Individual J-Term: Brookwood Day 2

    Day two was another great day! I started off the day well with fresh pancakes and blueberries with my Rosenthal citizens. Then, after a hearty meal, I headed off to one of the 12 (that might be wrong) enterprises/jobs, ceramics. Here, citizens work to produce beautiful works of pottery, glazing and preparing them for the kiln. While at this job, I talked with various citizens, getting to know them and their stories better. I got to meet incredible people such as Mr. Aron, who is a master at puzzles, Mr. Richard, who was our lovely talent show host last night, and many more incredible people! At 12:30, we all headed to the cafeteria for lunch. 

    For lunch, we had spaghetti, salad, and jello. Here, I got to see my placemat made very kindly by Ms. Racheal. Placemats are used to determine seating order and to learn about the interests of others. My placemat outlines what I love through photos, such as scuba diving, running, and church. This is a great way to get to know others and have a starting point for conversation. It also enables you to learn more about our non-verbal citizens and have an easier conversation starter. 

    Once I had lunch, I transitioned to finishing. Finishing is where you help sort and package Brookwood's goods and create bracelets. During finishing, I sat next to Ms. Monica and had the pleasure of learning more about her life, goals, hobbies, and faith. We had a lovely conversation and scripture reading. Talking about various passages, our faith journey, what Jesus has done for us, our mutual struggles with our prayer lives, and our constant desire to grow closer to our Father! Throughout both of these work sites, I was able to learn more about their methods and practices for product design. It was fascinating seeing how they change their process to the individual rather than the individual having to change to fit the process. It was also wonderful to get to know the citizens better and hear their faith stories and experiences.

    Next, I had Bloom Fitness for one hour. Bloom is an organization designed for people with special needs. It's goal is to help promote fitness within the special needs community, providing lessons, classes, and methods otherwise not available. Here, I worked out with a group of citizens who had signed up for that day. We did various dances, stretches, and weight lifting. At Brookwood, fitness is a major priority. Citizens working out at least three times a week with Bloom, walking everywhere (if desired), biking on the weekends, and taking many more fitness classes; they are some of the fittest people I know!

    Continuing on with fitness, I joined another group, some of the same people, for an indoor one in our cycling class, led by Greggy the activities director. Here, I was able to again talk more with citizens and various staff. I had the pleasure of learning about how various staff members got to Brookwood and the incredible stories of how God called them to this special place.

    Once done sweating at cycling, I went to dinner with the Tuttle house. Here, I was graciously welcomed in for a wonderful meal of meat-lovers mac and cheese with a Caesar salad. I was warned that this house might ruin Brookwood food for the rest of the week because their food is world-class. Let's just say all food might be forever ruined. That was some of the best mac and cheese I have ever had!

    With a full belly, I had Bible Party. Bible Party, led by Anthony, is the last event of the day. Citizens every Wednesday come, if they desire, to learn more about God through fun lessons, games, and songs. This is where I learned the most. Anthony very skillfully incorporates fun games and lessons throughout his time. This created a very fun and interactive event, effectively conveying the Gospel for people of all levels. Doing so is far from an easy task, so seeing his methods was very beneficial.

    Overall, today was a fun and tiring day. I got to see, meet, and do many things. I can't wait to see what tomorrow holds! (I also hear there is gonna be eggs tomorrow)