Heart of Strength: Gift of Community

 

It always amazes me how much of a tight net community Chinook is out here in Montana. A few Fridays ago, I saw for myself just how close everyone is when Becca (a fellow YAV) was sick and had to have surgery.

 

I was expecting to explain to people that day that Becca would not be able to make it to work. In the morning working at the preschool I actually did have to explain what was happening. However when I went to TGIF (an after school program that is run by the local churches for the elementary children), I did not have to say anything. I was expecting to have to explain to them that Becca was not feeling well but everyone already knew that Becca was in the hospital and had to have surgery.

This week it seems everyone all over town have asked how Becca is doing. Just to let you know she is good and getting better each day.  What amazed me, as normal as questions are given the situation, it was the real concern that everyone had about her health.  I saw people coming together, not just to express the concerns and offer their support to help, but to pray for Becca.

 

Chinook has many times in this year to come together and celebrate as a community. I’ve seen this with the High School's Home Coming, and the Sugar Beet Festival.  I’ve heard that Christmas can be big here, too. But this is a first time I’ve seen them come together to support another in need.  And I was surprised by it. 

 

Should it surprise me as much as it has? I mean the programs we help with during our YAV year are about helping communities coming together to support each other. Maybe my surprise is just that I have not really looked at it this way. Community building is not always big or fancy programs or celebration but when communities like this come together to really support each other. This is probably part of the reason that I enjoy working with people. I am thinking about what I will do after this year.  I know that I would like to continue doing work like this. I want to be involved with a community when it celebrated or comes together in good times.  And I want to be there when a community comes together in the hard times when things are challenging. I know that I am right where I am supposed to be and learning more about it each day. 

 

I will add pictures to this blog now that I am able. I have finally got my computer working, so now I should have no problems putting pictures on my post. Hope that you all are enjoying this blog so far.