A woman named Nika.

Some of you may know that I live in the inner city as part of a program for my school, the Walden Park, Mark Twain neighborhood to be specific. The neighborhood itself had the most murders in the entire city of St. Louis last year, the people here are crying out for hope. Five of us college students live on this beautiful old Catholic compound, complete with a school, house, convent and breathtaking sanctuary. It's really an incredible opportunity to live among the people I have been called to serve.
Anyway today while we were eating lunch, we heard a knock at the door. It turned out to be this adorable bubbly woman named Nika who needed some "personal girl things". Hearing this, the guys awkwardly turned her over to me and my friend Haley. We gave her the basic sanitation needs, toothpaste, toothbrush, tampons, deod. etc... Thanking us profusely for everything, she put everything into a black trash bag and slung it over her shoulder. As we stood there I was struck by that image, this black trash bag and this woman. This black trash bag. That was all that she had in the world. Everything. And she was grateful. No home, no stability, security, no place to rest. Just this black trash bag.
That's why I'm here.