Day 16: Coming Home

I got up with all of the other staff this morning and started to take down my bed and pack up my stuff. I received a couple of blankets and a pillow from the Red Cross while I was there and had to play a fairly intense game of suitcase Tetris in order to fit everything in. I got ready and ate breakfast. I had several people come up and wish me well before they left to go over to the client shelter. It was, yet again, hard to say goodbye to so many people that I have been able to get to know over the last couple of weeks. It all passes by so fast!

Before everyone left, I had a minute to talk with Alisa. She asked for my email address and I told her I would write down all my information and leave it on her bed. She gave me two hugs and then headed out the door. It is incredible the influence that she has had on my life over the last week or so. I have really appreciated her positive attitude and the fact that we can talk about God and life and really understand one another. She is making a huge difference in the lives of both the staff and the clients and can't wait to see what she does with the rest of her life. Unfortunately she doesn't have a phone or Facebook, so it will be harder to keep in touch, but I hope that we still will.

After Alisa and the rest of the staff left, I immediately grabbed a piece of paper and the copy of The Book of Mormon that I had packed with the intention to not bring it home with me and wrote a quick note. I also highlighted 1 Nephi 8:10-12 and 11:21-23 which refer to topics that we had discussed the night before about family and the love of God. I marked the 1st with a Mormon.Org card and wrote in a reference to the 2nd. I also wrote a quick note thanking her for everything and letting her know that I had been praying about who to give this copy of The Book of Mormon to and that I felt like it was for her. I also wrote that this book had changed my life and I hoped that she would take the chance, read it, and allow it to change her life as well. I haven't heard anything from her yet, but I keep praying that her heart will be open to it.

I was picked up by the Nassau county shuttle "NICE" (Nassau Inter County Express) and the driver was a very pleasant old guy who took about 3 minutes just to buckle his seat belt. I thought I was supposed to be picked up by a Taxi service and be charged $46 just to get to the airport. "NICE" is a free service and I didn't have to pay anything for my ride to the airport. Awesome! We made it in good time and I was early enough to get to the terminal on time and grab something small to eat.

When I arrived at the airport I headed to the counter to print out my tickets and check my luggage. When I put my information in to the computer it kept saying that I didn't have a reservation. I tried my name twice, the confirmation code twice, and my name once more. Then I talked to one of the workers and even she couldn't find it. I panicked a little bit, and then asked if she could look once more. She did and was able to find a reservation for me for the 12th at 9:49am, which is correct. However, the date of the flight was in June instead of December! Wow! I immediately called the Red Cross and told them what had happened. The lady apologized a few time for the error and worked to find me another flight. I was able to get one of the last seats on the flight that was leaving at 9:59am and taking the same route as the one that had already been scheduled. I was really relieved and headed over to print my ticket and check my luggage. For reals this time.

I headed over to the terminal, but all of the seats were full so I sat a couple of terminals away. When it got closer to the time that I could board the plane I headed back over to the terminal and stood just out of the way. While I was waiting I looked down the hall and saw a younger guy in a suite and tie. He also had a cool looking name tag. Missionary. Sweet. I waited for a few minutes and debated if he would be weirded out that a girl was talking to him and then I turned and said "Hey Elder! Where are you headed?". He laughed and told me that he was returning to Salt Lake City to go visit his Dad in Lindon. We talked until the plane boarded and agreed to meet up in Phoenix during the layover.

I sat down in my seat between an older white lady and a younger black guy. I talked with the lady before our flight took off and found out that she was retuning home to flagstaff after visiting her Mom in New York. Her mother had been displaced by the hurricane but had now returned to her home after her power was restored. She found out that I was a volunteer for the Red Cross and had spent the last 2 weeks in a shelter. After we talked a little bit longer she told me that she really appreciated what I had done and what I wanted to do with me life and that she wanted to buy me lunch on the flight. I was surprised but very thankful for her generosity. She did end up buying me lunch and then pulled out the sandwich she had packed for herself. I thanked her multiple times for her kindness. We talked throughout the flight between our short naps. She had done a lot in her life and now teaches at Northern Arizona University. It was cool to get to know her and share some of my own experiences as well.

When we finally arrived in Arizona we parted ways and I waited for the Elder to get off of the plane. We walked to our terminal and then split up to use the restroom and get food. I got juice and a cup with fruit in it. It was so nice to eat something fresh after eating a lot of junk the last couple of weeks.

While waiting in the airport I texted Bryant who is in my Injury and Violence Prevention class to ask what I needed to know for our final. He called me to tell me that the final had been cancelled. I was so relieved! I wasn't super worried about the final, but it was so nice to know that I didn't have to spend all night and the next morning studying for it. This means that I only have 1 final to take on Friday. It is for my Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness class. I have basically been studying for the class for the last 2 weeks and I'm not so worried about that one.

I talked with the Elder at the terminal until we boarded the plane. I sat between an older man and another woman. They were both really nice and the older man and I swapped some stories from our travels. He mentioned that he had served a mission back East and we talked about that a little bit. It was nice to talked about the church with someone after the last two weeks where the only time I saw a member of the church was when I was in the temple and at church. It was a good flight and we all slept for most of it.

As we were arriving we flew over snow capped mountains and I couldn't help but smile. I was coming home! We flew over the copper mine, which is huge and incredible to see from the air. When the plane landed I said goodbye to my seat buddies and headed out. The closer I got to the security gate, the bigger the smile was on my face. When I caught a glimpse of Mara and Maria and couldn't help but laugh out loud. I was so excited to see them! They each gave me a huge hug and we all laughed together. We headed over to pick up my luggage and then left the airport.

On the way home I stopped by my friend Chelsey's house to say hello and visit for a few minutes. It was so weird to be back again and it made the last 2 weeks seem like a dream. I told stories to Mara and Maria and showed them pictures that I had taken. It was cool to have so many experiences to share.

