Cate's reflection

My experience in Wimauma, Florida would be described as eye opening. I discovered the bits and pieces of the rural life and how our produce section works. My experience definitely exceeded my expectations and I am just as excited for next year! Our first destination was in Savannah, Georgia. I really enjoyed the Sunday school class which we attended at First PC, Savannah. It was interesting to talk to the people who seemed to be very active in the church. I also found it neat that I spoke to one lady who was from Winchester, Virginia. We said our goodbyes and began our trip to Wimauma. The first day, I was nervous that I would not get to do much because I had not been here before and that I would be clueless. However, I did connect with some youth I had knew but not exactly known. I enjoyed bonding through cleaning out the closets and listening to music. One job that had spoke to me since it was brought up was drywall. I never had thought of myself as a mechanical person but I really got into it! Taking charge in the drywall setting surprised me of what I am capable of. After drilling, sanding, plastering, and etc. I feel like I can build a house! Before Sister Nancy came I was a little frustrated because I wanted to finish dry walling. Eventually, my feeling changed as she began to speak about how farmers are cut out of the minimum wage, what it like to grow up here, and how child labor is very much still alive. She reminded me that I'm very blessed and that I'm here to help. Her words continue to speak to me and tell me that it starts with us to make a difference. I wasn't happy to leave Beth-El. The thought of not knowing whether I would come back or not was sort of freaky. Although I did like Wimauma, I was very excited to go to Clearwater, Florida! My favorite thing about Clearwater was eating at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill. It was a nice way to conclude our time together as a mission team. In conclusion, my experience was eye opening because 1) I learned that I am awesome at drywall, 2) I learned about life as a farmworker, and 3) I realized that I truly do have it easy. My hopes for next year are to be a crazy active member in Philadelphia and that I will be more open to the group. My experience at Beth-El will forever be stuck in my corazón.