Shon Griggs

Day Three
Hola!  Slept well last night. Although I will admit, I did go to sleep with a slight "tude" because there wasn't enough apple juice to go around, therefore I only received an empty bottle to discard. I was so incredibly thirsty that the nacho chips we ate for dinner last night were extrmemely painful to swallow because my mouth was drier than a desert. Nonetheless, there was something special about today. I  could honestly feel it. Not withstanding, the day began with what seemed like a normal delivery of turnips to Mt. Tabor Baptist Church. Contrary to my beliefs this delivery was anything,but normal. Immediately upon our arrival we were invited inside to participate in a prayer session. This prayer session was particularly moving, given the fact that the room was filled with approximately 100 indiviuals that actually resided in the food dessert. What struck me the most during this experience was the fact that the room was filled with senior citizens. From this perspective I was able to discount the arguments from critics that people that live in food deserts should apply for jobs and work their way out of the "desert". This notion is a nonstarter because these people do not have the physical capabilities to labor. Despite not being able to talk with these people, we were given a lecture by one of the church deacons. I strongly feel that this lecture was a direct message from God for several reasons: for a long time, while I won't necessarily say that I lost faith in the church, from a personal standpoint it seemed as though many churches were becoming more of a business versus being that refuge for communities such as Highland Hills desperately need. During the lecture by the deacon I was overwhelmed with a sigh of relief because Mt. Tabor is not only serving the Highland Hills community on a significantly large scale, they are also educating and empowering people to help them lead sustaianable lives. I vow to be apart of this fight, this is a fight we must all participate in; along with linking up with strong allies like Mt. Tabor, if we truly intend to stomp out food deserts that negatively impact approximately 26 million Americans natonwide.  Work this afternoon was a bit tougher today, not due to the intense labor, but because of the number of mounting excuses from people and lack of commitment. It is perfectly understandable that hard work isn't for everyone, however, effort is what people really appreciate. Dinner was prepared by the students from Abilene Christian University, spear headed by David, and I must admit, I was a bit skeptical at first about consuming the "shepherd's pie", but it was really good. Adios mis amigos, buenos noche!!!!!!