Viva la Vida

Lately, I have really wanted to improve my Spanish skills. So, I've been going through my Spanish textbook, I've changed my cell phone to Spanish, and I even checked out at Wal-Mart in Spanish.

Well, on Thursday I had the pleasure of meeting two crafters. One gentleman makes wooden flutes and he played it for me--amazing! While I’m not sure why we started talking about this, he said that he believes a picture steals part of your soul. Isn’t that a really cool thought?

These are some of the most beautiful crosses I've ever seen. They are expensive ($70.50) since they are made out of a different type of bead.



For a more reasonable price ($3.50) we sell United Methodist pins:


Meri, my supervisor, has a ton of cats at her house.

Looking up from under a chair:

While I've been in Oklahoma, I've grown accustomed to seeing casinos. The United Methodist Social Principles describes gambling as "a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic, and spiritual life, and destructive of good government." As I was talking to my Dad about this today, he mentioned Gandhi's Seven Sins:

wealth without work,
pleasure without conscience,
knowledge without character,
commerce without morality,
science without humanity,
worship without sacrifice,
and politics without principle.

However, it is a Catch-22. While people are gambling away their paycheck, casinos are providing jobs that people would not otherwise have.

The more time I'm here at Cookson, the more I've been thinking about what God is calling me to do. When I went to Chrysalis a couple years ago, I received this in a letter from my Dad. It's now one of my favorite prayers and it's by Thomas Merton:

MY LORD GOD, I have no idea where I am going. I do not see the road ahead of me. I cannot know for certain where it will end. Nor do I really know myself, and the fact that I think I am following your will does not mean that I am actually doing so. But I believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And I hope I have that desire in all that I am doing. I hope that I will never do anything apart from that desire. And I know that if I do this you will lead me by the right road, though I may know nothing about it. Therefore I will trust you always though I may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. I will not fear, for you are ever with me, and you will never leave me to face my perils alone.

While at times I do not know where we I am headed in life, I find this prayer helpful and comforting.

<3

Meredith

Listening to Life

Tuesday, June 24, 2008 and Wednesday, June 25, 2008

I have been busy, busy, busy these past few days.

On Tuesday I worked basically all day in the Senior Center. Cookson hosted a volunteer lunch for all the people who have helped Cookson. So, I decorated the room where the volunteers had lunch:

Here is one of the goodie-bags I put together:


For the past few Fridays I have had the opportunity to go out into the community and work with the mission teams on houses. Colleen is the head of all the mission teams and I’ve gotten to know her quite well these past couple of weeks. She is a woman of many talents:

Carrying Many Plates:

Balancing:

Cooking:

Taking Important Phone Calls:

…

Haha. She is awesome to say the least and she, like the rest of the staff, has an amazing story! I can’t wait to get to know her more these next couple of weeks.

After lunch I helped clean up the dining area, clean the kitchen, and wash the dishes. Honestly, I didn’t realize how large of a production it is to put on just lunch! The staff that works in the senior center does this Monday through Thursday every week.

There was a Board meeting today at Cookson. I would compare it to a Charge Conference kind of meeting that we have a Bethany UMC. Although I didn’t stay the whole time, this meeting was like every other meeting in the world ---somewhat boring, somewhat interesting.

I was asked to transfer a list of 1,952 addresses from one program to another. I freaked when they said I was going to have to re-type all of them. However, I solved the problem. Two words: Copy. Paste. It took me all of 10 seconds to transfer everything.

While the office staff was in the meeting, I was answering phones, working on their newsletter, and updating the Cookson Hills Center Website. While I’ve never edited websites before, I’m pretty pleased with what I’ve done so far. I still have a really long way to go though since all I’ve changed is the template. It will be a work in progress this entire summer.

I’m hoping to work with one of the Board members about getting new computers for the Cookson computer lab, which is used by local youth and is also used by the community members so they can do taxes on Turbo Tax. The computer lab is in need of new and up-to-date computers. Cookson is in DESPERATE need of children’s educational software. Most of the software was written for Windows 95 and it so outdated that it won’t even load on the computer! I know I’m only going to be able to do so much while I’m here, but I’m hoping to get something going with that.

I just finished reading a wonderful book my Dad gave me to read this summer: Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer. While I’ve been struggling with my “call” in life, reading this book has helped me figure out some stuff.

