I've been having trouble accessing the internet. So, that's why I've posted my last three days worth of blogs all of a sudden. I think I've got a system going now because they just gave me a key to the office.
<3
Meredith
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Eye Opening
Monday, June 09, 2008
After my 8:30 a.m. staff meeting, Meri Whitaker, gave the mission work team that’s here for a week a tour around the Cookson Hills Center and Anna and I tagged along.
I heard some heart breaking stories:
A little girl came into Cookson Hills to get school supplies her parents couldn’t afford to buy her. The mother saw a bunch of canned food on one of the tables in the room and asked what they were for. As Meri explained that they were for families who couldn’t pay for food, the little girl broke out into tears and said she ate only salad dressing for dinner the night before.
Every year Cookson Hills sets up a store for parents to get Christmas presents that the United Methodist Women donate. Someone donated a statue of an angel one year and the Cookson staff joked around about how a child probably wouldn’t want that, but they laid it out nonetheless. Around that time, a home caught fire and the parents and two babies died in it; however, the two older children survived. The children were sent to stay with their grandmother, who was only bringing in $5000 a year. The Department of Human Services referred the grandmother to Cookson Hills so she could give her grandchildren Christmas presents. After she picked out her grandchildren presents, Meri said that she should take something for herself because it wasn’t fair for her not to have a gift. So, the grandmother took the statue of an angel—she said she was going to use it as a temporary headstone for her other two grandchildren because she couldn’t afford a real one.
While getting a tour around Cookson, I got to hear some of the staff’s stories. I met a recovering alcoholic who took his last sip April 3rd of last year. He’s going through drug court right now and has to serve 2 years at a non-profit organization. Because he didn’t have his license, he hitch-hiked 30-some miles to Cookson Hills every morning. I heard someone say today that Cookson Hills “employees the unemployable”.
As I have talked to a few recovering alcoholics, I’ve noticed that they can all tell me the date they took their last sip. A gentleman from the mission work team said he took his 17 years ago.
Speaking of the mission team—they are a singles group from Chapelwood UMC in Houston, Texas. Anna and I have had an awesome time with them. We went to the store with them and they bought so many things for the day care Anna is working with this summer. They even invited us to eat dinner with them and I had the best peach cobbler.
Because we stayed up late tonight and finished setting up the daycare area, some of the people from Chapelwood walked us back to the trailer Anna and I are staying in. On the way back, we saw the most beautiful sky. Stars that traveled on forever and a moon that shined so bright just filled the sky. It’s strange to think about how such a beautiful area can hurt so much.
Meredith
After my 8:30 a.m. staff meeting, Meri Whitaker, gave the mission work team that’s here for a week a tour around the Cookson Hills Center and Anna and I tagged along.
I heard some heart breaking stories:
A little girl came into Cookson Hills to get school supplies her parents couldn’t afford to buy her. The mother saw a bunch of canned food on one of the tables in the room and asked what they were for. As Meri explained that they were for families who couldn’t pay for food, the little girl broke out into tears and said she ate only salad dressing for dinner the night before.
Every year Cookson Hills sets up a store for parents to get Christmas presents that the United Methodist Women donate. Someone donated a statue of an angel one year and the Cookson staff joked around about how a child probably wouldn’t want that, but they laid it out nonetheless. Around that time, a home caught fire and the parents and two babies died in it; however, the two older children survived. The children were sent to stay with their grandmother, who was only bringing in $5000 a year. The Department of Human Services referred the grandmother to Cookson Hills so she could give her grandchildren Christmas presents. After she picked out her grandchildren presents, Meri said that she should take something for herself because it wasn’t fair for her not to have a gift. So, the grandmother took the statue of an angel—she said she was going to use it as a temporary headstone for her other two grandchildren because she couldn’t afford a real one.
While getting a tour around Cookson, I got to hear some of the staff’s stories. I met a recovering alcoholic who took his last sip April 3rd of last year. He’s going through drug court right now and has to serve 2 years at a non-profit organization. Because he didn’t have his license, he hitch-hiked 30-some miles to Cookson Hills every morning. I heard someone say today that Cookson Hills “employees the unemployable”.
