Jocelyn

“The first time I went to tutor in Binghampton, a little kid maybe 5 years old walked up to me and asked: ‘White girl, what you doing here?’ I admit I was really self-conscious about my skin color in the beginning, but I kept going back, and after a while the color difference didn’t matter. The kids learned my name and learned that they could trust and confide in me. One thing I’ve discovered in my work there is how important it is to be a constant and loving presence in the kids’ lives, to go to their ball games, to go shopping with them, and to express an interest in what they care about. Being constant is the biggest thing that separates someone who is genuine from someone who just wants to be seen as a good person. You can’t be there just for yourself and be a genuine person. You truly have to care about people. The relationships I’ve formed in just these past two years have grown my heart, and life is so much richer now.

“Being a constant, loving presence is important both on and off campus. I’ve seen people who are ignored because of their nationality, their appearance, or because they are different somehow. Even if they aren’t overtly mistreated, they’re ‘othered’ into a category and dismissed. But God has a heart for all the nations. He calls us to help, to be generous, to love. That means sitting with people, sharing meals together, asking questions, and forming friendships, not just giving them something. God accepts and loves me, and he calls me to do the same for other people. That is why I am choosing to do work in Cambodia this summer and that is why I am choosing to live in Binghampton next year---to share God's love with those who are often excluded."

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