Georgia

Koinoia

We have left Resurrection Catholic Mission. Although I am learning so much from our experiences thus far, it feels like we are going through this immersion on fast-forward. We are now in Georgia! After a three hour drive, in which the Batmobile danced to everything from Hakuna-Matata to Destiny's Child to BBMak, our group has made it to Koinoia farm. Before we arrived, I had never heard of Koinoia. I knew we were going to a farm, but I did not know the deep Civil Rights history imbedded in this place. After watching an hour long documentary called Briars in the Cottonpatch, I learned that this farm was founded by Clarence Jordan. Although he was not on the picket lines or walking in marches, Jordan tried to live an honorable, Christian lifestyle by establishing a community that promoted the idea of racial equality. 

This is a beautiful place. It has changed over the years, in which I found myself a little disappointed by the fact that this place is not actively trying to promote ideas of integration. However, the work they do is still impressive. They continue to promote ideas of community, sustainability, and ecologically friendly farming. Today we got the chance to actually work within community, in which Tadeau, Sarah, Brock, Klafty, and Maddy helped to paint the trimming for one of the houses, while other groups worked in the garden and the bakery. Although it kind of seems like a small gesture, I truly felt like part of the community.
-- Kevin

Global Village

I grew up in the basement of the family my mom worked for until I was in 5^th grade. We moved to a house later on but I never considered myself as coming from a privileged background. Walking around in the recreated poverty village changed that perception. Wooden crates with sheets thrown across them were used as beds. Makeshift tables were made of boxes and slats of wood.  Even the nicest houses Habitat built for those in other countries were not as equip and comfortable as the basement I lived in as a child, which always had a bunch of stuffed animals, cozy covers, good home cooking, running water, and hot baths. Growing up in San Francisco, I considered virtually all my friends more “privileged” than I. Their parents were architects who built their house, lawyers who traveled to Europe every summer, doctors who donated thousands of dollars in fundraisers. But going to Global Village made me realize that my perception of “normal” housing and wealth is not “normal” at all. I grew up in one of the most wealthy cities in the world, and yet I can guarantee that even the poorest of the poor in that city are most likely better off than others who like in the slums of Bangladesh, for instance. This tour was one of the most impactful for me and it has really shifted my perception and my lens of how I see the world.

Aurora

Café Campesino
Amidst the prevalent Waffle Houses, Piggly Wiggly Grocers and Southern-style BBQ pits, we Portlanders have noted (and felt) the great void of coffee shops here in the south.  We enjoyed a little taste of our accustomed NW culture by experiencing a local, organic and fair trade café smack dab in the middle of Americus, Georgia. Although some Southerners scoff at the non-chicory infused coffee, Café Campesino promotes sustainable and fair-trading through direct relationships with their various coffee farmers. The founder of the Café started the business while building a Habitat for Humanity home in Latin America and forming a friendship with a local coffee farmer. In discovering the unfair wages received by the growers the founder decided to bring more ethical and fair practices to coffee consumption in the Georgia area. Currently, Café Campesino roasts all their coffee beans daily in their Americus shop selecting shade grown, organic coffee and from an array of plantations from Bolivia, Ethiopia, Sumatra, Honduras, Peru and Mexico. Being a personal coffee lover myself, I found this fun little café a fantastic connection to our Pacific Northwest roots. 
Lindsey