Everyone in the group got a good night’s sleep and we woke up to attend the 10:30 worship service at the church. The congregation consists of only 11 members but they are a committed group who seems very close. The members include Pastor Byron and his wife Patty, Charlotte, Michael, John, Janet, Marlena and her sons Jacob and Lucas, Ida, and Liz. Everyone was so friendly to us and greeted us with hugs and smiling faces. It was a little strange practically doubling the size of the congregation but it was nice to feel so welcomed. Neal grew up Jewish and said the service was his first Christian church service. I loved that even on the second day of our alternative break we were being introduced to new experiences. We joined in the congregation in singing hymns and even had the chance to play musical instruments. The church went above and beyond my providing us with a pizza and salad lunch after the service. Marlena provided a homemade peanut butter pie which was delicious! After lunch Byron and Patty were kind enough to take us to the Henry Ford Museum. It was incredible! I have always loved museums and we saw some really interesting things. We were able to see the chair that Abraham Lincoln was shot in, the bus Rosa Parks rode on at the beginning of the busy boycott, and many former presidential cars including the one JFK rode in the day he was assassinated. Byron and Patty gave us some great advice about things to do around Detroit and even gave us some extra money. Meeting them was a huge blessing. The rest of the day we rested and went to the YMCA for showers and then to the local grocery store Meijer’s to get food for the week. I felt like the group had really started to bond.
Each Winter, Spring, and Summer Break, Alternative Breaks at the University of Kansas sends groups of seven students to communities around the nation to serve and learn more about pressing social issues. These are their stories.
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