Cincinnati [Day 4]
Today in Cincinnati was memorable and exciting for the majority of the students. Like most of the days this week, we dragged ourselves out of our sleeping quarters and headed out for another day of service. What made the day special for most students was having the opportunity to serve the community’s homeless. We were provided a tour of some of the less-fortunate areas of the community. Although it broke our hearts to see the poor and homeless being neglected by the city, it was truly heart-warming to reach out and help these people. However one person stuck out above the others we served.
Near the end of our service, as we were loading back into the bus, a deaf man walked up to our group and attempted to communicate with us. We gave him some paper for him to write, and he wrote that he appreciated our work and explained his life struggles. Although it was difficult to understand exactly what he meant, we gathered the general idea. I was saddened by his obvious lack of education as he wrote one-word answers and questions, hoping to tell us about his life and faith, and to gather information about ours. Through some weak sign language and warm smiles, we let him know we appreciated him. I have no doubt that in both my mind and in others’, our encounter with the deaf Vietnamese man with forever stick with us.
(Nathan Glatus)