Well, I have seen a snake. Although I’ve seen two smaller snakes around Cookson before, this one was a lot bigger. I was walking over a cattle guard and there it was. I am 100% sure I have a serious phobia of snakes. I know that God does not make crap and that he loves snakes, but snakes are just not cool in my eyes. On the bright side, most of the staff here does not like them either. So, our secretary’s husband came out a few times with his gun, but he didn’t find any. They are going to put some random/deadly things under the cattle guard to get rid of the creatures that stay under it. After I described the snake to Meri, she decided it was a cotton mouth (POISONOUS!!) and that there were probably more around. She also told me if I got bit, then I would need to drive immediately to the hospital. So, in the mean time, I am driving and will be driving the van back and forth from my trailer to the office. Intense stuff!!!

Anna and I went to the lake today. It has rained so much that the water level at the lake is extremely high!!

This is the same guard rail I took a picture of previously…a bird was perched on in it in the other picture:

The water is flowing out of the lake, onto the road, and into the grass on the other side.

Fun Fact: Cookson, Oklahoma his home to Pretty Boy Floyd, an American outlaw/gangster.

Meredith

Let Go and Let God

Saturday, June 21, 2008 through Monday, June 23, 2008:

Saturday afternoon Anna and I went into Tahlequah. We had lunch at Sonic and then watched the movie Get Smart. Just to let the world know: Steve Carell is hilarious.

Sunday morning Anna and I went back to Canterbury Chapel to worship. I really enjoyed it this time and I can’t wait to go back next Sunday. While it’s still a different style of worshiping, Canterbury is so full of love. During the children’s time I counted 24 kids! Isn’t that wonderful?!

The prayer time of rejoices/concerns was awesome. We prayed for a father/husband who is in Afghanistan, for a child’s parents who are in prison, for a foal that was just born, for a friend with pneumonia, etc. Honestly, it was a blessing getting to hear the things that weighed on people’s hearts. While there are prayer requests that I’m used to hearing, there are a good handful of prayers that I’m not accustomed to.

After church Anna and I were invited over to Meri’s house for an afternoon of food and swimming. Meri lives in a cozy log cabin that she and her father built. Although her parents divorced a long time ago, her father now lives next door to her left and her mother lives next door to her right.

Anna enjoying the sun from the sky lights:

Chloe:

I think Meri gardens with steroids. Her zucchini was huge:

She has a REAL donkey!!

Eeyore:

His nose gets very large when he makes that donkey sound:

Her horses and donkey like to hang out by the pool:

Horse:

This is Elsie with Eeyore:

Elsie is so cool. This is her coin from AA for her 22^nd year of sobriety:

She will be celebrating her 23^rd year on October 15! Elsie is now a licensed counselor. I think she counsels recovering addicts or mentally ill persons. She has opened my eyes to so many things.

Meri Whitaker is an amazing woman also. Hearing about her past and the crazy things she’s done has been really interesting to listen to.

Well, today has been wonderful as well. I drove a 15 passenger van for the first time in my life. I didn’t just drive on an average, paved road. I drove on mountainous, dirt roads. It was intense and I will admit that I had my doubts. Everyone got where they needed to go safely though. The driver who picks up the seniors for lunch Mondays and Wednesday fractured his hip. So, while he is recovering, I will be driving the seniors back and forth. It’s amazing to think about how these people survive living here. Marble City seems almost like a ghost town when I drive through it and there aren’t any local businesses for people to work in except the post office. Can you imagine what happens during an ice storm? The nearest store for some is at least 20 miles away.

I went to my first Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) meeting tonight. While I’m not an addict, I had an amazing time there. I was able to go because this particular meeting is an “open” meeting. The one at Bethany UMC is a “closed” meeting; therefore, I’m not allowed to go since I’m not an addict. Anyway, AA is awesome to say the least. We celebrated this woman’s 22^nd “birthday”. It was really her 22^nd year of being a part of AA, but we had cake and ice-cream nonetheless. Our theme, I guess you could call it, was “Let Go and Let God”. It’s one of those cheesy sayings you’ve seen on church signs, but it was an awesome maxim to discuss. One person mentioned how it’s such a simple thought, yet it’s so hard to actually do—I can totally relate. While I’d love to write more about the meeting, I took an oath and said a “here, here” not to discuss what people said. So, I want to respect that. If you ever get the chance to attend an open meeting or Al-Non, I’d definitely recommend it. It’s very moving.