When I arrived home I was greeted my some of my siblings when I walked in. Gaby told me that things had been so quiet without me there and they were happy for me to be home. I was excited to be home. It was so fun to laugh and joke with them. I was also super excited to see my parents and to be able to share experiences with them as well.

I headed to bed pretty late and was so excited to sleep in a real bed with lots of blankets and soft pillows. I love my family and I have missed them dearly. Tomorrow is temple Thursday, so I will go there first thing in the morning and then head to work in the afternoon. It should be a good day, but so incredibly different than the last 2 weeks. It was an experience that I will not soon if ever forget. I am grateful for how blessed I am and for the mercy of God in allowing me to go. God is great and gratitude sets you up for a life of happiness.

Day 15: The Final Working Day

I got up early this morning to shower and it was marvelous. The fact that I am showering in 1 of 2 showers in a high school locker room is quickly forgotten when the water that comes out is perfectly hot and stays hot the entire time. I got ready and ate breakfast and then debated for about 10 minutes whether of not I should wake up Holly, Jenna, Dani, and Crystal. It was coming closer and closer to the time that the van would leave to go over to the client shelter. Finally at the last moment I went over and just said, "Hey Ladies, Im leaving. Travel safe today!" Dani and Crystal half woke up, smiled and said goodbye. I turned and went to grab my backpack before leaving. It was hard to walk out of that room not knowing for the 3rd time in the last 2 weeks if I would ever see them again. I really hope that I do. I was telling Jenna last night that even though it has only been 2 weeks, I feel like I have know them for a lifetime. We have shared an experience that you can't find anywhere else and it has definitely shaped our relationships with one another.

Seeing the Americorps girls last night and knowing that today was my last day was a very surreal experience. All morning I felt a little bit out of it as I worked in the dorms, talked to staff, and to the clients as well. We have been sending so many people home in the last few days and it was weird to be the one who would be leaving the next day instead of one of the clients.

I spent time yesterday and today talking with a man named Stefano. He is an older guy who has to be pushed around in his wheel chair. He smokes, so he goes out in front of the building quite often. He has cancer, but I don't think that he has the money for any kind of treatment, or if any is even available for him. While I was talking with him he said that he felt like he was better off dead because he has nobody, nowhere to go, and he really can't do anything. It was hard to hear him say that. I told him that if nothing else he needed to be here to make a difference for the people here in the shelter. Everyone, both the staff and the clients, know him and have talked to him. The gratitude that he shows for everything that we do is incredible and has meant so much to so many people. He began to tear up as I told him how grateful everyone had been to him. He always called the girls "doll" or "sweetheart" and shook our hand and thanked us individually whenever we took him outside, opened a door, or brought him food. He is an incredible guy who has really lived life and it was an absolute pleasure to talk with him.

Elisha, the shelter manager for our staff shelter arranged for the staff who were interested to go on a "tour" of some of the disaster sites. As shelter workers we don't usually if ever get to see the damage that was done and have more of a glimpse into what these people that we are caring for have been through and seen.  One group left this morning and the second group, which I was in left this afternoon. We headed down to Breezy Point, which was hit harder than almost any other area. In addition to the hurricane that came through, flooded basements and main floors, knocked down power lines and trees, and even moved homes off of their foundations, there was also a fire that burnt to the ground around one hundred homes. Seeing the damage that had been done was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. These people lost everything. There were houses that literally had nothing but their foundations left. Other had bikes, cars, wagons, books, stoves, chairs, tables, and clothes that were almost unrecognizable. As we walked through the area there were very few items that hadn't been burned completely, including a stack of photos, a few movies, and some old records.

We were able to talk with one woman who had lived in the same house here her entire life. They had evacuated for the hurricane, but had left many of their belongings in their house. Her son was the last one to leave and be grabbed rosary beads and placed them on the back door of their house. When they returned they found that the back of their house had some fire damage, but that was where the fire had stopped. They considered it an incredible blessing and she was extremely grateful. She told us that during the first part of the day she cries and then for the rest of it she gets to work and tries to repair the damage. Before she left to get back to work she thanked us for what we were doing. She told us that even if we just picked up one thing or only gave out one meal, she was still so grateful for us and all that we do. I was so humbled by her gratitude and have her hug and said "God bless you" before she left. There are some incredible people there.

Just before we left a group of firemen came up and we talked with them for a few minutes. Sada, one of the drivers told me to get a picture with them, so I did. And then Carlos from security convinced one of the firemen to let me take a picture in the truck, so I did. It was pretty cool and they were all super nice. I was grateful for good friends like Sada and Carlos who look out for me like that. Such good guys. I also got a picture of Carlos and Alex next to the firetruck. They ended up holding hands because someone teased them about looking cute.

I also had a performance evaluation today with Leila who was my supervisor while I was in logistics and Frank who was basically my supervisor the last couple of days while I didn't have a specific position. They both said nice things about me, which I appreciated. I also received recommendations from them of what to do next and where to go from here. It was a good experience and I was really glad that I could receive support and guidance from them.

We said goodbye to several more people this evening, and I took down a lot of cots. I was able to talk with Stafano and others more, and then started to clean things up and get ready to leave. I was able to get a picture with Stefano and just before I left I told him that the Red Cross is not affiliated with any political party or religious organization, but I could not leave without giving him something. I pulled out a Mormon.org card that had the phone number to call to talk to a missionary. I also wrote my name and phone number on the back of the card and told him to call at any time. I explained that he could call the phone number for the missionaries if he wanted to learn more about the church, or even if he just wanted a spiritual thought for the day. He thanked me multiple times, I gave him a hug and then left. I probably won't see him again, but I have been praying so hard that something good will work out for him so he can really enjoy the time that he has left.

