Day 4: Rising Above

It's hard to believe that our last full day in Mississippi is over. This day was a perfect explanation of why I wanted to come on this trip.

Today we spent half of our day at the Boys and Girls Club working with kids on how to use Prezi and making origami. I started off with Prezi but switched to origami since I was having difficulty. The origami turned out to be just as difficult, but I got the hang of it after awhile. I was covered in glitter, but I loved spending time with the kids.

After lunch we went on a tour of Biloxi and Ocean Springs. We saw a lot of landmarks...like the Hurricane Katrina memorial and the sign used in the BP commercials. Back in Ocean Springs, we discovered the perfection of the donuts at The TatoNut Shop.

For dinner, we went to The Shed which has out of this world BBQ food. It's a really neat place...and it's impossible to describe. While we were there we played with some kids and talked to their parents about Katrina, among other things. We made s'mores and talked around the bonfire. It was an absolutely perfect way to end the day.

I learned a lot today, both about myself and others. While tackling the issues of poverty and educational inequality, I was reminded of how fortunate I am. These kids have big dreams, and some of them might not get to see those dreams because of their circumstances. I believe all of them have the power to do big things, and I hope they don't let their circumstances get in the way of their goals.

When we asked the kids what they asked for for Christmas, most ofthem said "nothing." These kids, who have so little, don't want anything because they said they have all they need. It was amazing to me how mature these kids were. The next time I say that I want something, I'm going to remind myself that I have everything that I need.