Hello my dear friends and family!!
I would like to share some joy with you. It may have taken me six months on the other side of the world to figure this out, but I know this now and shall never forget it: I am loved. I love that feeling. I am blessed with so many dear, brilliant friends and a (huge) family that is both multifarious and unique and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I have begun classes again in Ewing, New Jersey and couldn’t really come up with anything profound or exciting to blog about spending most of my time in Ewing, as beautiful as the campus is and as interesting as my classes are (Soviet Russia, anyone?!). BUT I HAVE SOMETHING VERY EXCITING TO TELL YOU, because I need your help!!!!!!!
Shortly after returning from Israel, I realized that the wanderlust was not going away. I also realized that I wanted to give back (or, I guess, give forward) to a community who could use a helping hand (or ten) and give thanks to God for all the gifts he’s given me. Enter, Real Break.
Real Break is this fantastic program, sponsored by the OCF, that gathers college-age kids (I say kids because, let’s face it, that’s what we are) in small teams and sends them to different places around this world to work with a community in need. This year trips include Constantinople (I was tempted, but I think my stomach would have killed me if I attempted another twelve hour flight this soon!), Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, New Orleans, LA, and Toronto. Click on the words “Real Break” to go to their website and see testimonies about their past projects. Click on “OCF” to learn more about what OCF–Orthodox Christian Fellowship–is. I’ve always wanted to do this, because everything I’ve heard has been fantastic, but I’ve always been too scared to.
But I’m not anymore! It’s incredible what throwing yourself into seemingly crazy circumstances can do for your self esteem. God is good, and we–Christian, Jew, atheist, Budhist–are all called to do good for our fellow man, because we are all brothers. In the words of my BGU counselor Sarah, “you don’t want someone who means well, you want someone who does well.”
This Spring Break, I will attempt to “do well.” But here’s the caviot: these trips are sponsored by the OCF, but it is up to the students to raise the funds to travel to these places, eat, sleep, and work. This is why I am asking for your help! I am raising money to fly to Toronto, Canada from March 9 through March 16. I will be sleeping, eating, praying and working with St. John the Compassionate Mission. Click the link to learn more about everything this home does to serve its community. It’s so incredible!!
In order for me to participate, I must raise $800 by the end of March. The minimum amount for me to raise is $785, and there is no maximum amount, because however much I raise past the minimum amount will go directly to OCF and to St. John Mission to help sustain their community.
This is really a fantastic cause!! And it’s really not about me at all. I am merely a vehicle through which your generosity and care will go to loving people in Toronto, in a public housing project, who really need our help. Isn’t that what this is all about???
I ask you to please consider donating to my trip. Donations are tax-deductible and God-approved. 🙂 (Sorry for the bad joke, but hey, you know my father…)
Because this trip is through OCF, I can’t do a GoFundMe page, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t contribute! The easiest way to donate is to send donations (preferably in check form) directly to me, and from there I tally them and send it all to the OCF offices, where they do all the important stuff. Please leave a comment on this blog with your email address and I will email you my mailing address! And if you’d like I have a formal letter and donation form that I’d be happy to send 🙂
I urge to contribute. I’m not a money-oriented person at all, but I know when it’s important, and it’s important now. I hope you agree! I’m so blessed to have you all in my life and I know your love and support will follow me wherever I go.
God bless,
Mel
I would like to share some joy with you. It may have taken me six months on the other side of the world to figure this out, but I know this now and shall never forget it: I am loved. I love that feeling. I am blessed with so many dear, brilliant friends and a (huge) family that is both multifarious and unique and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I have begun classes again in Ewing, New Jersey and couldn’t really come up with anything profound or exciting to blog about spending most of my time in Ewing, as beautiful as the campus is and as interesting as my classes are (Soviet Russia, anyone?!). BUT I HAVE SOMETHING VERY EXCITING TO TELL YOU, because I need your help!!!!!!!
Shortly after returning from Israel, I realized that the wanderlust was not going away. I also realized that I wanted to give back (or, I guess, give forward) to a community who could use a helping hand (or ten) and give thanks to God for all the gifts he’s given me. Enter, Real Break.
Real Break is this fantastic program, sponsored by the OCF, that gathers college-age kids (I say kids because, let’s face it, that’s what we are) in small teams and sends them to different places around this world to work with a community in need. This year trips include Constantinople (I was tempted, but I think my stomach would have killed me if I attempted another twelve hour flight this soon!), Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico, New Orleans, LA, and Toronto. Click on the words “Real Break” to go to their website and see testimonies about their past projects. Click on “OCF” to learn more about what OCF–Orthodox Christian Fellowship–is. I’ve always wanted to do this, because everything I’ve heard has been fantastic, but I’ve always been too scared to.
But I’m not anymore! It’s incredible what throwing yourself into seemingly crazy circumstances can do for your self esteem. God is good, and we–Christian, Jew, atheist, Budhist–are all called to do good for our fellow man, because we are all brothers. In the words of my BGU counselor Sarah, “you don’t want someone who means well, you want someone who does well.”
This Spring Break, I will attempt to “do well.” But here’s the caviot: these trips are sponsored by the OCF, but it is up to the students to raise the funds to travel to these places, eat, sleep, and work. This is why I am asking for your help! I am raising money to fly to Toronto, Canada from March 9 through March 16. I will be sleeping, eating, praying and working with St. John the Compassionate Mission. Click the link to learn more about everything this home does to serve its community. It’s so incredible!!
In order for me to participate, I must raise $800 by the end of March. The minimum amount for me to raise is $785, and there is no maximum amount, because however much I raise past the minimum amount will go directly to OCF and to St. John Mission to help sustain their community.
This is really a fantastic cause!! And it’s really not about me at all. I am merely a vehicle through which your generosity and care will go to loving people in Toronto, in a public housing project, who really need our help. Isn’t that what this is all about???
I ask you to please consider donating to my trip. Donations are tax-deductible and God-approved. 🙂 (Sorry for the bad joke, but hey, you know my father…)
Because this trip is through OCF, I can’t do a GoFundMe page, but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t contribute! The easiest way to donate is to send donations (preferably in check form) directly to me, and from there I tally them and send it all to the OCF offices, where they do all the important stuff. Please leave a comment on this blog with your email address and I will email you my mailing address! And if you’d like I have a formal letter and donation form that I’d be happy to send 🙂
I urge to contribute. I’m not a money-oriented person at all, but I know when it’s important, and it’s important now. I hope you agree! I’m so blessed to have you all in my life and I know your love and support will follow me wherever I go.
God bless,
Mel
Another Adventure 