After our shift ended I went with a group of staff to Famous Dave's for dinner. I had the Georgia Pork with a side of mash potatoes, fries, and a corn muffin. It was delicious and was such a nice change from the shredded ball park franks flavored chicken (Ya. Weird) that we have been eating for lunch and dinner the last 2 days. Alisa and Gerry came late and weren't able to order dinner, so when we got back I offered to take her somewhere so she could find something to eat. We drove around for a while but everything was closed except for a CVS pharmacy so we went in there and she found something to eat and drink. 

While Alisa and I were out we had a chance to talk about life, family, and church. She was amazed that I was the 10th of 16 children and had a lot of questions about the LDS Church. We stayed up until 2:30am talking about our beliefs and sharing experiences with one another. I have never had an opportunity to share the gospel like that and I was amazed at how much I learned in return. She is a really good person and will do great things in her life time. We closed our conversation with a prayer which was really cool. She said multiple times that she wishes we had started having talks like that earlier so that we could have had more time. I wished that we had too because it was an incredible experience.

I finally went to bed and that was marvelous. In the morning, I leave to the airport. 

Day 14: Mondays

Mondays can be hard sometimes. Today was hard. Lots of really good things happened and I had several learning experiences, but it was hard.

When I arrived at the shelter this morning I went to the morning meeting, signed in, and then went to the command center to get my assignment for the day. Jackie assigned me take over transportation because John has the day off. I agreed to take the job and I asked her what I was supposed to do. She said "I don't know. John sits in that corner over there and does whatever." Oh. Okay. So I sat in that corner and flipped brought every book, folder, and piece of paper that I could find to try and figure out what I was supposed to be doing. After searching for about 20 minutes I found nothing. So I started rewriting the post-it notes that were on the board so that whatever John had written was at leaf somewhat legible. Then I received my first assignment!

The first thing I was assigned to do was call Sada (a guy who's job it is to drive people places) and figure out how to get the 9 people (including the Americorps girls) back to the Chaminade shelter. So I called Sada and started to get things figured out. Then I called Holly to try and arrange things on their end. Then I tried to call John, then Sada, then I talked with Gilbert (another driver) then Holly, then Sada, and after about an hour and a half we finally figured things out. Then it changed again, so I made a few more phone calls and things were set. The girls and 5 others were coming back that day and would arrive later that night. Awesome!

I ate lunch with Anita and Carlos today. It was nice to talk with them and get to know them a little bit better. After lunch I kind of just wandered around doing random jobs here and there. I babysat Seth for about 20 minutes while his Mom packed up their things to leave. His Mom hugged me at least 3 times before she left. It was hard to see them leave. I made crafts with a few of the younger kids, and ran errands for all sorts of people.

Around dinner time a guy named Kenneth needed some help with his phone that wasn't working. Every time he called it said that only emergency calls were allowed. I didn't think that was such a good sign since usually that means their service was shut off. I tried to turn his phone on and off and even reset it, but nothing seemed to he working. I then called AT&T and was on the phone for 30 minutes trying to figure out what was wrong. They finally concluded that the SIM card had been deactivated and he would need to come in to get a new one. Thank goodness.

After helping Kenneth I went and ate dinner super late and then spent time with security and information. I also talked to Sada and Gilbert who had just returned from picking up the 9 people from Southampton. They said there was so much rain on the roads but the entire trip went well and they made it back safely. Sada talked to me for like 15 minutes. He was really kind and it was nice to just sit and chat for a little bit. He has already been deployed for 4 weeks and may stay for at least 1 more.

When I got back to the staff shelter I signed in and turned around to see the Americorps girls. Dani came up and have me a big first, then Holly, Crystal, and I went back and have Jenna a hug. They had a really rough couple of days and then a very bad night. The manager over the cot cleaning project hadn't gotten anything done while they were there. This morning was the only day they actually did anything productive. It was very hard on them to not be working and even more frustrating that John wouldn't listen to anything they were saying. Tonight after they got back they went out to eat and the place they went to refused to serve them because they felt like all American Cross volunteers did was take people's money to eat food and get drunk. They were yelled at for a few minutes before they finally left. It was pretty bad and it tipped them over he edge. Holly called and rescheduled all of their flights for tomorrow, Tuesday, instead of this Wenesday. So I will see them in the morning and hen they fly out. It was really nice to see them again and to laugh and joke. I also had a really good chat with Jenna about life and God's plan for us. She is awesome and I know that she is going to do great things

Alisa and a few others went out tonight and bought icecream and she brought me back a banana split! It was super nice of her and it definitely hit the spot.

It is crazy to think that in less than 48 hours I will be back in Provo Utah! I know I keep saying this, but I have had some of the most incredible experiences. There is so much out there that can and needs to be done, but the coolest thing is that you and I can do those things! There are a million and one ways to get involved and make a difference! You just have to put forth a little bit of effort and so it. When I get home I will dedicate an entire post to what you can do now to be prepared and to help others! Whoever you are, you can be involved and you can change somebody's world! So don't wait! Have a go and do attitude!

Always,

Kaytlyn

Day 13: The Goodbye's Begin

Sunday Sunday Sunday!

Have we every talked about how much I LOVE Sunday? If not, call me. We should.

Last night before I left the shelter I asked Charlotte the new shelter manager if I could take the morning off and go to church. She gave me a resounding yes! So I talked with some people at the staff shelter and arranged to take a car the church the next morning! Hurray! This morning I was able to sleep for an hour after everyone left, I took a long hot shower, and then got ready to leave. I found the closest meeting house and headed out. It was about a 25 minutes drive there and I ended up being a couple minutes late because I had to figure out how to get there.

The church was really cool! It is pretty old school, but very beautiful! I loved being able to attend sacrament meeting and to feel the spirit and sing Christmas Hymns! I love Christmas hymns and this was the first church meeting I have attended this year where they were sung. Of course I didn't sing them very well because of my cold, but I still sang much to the dismay of the guy sitting next to me who gave me his hymn book.

