Saturday - Lions, Tigers, and Memories (Oh My)!

Saturday is our last full day here in St. Louis. In the morning we went to the St. Louis Zoo. As we arrived many of the animals were having their breakfast so we got to see the sea lions waddle up to eat their fish, and the seals flapping around excitedly in the water. There was a new polar bear who showed off his attack skills to the crowds on an innocent plastic barrel. You could walk through a butterfly exhibit were the elegant insects would come to rest on your shoulder. And of course there was funnel cake and fresh squeezed lemonade.

In the evening we went out for a celebratory dinner at a local restaurant (Joey B's on the Hill). We shared stories from the week and all our favorite memories. Here are some of the insights and learnings from the Urban Missioners, as they take what they learned, saw, and experienced back home with them...

Ali: "To never judge a story unless you know the first hand account. You should always hear both sides of the story."

Andrew: "It's the little things that make you feel the best about yourself. Like, when I laid the bricks in the front of Deaconess Anne House. It was small, but made me feel really good and accomplished about myself."

Chloe: "The time here in St. Louis helped me connect with friends and will help me connect with family back home."

James: "Where you find God is working for others out of the kindness of your heart."

Julia: "I've learned to be more patient and understanding of all the people around me, living in such a small space, and being as efficient as possible working to help the communities and others."

Luke: "To change someones life you have to trust them enough to give them a key to open up the big door of life (taken from St. Magdelenes House). I would also like to thank the academy, my mom, and my dad."

Rebekah: "We're really lucky to be alive right now, because there has been a lot of bad things happening in our nation. We're really lucky because that could have been anyone."

Victoria: "Don't just look for God in the places you think you'll find him, because also it's the places you didn't think you'd find him that change your life."