Camden, NJ 2010 - Snyder Memorial Baptist Church- Missions Blog

Archive for the ‘Camden, NJ 2010’ Category

Images from Camden

July 31st, 2010 | Author: sreeder

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Camden Risks video

July 31st, 2010 | Author: sreeder

http://vimeo.com/13777039

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Ruined for Life

July 31st, 2010 | Author: sreeder

There are 4 posts from youth tonight. They are from Beth Crenshaw, Maddie Felton, Graham Bunn, and Caroline Wheeler:

Beth Crenshaw “Ungratefulness”

I’ve realized this week that i am the epitome of ungratefulness. Just a few weeks ago, after my car wreck I was told that I would be getting my dad’s old truck. I broke down in tears when I heard that. The truck was old, smelly, green, and in my opinion it was ugly. I was in hysterics. I realized that I should be grateful that we have enough money to cover hospital bills, that we had insurance, and that I am even alive. Camden has taught me to be thankful.
Friday, July 30, 2010

Maddie Felton

Today, I worked at St. Frances Inn in Philly, which is a center that feeds the homeless of the city. They feed them diner style. We served them, bussed tables, reset the tables, gave them their choice of dessert at the tables, and washed dishes from the tables. My personal job was to reset the tables when they were done eating. This didn’t give me the opportunity to interact with the people at the tables. I was upset about this becuase I enjoy listening to their stories and sometimes sharing mine as well around the tables. Faith did get the chance to talk with a few people eating. She shared the stories with us while we ate our lunch. It was sad to hear how these people were living their lives on the streets. One guy was very new to the streets and homelessness. He had degrees and still ended up in this situation. He had only been living on the streets about a week. It showed me how easy it is to lose everything in the blink of an eye and how it happens to people everyday.

Friday, July 30, 2010 – 10:19 PM

Graham Bunn

Today i visited the Whiley Adult Day Care. The people there were mentally challenged which seemed like a challenge when we first arrived. Alot of the people there weren’t very high functioning but we still had a great time playing legos and bingo with them. Being at the Whiley house i saw happieness and joy in the people we often take pity on. I had a great time playing and caring for the people there.

Friday, July 30, 2010 – 10:39 PM

Caroline Wheeler

I was given the opportunity today to go to two places. First we went to a store call Ten thousand villages where everything in the store iwas under “fair trade.” This is where they work directly with artisans to create opportunities for sustainable income in countries across the globe that do not have a good market. They also protect the artisans by ensuring fair trade, wich means that they recieve a fair income from the products they make rather than being rippied off like in many othere situations with other businesses.

After we learned about the store, what they do, and looked around, we made our way to the other side of philly to help serve lunch to homeless men at St. Johns Hospice. We were able to eat and fellowship with men living there and are working up to receive government housing of some sort after they become clean of drugs and find jobs and such. Louisa served the peaches and i served the bread. We said that we were feeding the 5000( really 350) a with our fish(peaches swimming in juice) and loaves. This day was very special for me because i have been to the other sites that havent been working with homeless people and today I finally got to interact with the people ive been longing too all week.

My heart aches for the people of camden and philly and fayetteville that are struggling with addictions, diseases, economic trouble, and other struggles of life. I have fallen in love with Camden and the people in it. We talk alot after our day of work during reflection and i am now at the point where i am not able to express my emotions. I have been feeling numb for two days now. Faith warned me but now i know ecxactly how she felt for a year….literally sometimes you just want to lay in the floor and be a big ball of blaahh. It is frustrating and with so many emotions running through me i have no idea what to do with myself. I wish everyone was here to see christ in the eyes of everyone here. But i encourage all those back home to look into strangers eye’s and the eyes of the homeless in fayetteville or where ever you may be and see christ as we have.

They told us when we first got here the Camden and what we evperience here will “ruin us for life.” Set us on fire and drive us to love and be god’s hands and feet, and also to have a burning passion to help god’s people.
I can proudly say the I am truly RUINED FOR LIFE!

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Seeing God at work!

July 30th, 2010 | Author: sreeder

These post came late from the youth on Thursday, July 29th. The posts are written by Jordan Humphrey and Will Jarrard.

