XOXO Detroit

March 3^rd, 2017

                Today is our last full day in Detroit and the best way to describe it is bittersweet.  Our work included finishing bee boxes, sifting compost, and carrying soil bags.  In the afternoon, we attended the fantastic Detroit Art Institute and got lost for a few hours amidst the beautiful halls.

                However, for this post, I don’t want to focus on the day, but rather the wonderful week.

                So here’s to you Detroit.  Here’s a thank you letter for all that you have done for us.

                Thank you for inviting us into your community.  From the minute that we arrived in the Eastern Market that first day, we all knew that the stereotypes we expected would be torn apart.  You smiled at us on the streets and greeted us every morning while working at Earthworks.  You provided us with wonderful baked goods and inspirational messages to keep our energies up.  On our final night of reflection, we talked about how one word is “homey,” because that’s what Detroit has been for us for the week.

                Thank you for inspiring us to find beauty in hidden places.  From murals on brick walls to junk piled together on the side of the street.  We saw the wonder in growing plants from little seedlings to a magnificent crop.

                Thank you for providing us with energy at our lowest points.  The lively choir at Sacred Heart rejuvenated our souls.  Fun lunches with the characters at Capuchin Soup Kitchen made us connect closely to the community there (and provided us with lots of funny stories).

                Thank you for making us truly aware of all that we are fortunate enough to have.  In the middle of our trip, a water crisis caused us to see how much we need these vital items, such as food, water, and shelter.  Everyone deserves these things.  We cannot divide ourselves into classes as it was seen at the 8 Mile wall.  We must break down those walls and realize the true value in each human being.

                Thank you for educating us about so so so much.  From queen bees to the history of Detroit to Motown, I felt that we learned more than we honestly thought possible.  Maybe the reason we were so tired each night is due to the fact that our minds were full of information.

                Thank you for letting us connect with our roots.  On the first day at Earthworks, Shane mentioned how our ancestors connected with the earth by planting what we needed.  This week we experienced that.  Many of us are inspired to continue farming in the future.

                Thank you for providing us with a sense of peace.  Sitting on the beach at Belle Isle was an intimate moment as we saw the juxtaposition of a deindustrialized city on one side of the water and a place of nature on the other.  This moment provided an unspoken bond between all of us that can’t be broken.

                Thank you for late night talks in our bunk beds that felt like summer camp.

                Thank you for early mornings in a busy kitchen as we bumped elbows singing and dancing to music.

                Thank you for the chance to sing “My Girl” in Studio A at Motown Museum.

                Thank you for the hugs and blessings provided at Sacred Heart Church.

                Thank you for connections and stories from individuals who joined us at lunch every day.

                Thank you for cramped van rides with off key singing in the backseat.

                Thank you for exploring new faiths as we went to a mosque and a chapel.

                Words can’t really explain how we feel about this community now.  However, if there is one thing I have learned from mission trips, it’s that sometimes the service performed impacts the individuals doing it more than those helped.  So, here we are saying thanks to you.

                We now represent the love of Detroit in other areas of the United States.  As we saw posted around the city, “Believe there is good in Detroit.”  And oh my goodness, is there greatness here.

XOXO,

Detroit 2K17

"When it's cold outside, I've got the month of May."

March 2^nd, 2017

                Well, it’s officially past the halfway point of the trip and we are definitely in the swing of things here in Detroit.  Today was bitterly cold compared to the last couple of days and we were rather ill prepared.  We often had to take breaks to walk around in the greenhouse in an attempt to feel our fingers and toes again.that

                Halfway through our morning of work, Patrick came out and told us to take a break inside (evidently we were acting as frozen as we felt).  Inside, a group of us got to work on building bee boxes.  Another group headed outside to clean out old bee boxes, taking them into the greenhouse for more work.

                We were served another lovely lunch and that afternoon, we sat down with Shane to have a conversation on food justice.  For two hours, we dove into the depths of food security, food justice, and food sovereignty.  It was eye-opening to discuss all that we deal with in our capitalist society that further pushes these divisions.

