Speculating

We're getting close! Two months, pretty much. I suppose that's actually quite a while away. We had our first team meeting last week, though; that's likely why I feel it getting closer and closer.

I can't think of a single unique thing to say. I'm so excited, nervous, pumped, hesitant, doubtful, thrilled... All the usual adjectives that one would expect to be used in this situation. I expect it will be this way for a while. Until I've actually experienced and served, anything I say is just speculation.

With that in mind, here is what I know. Speculation, ladies and gents.

We watched a video in our team meeting last week. It was from the team last year, recorded on their drive/tour of Bithlo. I could see the trailers and the broken windows, and I could hear the pain and passion in the tour guide's voice.

Much of Bithlo is as close to homeless as one can get without actually being technically homeless. They live in broken, run-down trailers that are infested with cockroaches due to the lack of windows. Septic systems are broken, and the landlords don't care or bother to have them repaired.

Kids drop out of high school in their freshman year. They spend their days running around town, finding ways to entertain themselves. Most ways end up being illegal, just because that's how it goes.

The community center used to be a great gathering place for people to have events and just... come together. That's what community means. Now, however, the center was bought by a larger power and costs money to rent for events.

The city water is practically contaminated. It has caused huge problems for the dental hygiene of the children, and most of them don't even have toothbrushes or toothpaste to fight it.

Some local power built a beautiful baseball field in Bithlo - a sort of effort to make Bithlo look nice. The problem, however, is that Bithlo doesn't have a baseball league, so only surrounding cities use the park. Local Bithlo kids won't even go there to play because they know they'll be looked down upon by the more well-to-do kids. Looked down upon in their own city.

Domestic abuse of all sorts is rampant. I don't know the extent, but kids will come to school in terrible shape sometimes. I believe it's not unusual for the teachers to call CPS or Social Services.

The local school has about three teachers. That's three teachers total, for all the grades combined. Much of their teaching time goes toward basic life skills anyways. Hygiene, manners, etc.

However...

Bithlo has heart - HUGE heart. It has enormous pride in just being Bithlo.

People who have tried to improve Bithlo start out by suggesting a name change. That's really a first main step, in a marketing sense, in order to change the surrounding communities' perception of the city. The people of Bithlo won't have it, though. There's such a sense of pride, they just won't have it.

In the video, the tour guide talked about many different individuals that play important roles in the community. They encourage, inspire, and sacrifice for the betterment of the people around them, even though they themselves have nothing to give.

All that to say... God loves Bithlo, and I want to love Bithlo like he does. Because in the end, I want to look at everyone as part of God's family. We're all his creation, we can all be his family. That's just what I think.

Karissa here, signing out.

For now...