Jordan Humphrey:
So today I had the opportunity to go to the Abigail House. It is pretty much just a nursing home. At first I did not want to go at all because I am not a big fan of nursing homes at all but once I got there and was all settled in I realized that it wasn’t that bad. I played Trouble with this man named Dave and Callie. I won the first time but he won the other two times. Even though he didn’t talk much you could tell that he enjoyed being with us and just enjoying our company. When Callie stepped out I had no clue what to do so I walked across the room and just stood for a while, then I noticed a man sitting at the table near me so I sat down with him and we just started talking. He told me that he was 26 years old and was born in Camden and had been off the streets for three years now. I didn’t realize anything was wrong with him but he told me that he had something wrong with his brain but he hopes to get better soon. He went on to say that he had not been out of New Jersey in all his years of living. I thought that was so sad because i have been so many places. His name was Walter and he was a great man I hope to keep in touch with him.
After we left we got to go to Philly and just walk around but then we met up with Faith’s friend Fred. He took us around the city and showed us some places where people lived. Once place that has stood out from all the rest was the “undergound” houses. the place he showed us was litterally under a bridge. To any one just passing by you would never notice it but those are images that are imbedded in my mind for life. I chose not to take pictures but it is something i will never forget. He took us back to see the first camp and it was to me so gross. we walked through mud and trees and vines to get to it and when we got there, there was trash everywhere. It just broke my heart. The newer camp however was acctually pretty cool looking. They had set up tents and a couch and all sorts of things that made it look like a home. And even thugh I felt really bad about just walking through their home I realize that they were ok with it and that we are pretty much their voice. Over all today was just a great thing to see because it really opened up our eyes and made this all very really for a lot of us including myself. I realize how much I take what I have for granted and that I could be doing so much more. God Bless and have a wonderful love filled day!
Friday, July 30, 2010 – 12:39 AM
Will Jarrard
Hey!

Camden has been amazing! It is nothing that we had expected, and I love it.
Today I went to The Neighborhood Community with Abigail, Caroline Herring, Cristina, Lindsay, Mr. Chrenshaw, and Mrs. Pedan. It is a place that has different service groups such as a Day-Care, Pre-K, Teen Program, and Soup Kitchen. Lindsay, Cristina, and I got to go to the Toddler group today, and it was great! When we walked in the room the kids had such huge smiles on their faces and were thrilled to see us, waving at us and all. The two adults in the room were just as excited to see us, welcoming us in thanking us for coming to spend time with the kids. It was great to know that they were happy we were there. We spent all morning with them then got ready to feed them lunch. While right once we got there lunches ready, we had a fire drill. We didn’t know if it was real or not, so we were all kind of worried. We scambled to get all of the kids outside, then found out it was thankfully just a drill. Once we got back to the room and got the kids settled in, the three of us were called into the kitchen to get ready to help with the soup kitchen. I was in charge of handing out tickets and keeping a tally of how many people came through the line. There were over 130 people coming in the line, some even kids. The workers there said that since it was the end of the month and most of the welfare money had run out it was really busy. Once we were finished there, we left to come back to the Romero Center. Then we went to tour Philly for a while, and had a REAL Philly Cheese Steak. After we ate, one of Faith’s old friends (who was homeless) from her mission year, Fred, took us on a tour of his sites of Philly, like where he used to sleep and his camps. It was unbelievable all the things we got to see. Then we went to a park where we handed out bags of goodies to a group of homeless people waiting in line at a soup stand type ordeal. The people were so great, and wonderful. All you had to do was just start talking to any of them, and they would open right up to you. It is truely God’s work at hand. It was a great day today! Well, hope all is well at home and I miss and love you Mom, Ben, and Joseph! And of course Dad!! Hope you had a great birthday Mom! Love all of you lots!!

Will Jarrard

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Opening Our Eyes

July 29th, 2010 | Author: sreeder

Youth share their perspectives on their eyes being opened:

Jessica Huffman:

