We woke up today at 8:30am and went to the YMCA to work out and shower. After that we went to church and met all the wonderful people who were very hospitable, kind, and generous. They introduced us to the people at the service and we stood in front of everyone and Stephanie told them about our mission at the Center for Self Sufficiency. After Church we stood around for a bit and got introduced to people of many different backgrounds. There were gay couples, lesbian couples, transsexuals and even cross dressers. . Their sexual orientation wasn't an issue for any of us but it was something new to witness for some of us. I was eager to learn more about their ideas and mindsets. We talked to a Lady named Tiffany who used to be a male soldier in Vietnam but decided to quit because she didn't like the idea of shooting people. We also talked to a Lady named Mrs. E worked for NASA and has upper level degrees in Physics and Mathematics so we were engaged in some interesting conversations about earth and the universe which was very fun. After a small social gathering, we were invited to lunch at a place called "Pickadillies". This was like a school cafeteria where you can pick up the foods you want to eat. It was delicious and we met more people there who were very friendly and kind to us. We were all thankful for the wonderful treatment we have received and appreciate all their efforts to be good hosts.
After lunch our group headed for Downtown Atlanta where we walked past the Coca-Cola Factory and through The olympic park. Our destination was the CNN building where we all went on a behind the scenes tour to witness how they structure their news broadcasting and what happens behind closed doors. The tour was fun and interesting.
Once the tour was over it was time for dinner so we met Reverend Paul, his partner, and two other friends at a restaurant called Roxx. Gabriella, a transgender that was with us informed us that we were at a gay restaurant but that didn't affect any of us or make us feel uncomfortable at all. Everyone in our group was very open minded and engaged in discussions. We learned from the Reverend that the church where we are staying is one of the few if not only churches that allows people of various sexual orientations and backgrounds to attend. In fact, this church allows anyone to attend and join their ceremony which is great for some transsexuals who have been abolished from their old beliefs and told they are wrongdoers or even sinners. The Reverend talked to us after dinner and told us how important acceptance and non-judgment is for spreading love and compassion throughout humanity. We were all touched by his valuable words of wisdom.
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