The ward is really small and probably had less than 50 people in the meeting today. Everyone was so nice and I met a lot of them after sacrament meeting. There was one lady who played the organ today and I was really impressed that she could play. I made sure to complament her on her skills and we ended up talking for a few minutes which was nice. I met two of the missionaries that were there, Elders, and one of them is from Spanish Fork. I don't remember his name though. After talking with them I decided to ask if they would give me a blessing since I haven't been feeling well. They agreed and we found an empty room and invited another guy to come in with us. Just as they started to give me a blessing it became very clear why the room was empty in the first place. It was right next to the nursery room and when the banging started it didn't stop. . ha ha The blessing went really well though and I definitely appreciated it. After I left church I started to feel a lot better and I could even breathe through my nose by the end of the day!

After sacrament meeting I went back to the staff shelter to eat lunch and then someone gave me a ride to the Nassau shelter. When I arrived I met up with Alisa and we talked about the church service that was at the shelter that morning. I had attended the one that was held last week where they had about 5 ministers come in and they all taught together. It was kind of weird, but I am glad that so many residents were able to attend the meeting that morning.

Most of the afternoon was spent at the registration/information desk and running errands here and there. I saw Christopher a couple of time and he always came up and gave me a huge hug. He forgot my name once, but after I told him he remembered for the rest of the day and would yell it whenever he saw me. His Mom, sisters, and another lady here at the shelter kept referring to me as his girlfriend. We went and ate dinner together again and his Grandma called it "a date with your girlfriend". It was funny and none of it phased him one bit. I found out during dinner that Christopher and his family were actually leaving today. FEMA had reserved a hotel for them, so they were heading out to live there while they waited for further funding on their house. Christopher kept saying that he didn't want to leave because he liked it at the shelter and that he wanted to live there with me. I told him that he needed to go because it would be better there and I was leaving on Wednesday anyway. Just before they left Christopher turned to his Mom and asked if he could come back and visit me tomorrow. She said "maybe". Poor kid, I'm really going to miss him. I did give him my name and phone number on the back of a Mormon.org card and then gave the same information to his sister as well so that we could hopefully keep in touch. He was excited to get it.

The other goodbye occurred when JoAnne left. She had finally gotten things figured out to have a taxi pick up Rocco at the rehab center and then to come to the shelter to pick her up. She waited in the front lobby for a while but the cab never came. Dawn helped her make some calls and then she waited a little bit longer before the cab driver finally called to say that Rocco was picked up and they were on their way. She immediately rushed out to the front lobby and kept asking if we could see the taxi. It was so cute. After about 5 minutes we saw the cab and I pushed her out in her wheel chair. I also gave her my name, phone number, and email address on the back of another Mormon.org card. We got out to the taxi and her luggage was loaded in. While we were in the lobby Dawn and I tried to help her stand up so we could put on her jacket all the way. She kept saying that she couldn't do it, she couldn't stand, let alone walk. When I finally got her out to the taxi and the door was opened up, she hopped up and got in faster than I have ever seen her move! Dawn and I started cracking up because it really showed how excited she was to get out of there and go home with her man. We all gave her a hug, and waived as the Taxi drove away. It was awesome to see her go, but I will definitely miss her. She was such a sweetheart and was always so nice to me.

During dinner, I was sitting with Christopher, Anita, and Samantha (another girl in the shelter) were sitting at a table eating dinner. There is a little boy who is about 2 years old named Seth. He is nice, but he sure knows how to push buttons and work the system to get what he wants. I'm not exactly sure what happened but he was being a jerk to another kid and so Christopher's Grandma (who is really good friends with Seth's Mom) came and picked up Seth who immediately went limp, through himself on the floor and began to cry. I guess that another lady though that she had thrown him so she started yelling and chewing out the Grandma. It all escalated really fast. I turned around to see what was going on and realized that nobody else was doing anything, they just sat and stared. So I got up and got in between them and started to separate them. The Grandma, who was fairly clam, walked away pretty easily but the other lady really wanted to get her point across and kept yelling. Thankfully between myself and the other security officers that showed up we were able to diffuse the situation quickly. The lady who was yelling was unfortunately asked to leave because she made an open threat. She left out the doors really quickly and didn't even take her stuff, so we are expecting her to come back to pick it up. 

After dinner things were pretty busy. I ran around doing different jobs like getting a special needs cot, coffee, and water bottles. I also was a messenger from registration to the command center and the dorm table in communicating information about who was doing what and where. I was able to leave on time tonight, so I didn't get left at the shelter. I called the travel phone number and scheduled my flight home. I am leaving Wednesday morning and should arrive in SLC at about 4:17pm.

When I headed back to the shelter I texted the Americorps girls who are now referred to as the "A Team" and heard about what they are up to. They are supposed to be cleaning cots but I don't think they have cleaned even once since they have been there. I guess there have been a lot of miscommunications between the management there and Head Quarters. All of the girls are itching  to do any work and have been pushing to be able to come back to Chaminade (the staff shelter) before they fly out on Wednesday. Unfortunately I will be leaving a couple of hours before they do, even though my flight is going out of JFK and is routed through Phoenix.

Alisa really wanted to go out and doing something and she invited me to go with her and Anita to a Hookah Bar. A Hookah is an activity that came from India. It is a weird contraption that allows you to smoke Tobacco that has been filtered/diluted through water. I passed since that is like, you know, against the word of wisdom, but I did offer to drive them there. We headed out and it only took about 10 minutes to get there. Then I headed back and spent about 1/2 an hour talking to my Mom and another hour working on catching up on blog posts. Then I received a call from Anita asking me to come pick her up. I headed out and was able to find the place again without using the GPS on my phone. When I arrived Anita came out fairly quickly and sat in the front seat of the car. I asked her what happened to Alisa and she said that she was coming. Anita seemed kind of upset or out of it, so I probed her with questions about how it all went and what she thought. She eventually said that she felt kind of light headed from all the smoke and a little nauseous. She then opened up the door and....