As I have talked to a few recovering alcoholics, I’ve noticed that they can all tell me the date they took their last sip. A gentleman from the mission work team said he took his 17 years ago.
Speaking of the mission team—they are a singles group from Chapelwood UMC in Houston, Texas. Anna and I have had an awesome time with them. We went to the store with them and they bought so many things for the day care Anna is working with this summer. They even invited us to eat dinner with them and I had the best peach cobbler.
Because we stayed up late tonight and finished setting up the daycare area, some of the people from Chapelwood walked us back to the trailer Anna and I are staying in. On the way back, we saw the most beautiful sky. Stars that traveled on forever and a moon that shined so bright just filled the sky. It’s strange to think about how such a beautiful area can hurt so much.
Meredith
Trying to have Faith Like a Child
Sunday, June 08, 2008
I finally made it to the Cookson Hills Center. After months of wondering where I was going to be this summer and what is was going to be like—I am actually here!
Some facts I learned today:
American Indians are the second poorest people in the Western Hemisphere. Hatians are the first.
Oklahoma is one of the three poorest states in the US. Louisiana and Alabama are the other poorest.
The area I’m living in is the 7th highest methamphetamine producing place in the country.
Driving back from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual Conference was really interesting. I rode over Oklahoma’s largest lake, rode by Carrie Underwood’s hometown, Checotah, and saw many, many miles of open country.
I’m living in an older trailer at the Cookson Hills Center with Anna. After we settled in, I walked around the center a bit. It’s beautiful out here. However, I discovered that I shouldn’t walk around in flip flops outside after I stepped on a yellow jacket—very painful. I called Anna right after it happened and she helped me out.
Anna and I cooked Hamburger Helper for dinner. It actually turned out really well. We get 2 and a half TV stations and do not have wireless internet.
I feel like I’ve been so blind to the suffering that goes on in the world. Meri Whitaker, our supervisor, was telling us that there are people in this area who live on $2,000 a year. Can you believe that? She said 36% of the children that Cookson Hills serves go to bed hungry each night. There is a program here called Pack n’ Snack. Children get backpacks full of food like tuna and crackers, beef jerkey, etc. and take it home with them so they can have food to eat. Meri said that some of the children eat their food under their beds so their parents won’t take it.
There is a Cherokee children’s choir at Cookson and a local church invited the children to come sing during its service. After the children sang, the church offered to feed the children lunch and bought buckets of chicken for the children to eat. A woman from the church tried to get some of the kids to take off their coats, but they insisted they wanted to keep them on. The woman pointed out to Meri that one of the little girl’s was really hungry because she had gone back up quite a bit to get pieces of chicken. Meri told us that some of the children were sticking the chicken in their coats so they would have food to eat later.
Isn’t that disgusting? Not that the children were putting chicken in their coats, but that we can allow this to happen. I can’t fathom how much injustice is in this world.
Meredith
I finally made it to the Cookson Hills Center. After months of wondering where I was going to be this summer and what is was going to be like—I am actually here!
Some facts I learned today:
American Indians are the second poorest people in the Western Hemisphere. Hatians are the first.
Oklahoma is one of the three poorest states in the US. Louisiana and Alabama are the other poorest.
The area I’m living in is the 7th highest methamphetamine producing place in the country.
Driving back from the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual Conference was really interesting. I rode over Oklahoma’s largest lake, rode by Carrie Underwood’s hometown, Checotah, and saw many, many miles of open country.
I’m living in an older trailer at the Cookson Hills Center with Anna. After we settled in, I walked around the center a bit. It’s beautiful out here. However, I discovered that I shouldn’t walk around in flip flops outside after I stepped on a yellow jacket—very painful. I called Anna right after it happened and she helped me out.
Anna and I cooked Hamburger Helper for dinner. It actually turned out really well. We get 2 and a half TV stations and do not have wireless internet.
I feel like I’ve been so blind to the suffering that goes on in the world. Meri Whitaker, our supervisor, was telling us that there are people in this area who live on $2,000 a year. Can you believe that? She said 36% of the children that Cookson Hills serves go to bed hungry each night. There is a program here called Pack n’ Snack. Children get backpacks full of food like tuna and crackers, beef jerkey, etc. and take it home with them so they can have food to eat. Meri said that some of the children eat their food under their beds so their parents won’t take it.
