https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5 en-us 2020-11-15 22:14:16 UTC 2020-11-15 23:21:28 UTC hello@padlet.com leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925234189 Date of Birth]]> 2020-11-15 22:17:09 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925234189 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925235605 10 years old]]> 2020-11-15 22:18:22 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925235605 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925236133 Graduated High School]]> 2020-11-15 22:18:50 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925236133 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925236938 I began playing college football at the University of North Alabama. This was the first time I had left my small town of Lynn to move to a bigger city with a diverse population. This is the first time I had interaction with someone on a daily basis that was of a different race or ethnic group. I started playing football with black, white, Asian and Korean football players. I had never played ball with anyone other than a white race. It was a small culture shock for a young boy from a small town with one stop sign. ]]> 2020-11-15 22:19:38 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925236938 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925244766 I left my days of playing football to come home and get a job to support my 2 sons and start a family. I got a job in the local trailer plant and met my second diverse challenge of my life. This particular time I encountered Hispanics for the first time on a daily everyday basis. I became a Supervisor over a department and some of my employees were from Mexico and Guatemala. It was a daily challenge to be able to conversate with them because their main language was Spanish and I didn't speak a lick of Spanish. I learned to adapt and began to pick on words through sentences they would teach me. I never could actually understand the language at the time but we figured out a way for us to communicate some without a translator. It was a major challenge for me and I'm sure for them as well but like I said we figured out a way to make the situation work for both of us. I eventually became friends with a few that could speak good English and made the relationship between us very more personal because we all took time to try and understand each other through the language gap.]]> 2020-11-15 22:26:57 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925244766 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925255522 In July of this year I did several things for the first time. I flew on a plane for the first time, went out of the country for the first time and went to a third world country. All in the same trip. During this trip I experienced diversity at its most passionate point. We arrived in Haiti a few weeks after the Earthquake came through and destroyed the country. I not only got to experience my first diverse culture but while it was in turmoil from the disaster. I met a lot of Haitians and listened to there struggle through their voice and the scenes of destruction I experienced while over their. I learned a lot about their culture. Most people their speak what is called Creole language and the schools I visited were churches turned into schools. They were trying to teach them the English language in these schools. Most of the schools were little concrete rooms with no chairs and in some cases a chalkboard. Despite the horrible destruction and living habits, these were some of the happiest people I have ever met in my life. You would think they weren't living in poverty when you would talk to them or see the kids running around with a smile and barely any clothes on. It showed me a different perspective of my life and how I should be thankful for the things I have. It was truly an eye opening experience. ]]> 2020-11-15 22:36:06 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925255522 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925274962 This year I went on my second mission trip this time to build a church on the Crow Indian Reservation in Montana. It was an amazing trip and an adventurous one at that. We were right next to the Battle of Little Big Horn. I experienced once again a culture change when I experienced the lifestyle and ways of the Crow Indians. I learned a lot about how their culture was established and how it was holding ground today even though the world has taken everything from them. I didn't expect to ever meet Indians in my lifetime but I did and helped build them a church so they could worship and praise. It was a once in a lifetime experience. I also got to be up close and personal with buffalo. We toured the famous battleground of the Battle of Little Big Horn. ]]> 2020-11-15 22:51:57 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925274962 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925286994 In May of 2017 I went to Honduras on a mission trip to help build a children's center in a small town called Parque Central de Valle de Angeles. I experienced the true lifestyle of a Honduran while in their country . I had to live just like they do while I was there. No phone service, no electricity, no hot water and hours from the nearest restaurant or grocery store. When i say I lived it I did for 6 days, I experienced their culture to the fullest extent. I also had many encounters with the people of Honduras and their diversity. The only people in the area we were that spoke English were the missionaries and some of the kids that were being taught by the missionaries and us. Everyone else spoke Spanish or a dialect of Spanish. It was truly a major culture shock for me. I had never had to live that way in the states. I always had warm or cold water and air conditioning and electricity and food was just a little piece away. I experienced what they deal with on a daily basis. I will say one of the most amazing things we saw while there was the town get electricity the day before we left. I was an amazing and uplifting thing to see for a country that has such poverty and despair. I truly understand to a point the issues that children from third world countries deal with when trying to transition to the states. It also was another eye opening experience. ]]> 2020-11-15 23:03:50 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925286994 leewith4 https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925297697 2020-11-15 23:13:49 UTC https://padlet.com/leewith4/nbq0l6vk5t8v5hg5/wish/925297697