 Please stop reading if you have a sensitive stomach.

Threw up in the gutter. Then she closed the door, sat back in the car and said "I feel much better now". At that moment Alisa came out and opened the door for the back seat and began getting in when Anita opened the door again and threw up again. It was pretty gross.After she finished the second time I pulled some tissues out of my pocket. I was really glad that I grabbed extras before I left the chapter. We waited in the car for a few minutes and then took off slowly and with the front two windows rolled down a couple inches. We thankfully made it back to the staff shelter without any further incidents.

I went to bed super late because I waited up to pick up Anita and Alisa, but I was able to get to bed pretty quickly once we got back. It was overall a really good day and I am so grateful for the experiences that I am having and the wonderful people that I have been able to meet. I am super blessed!

Day 12: ERV Day

Saturday, December 8th! Can you believe that it is December and that I only have a few more days before I come home!? I sure can't!

Today was a really good day. We headed to the shelter early for a meeting and then I spent the first part of the day in the command center helping Jackie with staffing. Mostly I just waited for her to assign me somewhere since I am still kind of a floater and just doing random jobs around the shelter. While I was there with her I found out that there was an ERV class today at the local chapter. The ERV is the Red Cross Emergency Response Vehicle. It is a large truck that looks like an ambulance but has the Red Cross logo all over it. The truck is used for mass feeding and can hold a whole lot of meals in the back. In order to drive the ERV (pronounce "urve") you have to take the classroom course, pass the driving test, and then take a defensive driving class which can be done online.

This morning I went with John, Becky and Tyler to the Mineola Chapter to take the class. I felt like I slept really well last night but I guess I'm still adjusting from nights because I could not stay awake during that class. It didn't help that they had the lights off and kept showing movie clips every 20 minutes. It all went really well though. We spent a couple of hours in the class room, then took a lunch, and spent one more hour there. Afterwards we went to the local police impound lot and parking lot to do our driving tests. We took a tour of the ERV and saw how everything worked and then had to learn how to trap all of the food cases in the back. You can bet that I was a pro. :)

There were about 10 people in our class and we only had 2 ERVs. Becky and Tyler were very proactive and managed to get in to each of the ERVs first and finished their tests really fast. John and I had to wait for a few more people and then we went in the same ERV to take our test. I barely nicked a curb on one of my turns and the teacher seemed annoyed with me for most of the ride...but it was SWEET! The truck is a beast and has so many blind spots, but I loved driving it and I passed!!! I just have to do the online defensive driving class and I can be deployed as an ERV driver! Yeah. It’s cool.

After the ERV class we headed back to the client shelter and I spent part of the afternoon in the activities area playing with some of the kids in the shelter. One of the kids that was a blast to play with and is now one of my best friends is named Christopher. I included a picuture of him and me at dinner. By the end of the day he knew my name and could recognize me from across the shelter. Such a cute kid. Most of our playing included me putting a small plastic bowling pin (only 1) on top of a ledge on the wall and then he would throw a ball and try and knock it down. It was great.

Christopher and I ate dinner today and then I was sent out to the registration/information desk again. We had a few people that were checked out today and so I spent time checking them out and updating our records. I had a guy come in who I guess just got out of prison and he was sent to us with a letter saying that we should house him for the weekend, which we couldn't do. He sat in our lobby while we tried to figure out what we could do to help him and I went to the cafeteria to get him some food. Sandy, the lady in the cafeteria, gave me two dinner and several snacks to give to him. I really appreciated her generosity and understanding that just because we can't give him a bed doesn't mean we can't do anything else. He really appreciated it as well even though he wasn't able to stay.

While I was sitting at the registration desk tonight I was sent downstairs to go to Laughing Yoga. No, the activity associated with the name is not what you think it might be. You do not laugh while doing yoga. Instead, you do laughing exercises. It was weird. About 70% of the staff was put in a room downstairs and this lady (pictured below) who was dressed mostly in purple came in and was overly bubbly and made us do weird things like force laughter out of ourselves while looking one another in the eyes. We also had to shake hands, be birds, shout in babble language, and sit in the dark for 5 minutes while going “aaaahhhh”. It was funny because I felt like an idiot while doing it and so did everybody else, but I’m still not sold on the healing qualities activities like that are supposed to bring. I would rather watch a feel good episode of Gilmore Girls and call it good, but I’m glad that they are making an effort to care for the mental well being of the staff.

We have a TV in the shelter for the clients to watch sports on and another for the kids and others to watch movies. Last night they invited clients to come and watch It's a Wonderful Life, which is a marvelous movie. If you haven't seen it yet I highly recommend it! I was able to watch a little bit of the movie because Alisa and I were left by the shuttle that takes us from the client shelter to the staff shelter. I sat next to JoAnne who is the old lady that I would go and visit and let borrow my phone. She is getting ready to leave and is scheduled to be picked up tomorrow afternoon. She is so excited to see her husband Rocco again and to be home. She even had a foot massage and her hair done in braided pig tails for the occasion. We took a picture together while we watched the movie and I think it turned out pretty good. She is the sweetest lady with a great East coast accent.

When Alisa and I finally made it back to the staff shelter after being abandoned we decided it was time for a night on the town. So we did what anybody in their right mind would do in Mineola. We went bowling and we took two girls named Anita and Casey with us. None of us bowled very well tonight, but there were a couple of strikes and we had so much fun! Alisa bought a ton of appetizers for us to snack on while we bowled which was really nice.