Today was probably the most inspiring for me so far. Today I went to New Vision, it is kind of like a homeless shelter where homeless people can come during the day to get breakfast, get lunch, sleep, and just fellowship with other people among the community. I didn’t really know what to expect going in there because I have never really done anything like that before- but I had the best time I could ever ask for at any volunteer/mission facility. When I got there I met Kevin the boss pretty much of everything, he showed us around told us what we were going to be doing later on during the day. We got there early in the morning and the people had not had breakfast yet so at the moment we were just going around talking to people seeing how they were doing and how there day had been so far. This is the time when I met Edna, she is so sweet and from what I could see she has a great heart and an amazing personality. She was kind enough to give me a pair of her pants, I didn’t really know what to do when I got them whether I should except them or just say no thank you. Well I excepted them because I could tell she really sincerely wanted me to accept her gift. So Edna today meant a lot to me. Later on during the day past giving out breakfast me, Christina, Jacob, and Wesley hung out with Kenny the speaker from the night before. We all worked together and helped knock down a fence that needed it. As we were doing so I just learned even more how they have it so rough compared to our lifestyle we live at home. Kenny was telling us how he is always hungry and can never find a job just struggles with everything we take for granted at home. Just going there today and just listening to Kenny and Edna and so many more people talk just made me understand and realize how lucky I am at home to have such a wonderful life, family, home, and just everything. This trip has been such an eye opener for me and its only Wednesday, I can’t wait to see what else is in store for this week.

Callie Brown

It is such an eye-opener to get away from the chaos of our everyday life back home to come help in areas where we are most needed. Once you’re here, you realize that your own chaos really isn’t anything compared to the lives of others all around us. Gunshots, drugdealling, and abusive family members are not a part of my everyday life. The different mission choices we have been assigned to the past few days have really made me thankful for everything I have. I go to sleep on a full stomach, under a sturdy roof, surrounded by people that love me. God guides me through every moment and I have everything I’ll ever need. A homeless drop-in center, called “New Visions,” is a place where people living on the streets can come to shower, wash their clothes, and eat a hot meal twice a day. I had the opportunity to work at the center, having no idea what God had in store for me. I was able to help serve meals, transport donations, and talk with the homeless people of Camden. Many have been addicted to drugs at one point or another, and others just had a stroke of bad luck. A man named Glen was addicted to Heroin for three years before he was diagnosed with a serious case of depression. We talked for a couple of hours and discussed his whole lifestory…and the stories when he tried to end it. I had always pictured drug addicts as evil people. Glen wasn’t a bad person, he just made a wrong decision that turned his life around. I have always been afraid of the people i pass sleeping on the sidewalks in fayetteville, but they are all normal people just like us. They want something to call their own- whether its a key to a house or the leftover food others throw in the garbage cans. Ask the homeless citizens of Camden “How are you?,” and they will give you a one word answer. “BLESSED.” They are thankful to wake up alive every day. I will never feel the same about the things I own at home. I am truly blessed, and embarrassed to say that I take so much for granted. We have learned so much in just a few days. I can’t wait to see who else I can learn from the rest of the week. We came here planning to help others…but they have truly helped us.

Mary Stewart Bell

I wasn’t really looking forward to coming to Camden, and I was really nervous, but over the past 3 days I’ve come to realize that I was really meant to be here. I’ve already learned so much and it is obvious that the experiences are really changing hearts.
Yesterday I had the chance to walk around neighborhoods in Camden to pass out flyers for a program called Hope Works. I quickly realized that the streets were not as dangerous as I assumed, and everyone we came across was friendly and welcoming. It was a great time, and people were eager to hear about the program and how they could be helped. Walking around the city definitely let me realize how privileged and fortunate I am.
Today I had the chance to serve meals at a homeless shelter in Philadelphia. I went with Craig, Graham, Abigail, and Caroline, and we had a great time. Our experience wasn’t complete without aprons, gloves, and hairnets. The men were so friendly and greeted us with gratefulness. Many were very willing to talk with us. I was astonished by their positive attitudes, and it served as a great lesson.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the week, and seeing how God is going to work through us!

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Learning to Listen: A New Perspective

July 28th, 2010 | Author: sreeder

Three Different Youth share their perspectives of the day!

Annie Copenhaver

Hey guys!
I was so happy when Craig asked me to share a little bit on here about how the first night/day went. As one of our first activities, the staff introduced to us a “welfare experiment.” This included us all splitting into different “familes” of three or four, and we were given three dollars each person to use on each meal for our first day in Camden. Each family was also given a certain situation that we had to keep in mind while shopping for our meals. My family (Graham Bunn, Jessica Huffman, and myself) had high blood pressure. This activity definitely opened our eyes and showed us how truly blessed we are back home in Fayetteville.