                Today was Shane’s last day with us as he will be heading to Chicago for business.  It was wonderful to meet such an inspirational character.  He taught us so much about the work they do at Earthworks and how we can take back lessons we have learned to Erie with us.

                After leaving, we headed over to the Motown Museum on Grand Boulevard.  Here, we were given a tour of where it all began for music legends like Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and the Temptations (along with many, many others).  Even though we weren’t able to take pictures within the museum, it was so amazing to stand in the downstairs studio where they once stand and sing the lyrics to “My Girl.”  Our singing might not have been on point, but the experience definitely was.

                Tonight we will be meeting with the head of the Detroit Urban Retreat Center to discuss the water crisis that areas in Michigan have been facing.  We can’t wait to see what tomorrow holds (hopefully with some warmer weather included).

(Julianna, Annmarie, Rachel, Jess, and Chris building bee boxes)

(Julianna and Annmarie presenting Shane with his gift)

(Annmarie hard at work)

(Crista, Jillian, Jess, Julianna, and Rachel fixing grape vines)

XOXO,

Detroit 2K17

"Romaine" Calm

March 1^st

                Happy March y’all!

                Not nearly as much to report on today as we had a pretty relaxed day.  At Earthworks, we found that the soil was too wet to work with.  If we walked on the wet soil, it could compact it too much and prevent plant growth (fun fact).

                Our mission for the day involved lots and lots of writing.  Using popsicle sticks, we created little signs for all types of seedlings that they would be giving away, including dino kale, batavia, and bell peppers.  Even though this was not the intense work that we had been doing for the past days, it was nice to sit down as a whole group and work together.  The songs we sang and the conversations we had were truly unique.

                Part of the group took an early break to grab lunch.  We talked to some very interesting gentlemen at the soup kitchen today who discussed many, many different topics with us. 

                At noon, we went to a local church for an Ash Wednesday service.  This was a very wonderful experience as another church community invited us into their home.  After the service concluded, one of the ushers even came up to us and began asking where we were from (we’re beginning to think that it's extremely obvious that we aren’t Detroiters).  She was so incredibly friendly and invested in hearing about our service work at Earthworks.  It was just another encounter to show the love that this city has.

                Upon returning to the greenhouse, we continued writing and writing, eventually getting to a couple thousand signs for little plants.  This lasted until 3 PM, when we loaded things up and headed out.

                Our first stop after work was at the Hiedelberg Project, an artsy project a few blocks down from Earthworks.  Tyree Guyton, a man who grew up in Detroit became an artist and used a two and a half block radius to exhibit his ideas.  Words cannot do this justice, so I will provide pictures below, but just know that it was incredibly intriguing to look at.  Abandoned houses were adorned with spray paint, chipped mirrors, and old stuffed animals.  Things that would appear to be junk were placed side by side in strange fashions to show Guyton’s thoughts.

                After we were done walking, Chris actually came upon Tyree himself in one of the lawns.  He invited us into his house and talked to us about his work.  Burton is very philosophical and has a specific viewpoint on time.  He feels that all we have is the now and that we must grab ahold of it and understand that everything happens for a reason.  He chased after his dream to be an artist despite what everyone said, and now the exhibit is nationally recognized.

                The next stop we hit was driving down 8 mile, a road made infamous by the film 8 Mile  about Eminem’s rise to fame.  This street is actually a racial divide between the wealthy and the more impoverished areas of Detroit.  Within some houses, you can still see an old concrete wall that stands about waist high and is a physical reminder of the divide between the two areas.

                Upon arrival back to our retreat center, we had a relaxing night of Little Ceasars and some coloring during reflection.  Our group has grown into a little family and it feels that we are started to feel more at home here in Detroit.  I am excited to see our relationship with the community grow even more.