After bowling we went back to the staff shelter and Alisa and I stayed up talking to one another and then to some of the other staff. It was all really positive and it has been fun to get to know her better. She has a very positive and bubbly personality that isn’t too overwhelming. She is good at getting to know everyone and helping everybody feel involved. It has been awesome to have her at the shelter to help with a lot of our clients.

One of my favorite parts about today was when I went to my cot at the staff shelter and found…..a pillow!!! Yay!!! I didn’t pack one because I didn’t think I would need one. Boy was I wrong. I have been sleeping on a folded up blanket whenever I was on a cot. Blanket Pillow + Cot = Major Lack of Sleep. I can’t wait to go to bed and sleep on a real pillow! Thank you Red Cross!!!

One of my other favorite parts of today was when I went in to the staff room and saw a poster on the wall where staff and clients could write nice notes about other staff members. There was only one note on there and so I wandered over to see what it said. Lo and behold my name was on it! Turns out Holly wrote the nicest note and left it there for me. I didn't see it until about 1/3 of the way through the day and it definitely was a booster shot to get me through the rest. Thanks Holly!

Day 11: Oh Transfers

I woke up this morning to a text message from Elizabeth telling me not to pack up yet because she and Gloria were trying to get me a position in headquarters. I wasn't sure how I felt about that at first, because I figured I would just go clean the cots with the Americorps girls out at the warehouse, but I also thought that if it worked out for me to be at headquarters, it could be a really good experience for me to learn and make contacts.

About 10 minutes later I received a follow up text letting me know that I had a meeting with the chief of partnerships at noon! Wow! I got up and cleaned up the room just in case and the. For ready to go over to the chapter. I stopped at a deli on my way over and got an apple turnover for breakfast. Delicious.

When I arrived at the chapter I met up with Gloria and Elizabeth. They told me that they were fighting for me to stay in headquarters and that is why they set up the interview at noon.

After a few minutes a lady came in who I found out was going to be the new shelter manager at Nassau. They decided that instead of staying there I should go with her as her assistant. I figured that would probably work and agreed to go. I headed back to the hotel, loaded up on cold medicine and then waited for the can to pick me up.

The ride back to Nassau was fairly uneventful, except for the fact that I found out the Americorps girls really were leaving the shelter to go clean cots and would not be there when I arrived. I am so bummed. I was really looking forward to working with them again and now I probably won't see them at all. Although Holly does have my shirt. Does that constitute enough of a reason to fly to Arizona to visit someone(s)?

I arrived at the shelter and ate lunch with Charlotte, the new shelter manager, and then introduced her to Tom and Jerry, the current shelter managers. I walked around with her for a while and then Tom said that because they already have people trained in the office then they didn't need me and to go ask Jerry for another job. Bummer. So I went and talked to Jerry and kind of explained that I was really hoping to get some good experience while I was out here. He told me that we could probably just have me bounce around to wherever I am needed so that I can learn the reigns for each area and get a little bit more experience. I figured it would be good so I agreed and was sent to the Registration/Information desk. Anita was there and I helped her check people out, run errands, and check wrist hands as people came in the door. I learned more about the forms that we have available and dealt with some upset people. We are trying to get the people in the shelter to move on to the next step in their lives and so we have been moving them quickly through the disaster recovery process. We have de sure at least a few times that each client is registered with FEMA and that we have their records on our files as well. If someone doesn't match up, or they have refused services we have to ask them to leave. We said goodbye to several clients today. It was hard for a lot of people to see them go.

Right after dinner I spent a few minutes playing with a younger boy and girl in the activity area. They were both super cute and it was fun to have a few minutes to just laugh and play. They were adorable kids who have been through so much in the last couple of months.

The rest of the evening was fairly mellow at the shelter. A few people left, a few tried to come back in, and they are working on hanging everyone's wrist bands to purple instead of orange. (Think sneeches on beaches).

On the way home Alex, our head security guard, showed us a box of chocolates that some person had given him. The reason they have it to him was because he sounds exactly like Forrest Gump, who says: "life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you are going to get." It was pretty hilarious.

I went out bowling tonight with Anita, Alisa, and Casey. It was fun to be out and about and do something other than sleep and work. My score wasn't all that hot, but it will do.

So don't be mad...but I actually didn't take any pictures today. Can you believe that?? So sad. Don't you fret. I will make up for it tomorrow.

Until then, peace out!

Day 8, 9, and 10

I woke up in New York City again today and it was beautiful. The horns were honking the sirens were....sirening, and I was sleeping in a real bed with 3 pillows. Awesome.

I slept in pretty late and then called the Manhattan New York Temple to see when they were available for me to come in to do baptisms. They gave me the option to either be there in 20 minutes or to come at 12:45. I picked the 12:45 option. I put on my awesome wrinkle free skirt that had been folded in my suite case for a week and looked like I had just pulled it out of the closet). Can you say New Favorite Skirt??

I headed out and started my 20 minute walk to the temple. I stopped by a shop and grabbed some breakfast. The walk to the temple was really nice because the weather was great and there wasn't a ton of traffic. When I was about a block away from the temple I saw the Angel Moroni statue. I can't not even begin to put in to words how excited I was to see that statue. I couldn't get there fast enough.

I walked in and headed to the front desk. I told the Brother at the front desk that I was there to do baptisms and he kind of just looked at me funny. It took me a minute to realize that he probably wanted to see my temple recommend. I pulled it out and showed it to him and he told me to have a seat while he rounded up some priesthood brethren.

Everything went incredibly well and it was such a relief to be there in such a quiet, peaceful environment and feel the spirit. I was so overwhelmed with gratitude for the peace that it brought in to my life after how crazy the last several days have been. I missed going to church and the temple last week and was grateful for the time I was able to spend there. The church is true!

After the temple I stopped by one of the corner stands and bought a real (or at least as real as I am going to get) New York hotdog. It was delicious. I ate it as I walked the 3-4 blocks over to Central Park.

