First of all, during the past year and a half-ish, I've been spending a lot of my down time at Sozo, a little coffee shop in downtown Morgantown that sometimes features live bands, has open mic night every Friday from 9-12, art stuff on Thursday nights, and invites non-profits from all over to share their cause with anyone who is interested in changing lives. They have yummy lattes, a wall full of cereal, cool artwork posted all over, and comfy places to sit and study, talk, or just enjoy an eclectic day in the life. Plus, it has a way of attracting cool people to meet and chat with! Woo!
Ahhhh so here we are in Sozo! Awesomest of all coffee shops!! Also, if you are looking to do some volunteer work, this is the place to go. :) Would it not be super fun to learn how to make cool smoothies, hang out with a variety of chillin' townies, and to be introduced to some awesome causes that YOU can contribute to? I think so.
Also, there is a sweet campus ministry called 17three, run by Chestnut Ridge Church--there is a weekly 17three experience at the Met Theater on High Street, the next one being TOMORROW at 8! With this ministry, some canvas groups have been formed...by "canvas group" I mean a group of people from all walks of life that come together once most weeks to talk about life, study the bible, do fun community service activities together, and to grow together. :) It has been a really cool experience for everyone involved--and that's one of the coolest parts! Everyone can be involved, because there are groups on all different nights of the week, at different times in the evening--so you should definitely check it out if you're interested in connecting with some passionate, people-loving people.
Last night, I attended my first official practice for the swim club here at WVU, thanks to my awesome friend Casey! It's on Mondays and Fridays from 7-8 at the rec center, and Wednesdays from 8-9. The practices have been challenging, but not enough to make you feel like you have to puke on everyone around you, and you are allowed to do as much or as little of the work-out as you'd like. It's not like high school, where the coaches take joy in forcing you back into the freezing water to swim until your legs cramp up. :) The people in the group are really friendly, and there is always the hot tub for afterward. If you love swimming, think about it!
The Passion Play is coming up at Chestnut Ridge in April--so, a few months away--but as far as I know, the church is always in need of people who can sew, who can work lights and equipment backstage, and who can do make-up! I saw the production last year, and it was heart-wrenchingly awesome. This year, I have the privilege of being involved, myself, and I am super pumped. :)
APO is the community service fraternity (co-ed!) here on campus, and I think the largest as well!! There are constantly kids in need of tutors, families in need of housing, the homeless in need of a warm meal, blood-drives to run, walls to paint, and people to love. APO gives the opportunity for all of these things and more. It's really a melting pot of college students from all kinds of different backgrounds and goals, who share the common love of helping a friend in need. Dues are only $40 a semester at the moment, and it is a really fun time! Even if you are knee deep in homework, the requirement for service is only 16 hours a semester--and it's well worth the fun and the chance to make friends!
STE and Kappa Phi are the Christian service fraternity and sorority at WVU, and they both have a great group of kids to get connected with. Along with worship, we do a lot of fun activities like camping, service weekends, and even self-defense lessons...pretty sweet, right?? Haha. Well, there is also a bible study every Thursday night at the Campus Ministry Center right around the corner from the downtown BB&T.
Here is STE (plus Chelsea!) at Seneca Rocks after a weekend of skiing, playing games, sharing meals, playing hide-and-go-seek in the woods (SCAAAARRYYYY!!) and jumping in the freezing river. :) Last but definitely not least, there are a few organizations that I hope to become more involved in that have really captured my heart. The first one is Dry Tears. It was started a few years ago by a couple of high school kids in Georgia, who took action when they heard about the lack of clean drinking water in Africa(and so many other places). Over 1.1 billion people in our world don't have access to clean drinking water, so these guys have been raising money to put in wells, and have put in several already. There is a facebook cause if you are interested in donating, and there are other ways to help--simply tell someone about it, buy a few t-shirts from them (100% will go to the cause), or let them know that you'd like to sell some bracelets (like the LiveStrong ones) for $2 a piece. My friend Addison is doing this right now, and a ton of people have been interested in buying them! Try to imagine your life without clean drinking water...I think it's nearly impossible for us, because we're so blessed...we turn a knob, and out it comes. But in other countries, it's just not so. What would the world look like if we let God strengthen our hearts to take on some of the burdens of the poorest of poor? Even as college students living on Mac and Cheese, we can make a difference.
The second cause that has made such a HUGE impact already in such a short period of time is Nuru International. Who are they? Well, the website can explain it better than I can, but they are basically "a grassroots movement of thousands who have grown tired of waiting for someone else to end extreme poverty in Africa." A few months ago, my friend Billy spoke about the American perspective on extreme poverty. He said something that really hit home for a lot of us: Just as we look at the Americans of the 1800s who looked upon slavery as though nothing was wrong, so will future generations look at us, because of the way so many of us choose to do nothing in the face of extreme poverty. Harsh, huh? But sooo true. There are chapters of this organization being started nation wide...and fortunately, there is already one that has got it goin' on at WVU. There is also a facebook cause for Nuru--check it! My friend Billy is a great contact as well!
I think that the greatest aspect of life is the relationship. To be in a relationship with an awesome God and his people is the best thing any of us can have...and to be able to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in the lives of others, whether it be by smiling in passing, or by going on mission to a third world country, is an amazing blessing to both the beloved and the lover.
I love this story from Mother Teresa, which I think captures the spirit of giving, and shows how much we can all make a difference:
"Some time ago I made a trip to Ethiopia. Our sisters were working there during that terrible drought. Just as I was about to leave for Ethiopia, I found myself surrounded by many children. Each one of them gave something. 'Take this to the children! Take this to the children!' they would say. They had many gifts that they wanted to give to our poor. Then a small child, who for the first time had a piece of chocolate, came up to me and said, 'I do not want to eat it. You take it and give it to the children.' This little one gave a great deal, because he gave it all, and he gave something that was very precious to him."
We are only on this earth a short time, but we're given so many opportunities to love!
P.S. Happy birthday to Alecia!
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