(Rachel, Annmarie, Jess, Deen, and Crista hard at work)

(Exhibit at Heidelberg Project)

(Exhibit at Heidelberg Project)

(Remnant of Concrete Wall at 8 Mile)

XOXO,

Detroit 2K17

Teamwork Makes the Dream Work

February 28, 2017

                Here we are at day two.  If you’ve been following our journey, you know that we have started our work at Earthworks and have met the wonderful people involved there.  So, here comes our next fun-filled chapter.

                Set the scene at 8 AM this morning as we sat around sipping coffee with the sound of raindrops outside the windows.  Our stomachs were ready for the delicious treats that awaited us at On the Rise Bakery, an affiliate of Capuchin Soup Kitchen and Earthworks.  The bakery specializes in employing ex-convicts who are trying to get back on their feet.  It is an empowering business that spreads a message of hope and love.

                Stepping into the bakery that morning, we were in awe (as in mouths gaping in awe).  Before us stood rows of glazed donuts, homemade muffins, and cinnamon rolls bigger than our hands.  We all ordered our treats with some coffee and sat down to eat our way to a sugar high.  Trust us, we wouldn’t have wanted to start our days any other way.

                When we arrived at the worksite, we met with Roxanne, the assistant head farmer.  She put us to work immediately, despite the slight drizzle falling.  Splitting off into groups, we worked on putting up chicken wire around the greenhouse to prevent cats from getting in, along with digging up old bushes that were no longer producing fruit.  The best experience of that whole time was our great teamwork.  It sounds cliché, but teamwork truly does make the dream work.  This was evident enough if you saw all that we accomplished within the span of a few hours.  The bushes were gone, vegetables picked, and chicken wire put up along one whole side.  The feeling of accomplishment was felt by all.

                Lunch brought back some old friends to us as we sat down to our home-cooked meal.  Some individuals recognized us and motioned for us to come over or asked how Belle Isle was.  It just goes to show how tight the family is at Capuchin Soup Kitchen.

                After lunch, we headed back to the Hoop House to continue on with all of our hard work.  This time, we met with a worker named Eric, who taught a group of us how to prep the beds.  The amount of work that we went through was super intense.  My arms were definitely feeling it after we were done pushing wheelbarrows full of compost across the length of the greenhouse.

                Shortly after leaving Earthworks, we quickly changed to head to Dearborn, picking up Shane and driving to a mosque.  The scene in the girl’s bathroom was hilarious ahead of time as we all lined up to have Miriam wrap our scarves for us.  Once we arrived, we wandered around to see the beautiful prayer room and architecture within the mosque.  Many of us come from a different faith background, so we were constantly pestering Miriam and Hitham about what different objects meant or the translation of certain phrases.

                We did actually sit in the back of the prayer room as the prayer went on.  During prayer, the men sit at the front and the women sit near the back.  All of us women headed toward the back wall, while Tommy and the other men headed to the front.  Tommy was actually drawn into the prayer, making friends with the men sitting beside him.  As someone who has never experienced a Muslim prayer service before, it was truly an amazing experience that I won’t forget.

                After the service, Shane directed us to an Arabic restaurant in Dearborn called Al Ameer.  The food was absolutely delicious and we all went out of our comfort zones to try something different.  Many of us ordered shawarma, an entrée consisting of lamb, beef, or chicken grilled in delicious spices.  Hummus, pita bread, and garlic sauces covered the table as we ate and talked for a while.  This dinner will go down in history as one of the best.

                The day was packed with activities and by the time we shuffled through the retreat center doors, it was after 9 PM.  We all soon hit the sack, still reminiscing about an amazing day spent with new friends, new experiences, and lots of good food.

XOXO,

Detroit 2K17

(Chris, Jess, and Hitham enjoying the massive cinnamon rolls)

(Julianna, Chris, and Jillian putting up chicken wire)

(Annmarie, Rachel, Miriam, and Jess)

(Shawarma from Al Ameer)