<3

Meredith

P.S. We officially have a cook! He starts Wednesday : )

I Dare You To Move

It is official. I have a Chaco’s tan line on my feet. While I’ve been using my Chacos as my water shoes, Anna has been going without shoes. However, we journeyed to Wal-Mart and found some little girls shoes that she can now use as her water shoes for the lake. She got the purple ones:

Well, Anna and I went with the group from Travis Park UMC in San Antonio, Texas to work on a family’s house. I will let the pictures tell most of the story, but I will give you a brief overview of what we did. Well, earlier in the week the group tore down siding. So, on Friday, they put up fresh siding.







Their fearless leader:


There were a ton of wasps. So, he had to kill the nests:


Victory!


There was a lot of trash around the house:


Kitten


The group made Colleen, the person in charge of all the mission teams, a cross out of wood:


Miss Anna:


The beautiful family who let us work on their house:


Anna and I went to a rodeo. That’s right. A RODEO. It was in Vian, Oklahoma:

I’m not really into roping cattle, watching people ride bulls, etc. So, I walked around outside while that happened. I thought the barrel racing was really cool:

I wasn't really into the rodeo clown:

However, I saw someone ride a real ostrich!

Just to let you know: Belton Joyner informed me that "General agencies of the United Methodist Church have a policy not to meet in cities with Native American mascots." It's definitely awesome that the United Methodist Church has taken a stand like this.

Meredith

Change

So much good has happened over the past few days! It is awesome.

I've found us a cook! The cook here quit a few weeks ago and Cookson has been in need of someone. I went to post a "Job Opening" paper at the little store across the street and the gentleman who was checking out at the register asked about it! He came in a couple minutes and filled out an application; however he has an interview Monday, but hopefully that will go well!

The mission group that has been here this week sang out the senior center yesterday:


Yesterday I helped put together the Pack n' Snack Bags for the Children's Program. It was saw awesome seeing their faces today as I gave them their bags of goodies.

There are so many beautiful birds here in Cookson. It's hard to get close enough to take a picture though:


Anna and I LOVE the lake:


Well, I worked with little people aka children grades 1-10 today. I mostly worked with elementary school kids though. I woke up early this morning so I could ride with Debbie, a wonderful woman who works at the Cookson Hills Center, as she picked up the kids. We drove to Marble City, Oklahoma:


We saw a factory that mines for lime. These are the mountains that remain from it, as well as all the dust:


The children Cookson Hills serves are amazing. Most of them have nothing, yet they want to give everything they have to help others. Being able to see where these children live is so eye opening. The living conditions for some of them seem awful, but that is their home.

Debbie is awesome. She gave up a good salary and comfortable life to serve at Cookson Hills. She is now a deaconess through the GBGM and she said today that she has never been happier.

On our way back from dropping off the kids, Debbie and I had a wonderful conversation. Don't get me wrong, I love America's past time, baseball. Debbie brought up a wonderful point today about how the Atlanta "Braves" is a very disrespectful to the Native American community. Also, the Washington Redskins, etc. In the Native American community, a person will go through a ceremony to become a chief and then receive a feather headdress. However, when we make this a mascot for the Redskins, this becomes degrading, not honoring.

The Social Principles of the United Methodist Church states:

"We commend and encourage the self-awareness of all racial and ethnic groups and oppressed people that leads them to demand their just and equal rights as members of society. We assert the obligation of society and groups within the society to implement compensatory programs that redress long-standing, systemic social deprivation of racial and ethnic people."

Furthermore, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, part of the Preamble states:

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world..."

Essentially, it is not okay for us to condone the use of "Braves" and "Redskins" because we are ultimately suppressing the Native American people. While some may feel that they honor the Native Americans through the names, we are not. We are demeaning their status and culture.


Meredith

Lesser Things

For the past couple of days I’ve been working in the office at Cookson Hills Center. When persons come to Cookson to receive help of any kind, they have to fill out a basic information form. I’ve been entering some recent information from the forms into a database that dates back a couple years. There are over 850 individuals in that database! As I was working on it, I noticed that there were people whose annual income was $2000 or less. It’s so hard to believe that people live on that amount of money.

Well, I decided not to tell people that Monday was my birthday since I was just going to celebrate it when I got back home. I didn’t even tell Anna! When I talked to my mom though, she suggested that I tell Anna and that we treat ourselves to a nice meal. So, we went to town and ate a wonderful dinner and the waiter made a sundae for us:

Although it was somewhat stormy on our way to Tahlequah, the sky was beautiful on the way back:

Anna and I have become really good friends with the Polar Bear Dog:

The new mission team that’s here is a youth group from San Antonio, Texas. It’s definitely a different dynamic than the group from last week, but I’m hoping to get to know this group just as well.

Hasta luego,

Meredith