Also, on Monday night, each of us signed up for a different work site that we would attend the next day. I chose a place called New Visions. This was a homeless shelter for people without a home, living in Camden that can come for food, clothes, showers, or just a place to come and hang out. My group had the privilege of serving breakfast and lunch to the people at New Visions. In between meals, we were also able to interact with them and just simply sit and listen to their stories. I felt so blessed to have had this oppurtunity and show God’s love to the people at New Visions. Thank you for your prayers!… keep them coming! I miss you Mom, Dad, Alexa, and Ally. Can’t wait to share my stories! Love you all!

Annie Copenhaver

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 – 10:05 PM

Christina Pittman

Today was full of many interesting moments. Some were happy while others were very sad. My work site for the day was Francis House. At this facility, people who suffer from HIV or AIDS can come and enjoy fellowship with others who are suffering from this disease as well. When we signed up for our work sites last night I knew that God was calling me to go to Francis House even though some of the other choices would have been much easier for me. Our job was to simply visit with the people who were there. I know that God wanted me to visit the people at Francis House because of the stereotype that I have always had of people who suffer from AIDS. The most influential part of the visit occurred when I visited with a man whose name I can’t remember. We talked for about an hour and we did not speak of his battle with AIDS at all. It was refreshing for me and I’m sure it was for him to have a normal conversation about both of our futures. I loved visiting Francis House because everyone was full of hope. This man talked of his plans for his future and the goals he had for himself. I was so inspired by the almost normal life that he and the others live. I will never look at those suffering from HIV the same ever again. Also, tonight helped me to overcome my stereotype of homeless people. A man named Kenny spoke to the group about his life as a homeless man and the way that we should treat people like him. His story brought me to tears. Because of the way I connected with him, I will be going to New Visions tomorrow which is the homeless center that Kenny visits often. Kenny’s friend, Barbie, and I will be sharing coffee while we chat at New Vision. I can’t wait!

Christina Pittman

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 – 10:21 PM

Alex Smingler

Our first day was awsome and eye opening. I worked at a place called hopeworks. This was a place where people from ages 18-25 could come and get help with literacy, computer skills and eventually even offer jobs. My group passed out flyers throught the city of Camden. This ended up being a great first day experience. I got to see alot of the city and really get a feel for it as well. My experiences were amazing and have already started to open my mind and to think beyond the surface level. It’s amazing that im here and I can’t wait to see what god has planned. This will be an amazing week.
Smingler

Tuesday, July 27, 2010 – 10:29 PM

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Arriving in Camden

July 27th, 2010 | Author: sreeder

Todays post was written by Kathryn Harnsberger:

As we arrived in Camden today, we had many thoughts and expectations. I loved looking at the people, buildings, and all of my surroundings. There was a lot of graffiti on the buildings, and Lindsay even made the comment that it was a very colorful place. We brought in our luggage at the Romero Center and started off with a word of prayer and scripture reading. There was a saying on the wall that really caught our attention. It read “You say you love the poor…Name them.” This week is about letting go of our expectations and letting God use us as He has planned. It is truly going to be an incredible week.

We ate a big dinner and enjoyed the company, but it didn’t take long for us to dive into our first activity. We discussed welfare and how it helps those in need. This activity was used to show us how many of the people live in Camden. We all were told to bring three dollars with us. After dinner they informed us that we would be using the money at the grocery store to buy food for our assigned families to eat on Tuesday. Our families included three or four people, and we all had a story. Certain groups didn’t have electricity, so they could only buy food that could be eaten without the use of a stove, microwave, refrigerator, etc. One group had a member with high cholesterol and another group had a member with diabetes. We had to buy our groceries accordingly. I was the grandmother of my group and Will and Callie were the teenagers who needed lots of nutrition. We had to combine our money, giving us $9 to buy all of our food for the next day. I didn’t think we would be able to buy enough food, but I was surprised by all the food we could get with the money. However, it was very difficult trying to buy the food to fit our needs within the budget. It seems like it would be a very stressful task for families to do each day. I know that I take grocery shopping for granted. I am always excited to go to Harris Teeter and pick up my dinner, but for many people, it is not an exciting thing to do.

This trip has already taught me so much, and I am so excited to see what God has planned for all of us this week.

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Youth Leave for Camden, NJ

July 26th, 2010 | Author: sreeder

During the week we hope to post some of our experiences on this site and share with you some of our stories about how we see God working through our team to share is love, joy, peace and hope to the people of Camden, NJ. May God do amazing and miraculous things that only he can do. May he show us what it means to be one with Christ and empowered by his Holy Spirit.

To God Be the Glory!!!

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