There is a Cherokee children’s choir at Cookson and a local church invited the children to come sing during its service. After the children sang, the church offered to feed the children lunch and bought buckets of chicken for the children to eat. A woman from the church tried to get some of the kids to take off their coats, but they insisted they wanted to keep them on. The woman pointed out to Meri that one of the little girl’s was really hungry because she had gone back up quite a bit to get pieces of chicken. Meri told us that some of the children were sticking the chicken in their coats so they would have food to eat later.
Isn’t that disgusting? Not that the children were putting chicken in their coats, but that we can allow this to happen. I can’t fathom how much injustice is in this world.
Meredith
Culture Shock
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Waking up this morning at 2:30 a.m. definitely took a toll on me. I slept on the plane some, but I still haven’t fully recovered.
Well, I am officially in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Indian Missions Annual Conference is taking place right now. Someone picked us up from the airport and took us straight to their Annual Conference in Antlers, Oklahoma. I will finally be journeying to Cookson tomorrow afternoon. I definitely had a serious freak out and a bit of a culture shock today. I was second guessing my decision of being a summer intern and really doubting that I could do this. I think part of it was that I was really tired after getting 2ish hours of sleep, but I called my parents and they helped me get through my troubles.
The Oklahoma Indian Missions Annual Conference is not like the North Carolina Annual Conference or any other conference for that matter. This conference takes place at a local campground and the meetings are all held outside in an open shelter. It’s very informal—shorts and t-shirt.
During dinner, I met a former summer intern and US-2 who is now a pastor in Oklahoma. It was really awesome getting some advice from her and hearing some of her stories. Afterwards, everyone came together for a time of fellowship and fun. I got the opportunity to hear stories from an amazing story teller, Dayton Edmonds. Also, an elder from each tribe led a tribal hymn in his native language. I sang “Amazing Grace” in English, Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Kiowa.
While at this Annual Conference, I have definitely felt like a minority--which is awesome because it’s very humbling and I get the chance to take off my “invisible backpack”. I found out today that a lot of the staff at Cookson Hills Center are recovering drug/alcohol addicts or have been incarcerated. This summer will definitely be a learning experience for me. I am up for the challenges it’s going to bring me and I am willing to listen, serve, and minister to the people of the Cookson Hills Center.
Meredith
Waking up this morning at 2:30 a.m. definitely took a toll on me. I slept on the plane some, but I still haven’t fully recovered.
Well, I am officially in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Indian Missions Annual Conference is taking place right now. Someone picked us up from the airport and took us straight to their Annual Conference in Antlers, Oklahoma. I will finally be journeying to Cookson tomorrow afternoon. I definitely had a serious freak out and a bit of a culture shock today. I was second guessing my decision of being a summer intern and really doubting that I could do this. I think part of it was that I was really tired after getting 2ish hours of sleep, but I called my parents and they helped me get through my troubles.
The Oklahoma Indian Missions Annual Conference is not like the North Carolina Annual Conference or any other conference for that matter. This conference takes place at a local campground and the meetings are all held outside in an open shelter. It’s very informal—shorts and t-shirt.
During dinner, I met a former summer intern and US-2 who is now a pastor in Oklahoma. It was really awesome getting some advice from her and hearing some of her stories. Afterwards, everyone came together for a time of fellowship and fun. I got the opportunity to hear stories from an amazing story teller, Dayton Edmonds. Also, an elder from each tribe led a tribal hymn in his native language. I sang “Amazing Grace” in English, Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, and Kiowa.
While at this Annual Conference, I have definitely felt like a minority--which is awesome because it’s very humbling and I get the chance to take off my “invisible backpack”. I found out today that a lot of the staff at Cookson Hills Center are recovering drug/alcohol addicts or have been incarcerated. This summer will definitely be a learning experience for me. I am up for the challenges it’s going to bring me and I am willing to listen, serve, and minister to the people of the Cookson Hills Center.
Meredith
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