Forming A New Home Away From Home
When I first started as a Mercy Volunteer, I was nervous about moving somewhere I had never lived before. I wouldn't know many people, and I wasn't sure I would get the opportunity to meet many others. I would be…
Quiet The Mind & The Soul Will Speak
Throughout this year, I have greatly enjoyed the opportunity for reflection through yoga and meditation. I am in Savannah, GA where there are many opportunities for this. With a long season of warm weather, the ability to practice outside has…
Welcoming the Season of Rest & Reflection: Lessons from a Year with Mercy Volunteer Corps
Hello MVC community, I’m writing this from my desk in Baltimore, at my service site at Marian House (long term transitional housing-recovery program). My nose is rosy and running from the bike ride to work this morning, my hands burning…
Cultivating Bonds: Lessons in Nature & Life at MEC
(pictured left to right: Mercy Volunteers Janice, Patrick, and Kasey) There have been many enriching experiences since beginning the short-term placement at MEC. First, the volunteers, staff, and I have all bonded quickly in friendship and respect. The farm at…
Shared Joy: The Power of Play in Connecting Across Cultures
Interacting with the children—whether in the respite center in Mexico, in McAllen, or at the ARISE center in Muniz—demonstrated that love is a universal language. Despite language barriers, the children understood our gestures of friendship and fun, and they responded…