the mission statement

Things have been a bit busy these last few days, the group has been adjusting since leaving Stan in Cali for his internship, posts have been put up on late nights, and internet has been hard to find. So I'd like to use todays post to restate what our mission is for this tour. The purpose behind everywhere we go, the people we stay with, and the different ways we reach out.

We want to love individuals where they are.

We want to know what individuals think love is.

We want to show love to individuals.

We want to encourage individuals to show love to others where they are.

This trip has taught me a lot about love. What's made each day of this trip different than the way I usually live is I've been much more conscious of how I act in love. And like our posts have stated we've discovered love is a decision and not always an easy or comfortable one. Though that statement is simple, it means a very different thing when it's attached to an action. I think it's something I've always known, but it appears much more real to me when I'm trying to work up the courage to ask a few older gentlemen sitting on their front lawn, or a boy sitting deep in thought by his bike what love is to them.

This last week has been a bit different than the beginning of the trip. I think in our heads we were all aiming to show love to the homeless or the lower class communities. But that alone is not what this trip is about. It's about loving every individual. Louisiana showed us that.

These last few weeks we've been able to stay with friends which has been cool. It's been a different season of the trip. It's shown me a few different things. The first being that one of the greatest ways of showing love to people isn't with money, it's with time and a listening ear. It's awesome to see how many people just want to talk. They just want to share stories and have an experience with you. Wether it's a discussion about love over coffee or lounging on sofas while sharing beliefs and future plans. Those moments have been some of the most rewarding. Those moments I've known, I am in the right place.

The second reveal has been the realization that often times it's easier to show love to a stranger than it is to someone you know. Sometimes I'd rather go give away a meal to someone than have to sit down with the team and discuss why we're not getting along. It's more fun. Less awkward. But in order to genuinely show love to strangers I believe we must be well rooted in loving the people that are closest to us.

Last night we stayed with one of Ginger's sister's friend Evan in Tacoma, Washington. It's been so awesome to see how much love strangers have been willing to show us. Evan took us out and showed us the town :) We visited a nearby park and explored. We toured the city and were given in-depth information on the city. I've decided Washington is one of my favorite states to look at.

In every city we go we don't always volunteer at an organization, or give away lots of money, or meet tons of people. But we always invest time into someone. Even if it's just one person. Because that is what our mission is. To let that one person know that they are important to us. They are loved.

<33emilyy