugs and smiles. Breakfast went by rather quickly with official formal introductions at the table along with brief instructions for the day. Mike was successful in getting the crew excited enough with his inspiring wisdom. Next, we gathered outside for the morning prayer; and we were off to Good Shephard!

Though we had a late start, Maria, a coordinator of Good Shephard, was patient and humble enough to lead us, guide us, and instruct us with our set tasks. Maria, along with her team at Good Shephard, work for the victims of domestic violence by providing means of support by providing shelter, emotional assistance, free education to children, and by gathering volunteers like ourselves, leaving us with a valuable lesson that our presence in community matter as much as our actions do. She trusted our judgment and our abilities to act and perform well as a team. Our first task was to transfer all donations (clothing, shoes, blankets, pillows, fabrics, diapers, and bags) onto a truck. Though it was a tedious task, getting our hands dirty did not seem as difficult as we initially thought. We were able to work quickly and efficiently, achieving our goal within half the time that Maria had originally allotted.

Lunch was soon served after at the Good Shephard playground which was as an excellent opportunity for conversational group bonding. Stories reflecting upon cultures were shared and self-values were exchanged. There was so much beauty, spiritual reflection, vulnerability, and inclusivity within the discussions that were held within the diverse community as we broke bread together. As most of the group thought that the lunch was the end of our service at Good Shephard, gears shifted when Maria was grateful enough to announce an invitation to us for an evening birthday celebration.

As we cleaned up, Maria provided us with a second opportunity to challenge ourselves and extend our service. In addition to loading all the donations onto the truck, we had to unload those donations off of the truck at the Saver’s location. The unloading moment was absolutely full of well-communicated teamwork and active task delegation. Even the truck driver was impressed enough to share that we were able to finish the task much faster than expected. The members of the Saver’s, the Good Shephard, and the rest of the team were all grateful for each other’s contributions and for what we had to offer.

Soon after, as per the plan, Good Shephard was where we were headed back for the Director’s talk on the organization itself and its contributions towards the community that they were dedicated to serve. It is as they say, “Actions speak louder than words”, likewise, though he did not have much to say, the clinical director’s actions, achievements, and future plans proved that this non-profit was serving a bigger purpose, bringing about change and creating impact upon the lives of the helpless, traumatized, and the abused. Alongside with the case manager, he briefly introduced Good Shephard’s ‘good deeds’ and was open enough to answer deep questions from the audience. The case manager superficially outlined what her job entailed and gave quick demonstrations of a few of the actual scenarios that she had experienced. The presentation was concluded with a short video illustrating domestic violence and the traumatic aftermath that it can create upon the emotionally-weak. It was actually fantastic to witness individuals and groups of people like ourselves who have volunteered with Good Shephard and numerous other Emergency Shelters - willing to learn, and contribute towards the bigger community for the sake of making the world a better place.

As the sun went down and with us more excited to work with the children, the playground filled with more volunteers from the Birthday Party Project and a local bank willing to help prepare for the party. Balloons were placed along the trees and the tables, decorations embellished the surroundings, and music filled the air. As the playful children entered the playground, we openly embraced their presence and interacted creating a joyful evening perfect for a birthday party celebration. The birthday girl’s overjoyed expression could tell that our presence there was indeed impactful. Pizzas, ice-cream, and cake at the party was our dinner. Once the party was over and as we got ready to bid our good-byes to the Good Shephard team, I could clearly see on Maria’s faint smile that she was glad to have had us. Acknowledging the fact that we were able to raise a good amount of donations and put a smile on those children’s faces really made my day.

Carpooling back with a group of folks who were strangers the day before and friends today, along with pleasant music and an absolutely mesmerizing scenery of palm trees and beautiful mountains was an amazing moment. Upon arrival, we gave some time for ourselves then rejoined each other for one last reflective discussion with the whole group. The reflection was centered but not limited to the question, “How did your dining experiences growing up play a part in your person today?” which led conversations towards a more personally reflective direction. Sharing these unique stories from various backgrounds with a peer and then the bigger group surely reflected upon the pillars of the Marianist Charism – people of community and vulnerability.

At the end of the session, I could see in their expressions, and hear in their voices – a feeling of awe accompanied by emotional open-mindedness, vulnerability, and ‘family-spirit’ all brought together by the words and the company that we shared. The day was full of ravishing moments of laughter, thought-provoking conversations, story-telling, stuffing ourselves, and breaking a lot of sweat; all while celebrating each other’s presence in the community.