Our Daily Bread

Today I got the chance to volunteer at the restaurant style dinning center where Catholic Charities offers free lunch for the people in need in Baltimore.  I was really impressed with how the whole thing operated.  The mantra of Catholic Charities is 'Cherishing the Divine within' and at Our Daily Bread (ODB) this is carried out by having the guest sit down and be served their food restaurant style rather than standing in line soup kitchen style. They have been serving the people of Baltimore in this way everyday for over 30 years with out fail. 

As a group this past week we have visited all the outreaches that each other will be working at.  Just getting to know the basics of each outreach I am very impressed with what each outreach is able to accomplish under the umbrella of Catholic Charities of Baltimore.  In futre post I will discribe what other outreaches project SERVE is working with.

Tomorrow I start work!  I am very excited and can't wait to find out more about what I will be doing this year.  More on that tomorrow.

U are the best
B happy
I love you!

~Kelly

So the music at the Masses I have been going to in Baltimore is really different than back home.  I am missing the life teen band however I am also really getting into some of the hymns we are singing.  Today we sang 'The Summons' and it really spoke to me as I am just starting out in this new place. 

Here are the lyrics:

Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known?
Will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Pretty cool right?  I will be working all my life to say yes to those questions.

I now live in Baltimore!

I made it to Baltimore!

The first week has been very eventful with moving and orientation. I am living with a great group of fellow volunteers.  We are living in a 4 story row house in Baltimore. This week we went swimming at a nun's house, went to a concert in the park, painted a mural in our house, and did a deep clean of the house.

This is my housemates at the Inner Harbor

Our sunny kitchen:

This is the mural we painted:

I start work on Tuesday!