Central Park is really big. I walked through the front half and watched runners, walkers, dogs, and squirrels. It was fun to walk so much and I loved being outside and surrounded by trees instead of buildings.

I hailed a cab and headed over to ground zero. My Taxi driver was crazy and so I buckled my seatbelt and held tight to my bag. I arrived in one piece and headed in. There was no line at all so I was able to walk through all the barriers really quickly and head straight to the monument.

The Ground Zero monuments were absolutely incredible. All of the people walking around were so somber and reverent as they walked past the names of those who lost their lives on September 11th. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience to stand in that area and look at all of the streets and buildings that surrounded the twin towers and attempt to even imagine the destruction that occurred just over 10 years ago. I was in awe at the response of those individuals who came to the rescue of so many and truly felt for this who gave or lost their lives in that tragedy. It is incredible the influence that one event can have for so many and for so long.

After visiting ground zero I walked around Time Square again and ate dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe with Nick. Then I headed back to the hotel to sleep for a couple of hours before I met up with Elizabeth for my first night shift. When I walked in to my hotel room I was extremely grateful that I had ear plugs because the cars and their horns from the street below could be heard loud and clear through my window. I slept until 8:30 and then got up to get ready. I met Gloria, an older black lady, and Elizabeth, who is white and in her 30's, in the lobby. From there we walked 2 blocks to the entrance for the 1 Subway and I had my very first subway experience. I saw no rats, thankfully, and we only had to ride the one subway. I had the chance to talk with Elizabeth and found out that she received her Bachelors in International Relations and her Masters in Public Health and Emergency Management. She has the travel bug and has been just about everywhere, been involved in so many programs, and supervised projects around the world. It was really cool to talk with her since we have a lot of the same interests and goals.

When we got off the subway we walked about 5 blocks to the Ferry. We picked up some food to eat and then boarded the ferry to cross the Hudson. It was pretty cool to see the New York skyline at night and to ride past the Statue of Liberty. We arrived on the other side and took a short taxi ride to Bayley Seton hospital. In total it is almost a 2 hour trip.

The Bayley Seton hospital was originally built in the 1830's and was a Navy hospital for a long time. It was abandoned in the last 100 years but was recently transformed into a mental hospital. Comforting, right? When we arrived it was too dark for me to really see anything so I didn't really get a good look at the building. We headed in and went up to the 5th floor of the building and into the cafeteria.

This shelter is actually run by Project Humanity. The Red Cross was just volunteering their services in the cafeteria area. We manned a table with food and snacks and talked with the clients that came through while we were there. My shift was from 11pm-7am. Now you would think that there wouldn't be very many people awake during those hours, but there were. We usually had between 5-20 people depending on the hour and whether or not people were having a hard time sleeping or if someone was causing a ruckus that night. This shelter was the sketchiest place I have ever been to in my life. We found out that The American Red Cross was actually going to pull out their volunteers the next day, which meant that I would only work 2 night shifts. I think a large part of the reasons why they were pulling us out was because an article was released last Friday stating that there were more drugs in the shelter than on the streets. Which isn't true, but the article really rapped on the shelter, how it was run, and the kind of people who were staying there. Although the article was biased and not entirely true, there are definitely a lot of problems and a lot of crazy people at the shelter. I met several who are alcoholics, a few who seemed to be drug addicts and pill poppers. At about 1:30am we had one kid come in completely wasted. He kept trying to talk to us but would fall asleep, standing up or sitting down, mid sentence. It was pretty pathetic and made me all the more grateful that I don't drink. There is something about that Mormon church.

During the night we had the chance to talk with a lot of really nice people. Not everyone there is crazy, and a lot of the people there lost there homes, and even watched them be destroyed or were in them when they were destroyed. There is one lady who Elizabeth has talked with who had to climb up on her roof and hang on the the rain gutters to keep from being blown away. Another lady couldn't sleep a few nights ago because she kept hearing her sisters voice. Her sister drowned after her home filled with water during the storm. They had been on the phone together when the storm hit and the lady felt so bad that she was helpless to do anything. These people really have been through so much and a lot of them really have absolutely nowhere to go.

At 12:30 we closed down the cafeteria for cleaning. Elizabeth was talking to a guy who said that he could give us a tour of the basement that has an old morgue in it and a bunch of abandoned equipment. I was invited to go and I figured I might as well since I won't ever have a chance to do something like that ever again. We headed down and went to the old morgue first. It was really small and only had 4 beds for bodies and an incinerator. Elizabeth thought it would be funny to lay on one of the pull out beds and take a picture, so she did. And then I did. Probably one of my dumber decisions, but we got some good pictures off of it. (See below). We continued our tour of the basement and it was super creepy. Lots of pipes, random noises, dark rooms, peeling paint, old machines, and trash. About halfway through the tour I asked the guy if he worked here. He said that he didn't, he was actually just a client that had explored down there enough to be able to find I way around. That was super reassuring! It made the experience all the more creepy.

During the rest of the night we had 2 cat fights take place. One in the hallway and the other in the cafeteria. The one in the cafeteria was over $5. Both fights involved the same girl. The shelter has about 20 cops wandering the halls and sitting in the cafeteria so we thankfully didn't have to intervene. It is so sad to see how big headed and quick to anger people are.

The end of the shift was fairly uneventful as we got everything ready for breakfast and cleaned up. We were driven back to the ferry where we crossed, took more pictures of the Statue of Liberty and headed back to the hotel to sleep. I crashed as soon as I got to my room. I figured I would sleep for like 2 hours since the girls were coming in from Nassau County for their day off. I fell asleep at 9am and didn't wake up until almost 2 and I could have slept much longer than that.

