Understanding the Spectrum

So we have made it through our second day and were able to do a pretty great amount of activities: going to mass in the morning, learning how to take measurements for wheelchairs for the kids, visiting the children at Matthew 25:40 (for a few minutes), ice cream and more playing with kids from Sophie's Place.

Towards the end of the day, as we were playing at Sophie's Place, a beautiful rainbow broke out across the sky. As Smidgen said, "It was the full ROY G BIV". And it brought to light a great number of the spectrums we have already experienced from this trip. From seeing a kid go from running back and forth and fighting to giving affection to one of the other residents in a calm gentle manner, you can see the the daily spectrum of emotions the caretakers go through every day.

As we process our emotions on this trip we also see the beginning of a spectrum begin to appear in us with our experience, from the feeling of frustration when you don't know how to help, to being overtaken with joy as you watch two residents hold hands during mass.

And as some of us return for our third, fourth or seventh time, we also address the spectrum we have experienced year to year, seeing kids grow, faces change, and how we changed through each experience.

The trip gives you the ability to see so many spectrums. And those spectrums create such a significant experience for everyone. This trip truly has such an affect, from the people we meet, the children we work with, and clearly within each one of us.

~ Cecelia (1st year)