Just before 3 the girls came up to my hotel room where we chatted for a few minutes and then headed out to Central Park. We walked down 8th and stopped at Starbucks for coffee (them) and hot chocolate (me). We walked through basically the same area of the park I had the day before but it was much more enjoyable with them. We also took what has now become my all time favorite picture of the trip. It is the 5 of us sitting on a bench in the park. I have only known them for 8 days, but I have come to really know and love them. They are incredible girls and are a blast to hang out with.

After Central Park we began our walk to Central Station. On the way there we passed by the Apple store and a ton of other expensive big name stores. We also went in to the Saint Thomas Episcopal Church. They were having a choir rehearsal that was incredible! The church is so beautiful and incredibly detailed. We walked down the street a little bit farther and stopped by the Saint Patrick's Church which is currently being restored. We were able to walk around the entire church and it was amazing to see. It was at least twice as big as the first church and was incredible. Jenna is actually Catholic and loved every minute of it. She also collects Saint pins and was able to buy one at the shop there. It was a really cool experience.

We finally made it to central station where we all rushed to use the bathroom. Then we spent a few minutes trying to route out which train they were supposed to take where and we headed out. We took the express train to Time Square where we parted ways once again and they left to go to Penn station. It was sad to see them go again, but I definitely enjoyed spending time with them. I headed back to my hotel, stopped by a whole in the wall place for dinner, went in to a gift shop where I found a sweet subway phone case and then went to the hotel to sleep for a few more hours before my shift. It was lovely.

After eating some awesome chicken and Mac and cheese I slept from 6-8:30. I got up and got ready yet again to go to my 8 hour night shift. We met in the lobby and headed out. It was much colder Wednesday night than it has been the day before and we bundled up tight! It was decided on the way over by Gloria (who has been in the Red Cross longer than I have been alive) that I would be trained as a supervisor so that I could move up in status. I agreed because I figured that it couldn't be that hard to supervise 2 women who are older than I was in putting out snacks and cleaning up a small cafeteria. She said that I would also have to call the shots on whether or not we should try to intervene on any fights. Oh boy.

We arrived at the shelter and got started with organizing things right away. There had been a mixup earlier in the day with food not being delivered. Because of the mix up the food that was eventually delivered was better then any of the other food most of the clients had eaten in quite some time. They were pretty happy about it.

The night was fairly slow and less eventful than the night before. We spent time talking and cleaning. The same girl who was involved with the two fights last night came in for about 15 minutes with a bunch of random items (mostly trash) that she left on the table. After about 30 minutes of her being gone Gloria started wiping down tables and was about to throw away the trash when the girl came storming in. She accused Gloria of trying to steel her money (a quarter and two pennies) and kept asking what she was "looking for". Gloria started to walk away but the girl wouldn't leave it alone and I even said that she would "slap the black off of her". Which neither Gloria or I heard at the time because the girl mumbles really bad. Gloria kind of started to talk back and so I stepped up and kind of pulled her away from the situation and told her to "leave it alone" so it didn't escalate further. The girl eventually settled down and finished her dinner. She kept mumbling as she left and then came back in 5 minutes later to ask for Gloria's name so that she could report her. Gloria was standing behind the table and I made sure that I stood in the path between them incase anything happened. She left without any further incident.

The rest of the morning was really mellow. At about 6:39 Elizabeth and David (a spontaneous volunteer who is living in the shelter) took me to a back room of the 5th floor to show me the sunrise. It was incredible! The colors and the view were absolutely amazing! I included several pictures below.

At the end of our shift we cleaned everything up and then headed out. We decided to take a train to the Midland area so that Gloria and I could see some of the damage that had been caused by the hurricane. The pictures that I took do not even begin to do justice for the area and the amount of suffering they have experienced. We spoke with one guy who has opened up a relief aid station where people can come for food, water, clothes, diapers, and other supplies. He spends his day manning the station and he received donations from all over the place. His name is Aiman Youssef and you can read more information about him on Facebook. His house is the one with the red paper stating that it was an "unsafe area" which means it is going to be demolished. It looks okay on the outside, but because the water was 10 feet high in the area the amount of damage done to structures and the interior is too much to salvage.

There was another aid station a few blocks away that offered us free bagels and hot chocolate. I found out that they are actually open 24/7 for anyone and everyone who may need anything. There was also a Uhaul truck parked nearby with a sign offering for demolition services. We also saw a man in his home taking pictures of the interior for his insurance. The home had already been completely gutted.

I am so glad that I was able to see the things that I did so that I could better understand the importance of emergency response and the recovery process after a disaster. I was so impressed with the community response and their ability to step up and be their for their community.

After walking around for a while we took a bus back to the ferry and headed back to the city. Gloria's hair had been pushed up by the wind so we took a picture of that while we were in the subway. On our way to the Manhattan Chapter we stopped at a small diner and at breakfast because we were all starving.

Then we went to the chapter to be reassigned to another area. Gloria and Elizabeth are going to be working in the office. I was originally assigned to return to Nassau County but because I only have a few days left they decided to assign me to the cot cleaning project. I was so bummed be aide I was really looking forward to working in the shelter again and being able to spend time with Holly, Jenna, Crystal, and Dani. Holly and Jenna also have one of my shirts from when we did laundry. Anyway, I left the chapter really bummed that I was assigned to cots. I texted Holly to let her know and then headed back to the hotel.

While I was walking back I received a text back from Holly and she said that it looked like they were going to be transferred to cot cleaning as well! We should end up on the same assignment and probably in the same hotel.

I got back to my hotel and slept for a really long time. Then I got up and went to Walgreens to get cold medicine and juice. I walked around 3 blocks trying to find a place to find a rice bowl and then settled for a Mexican place. I returned to the hotel and settled in for the night.

There are moments when this whole experience seems like a dream and other times when everything back in Utah is what feels like a dream. I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have here and in the rest of my life. I am incredibly blessed.

Enjoy the pictures!

From New York,

Kaytlyn