The Aftermath of it All

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By Lisa Raizes
ENP Volunteer Summer 2014
Student at Southern Methodist University

It’s been a little over a month since I left ENP and came back home to Texas. The last day at my center was very emotional. The staff gave me a picture frame with pictures of the memories I had made at ENP along with a sweet letter. Some of the kids wrote me notes or drew me pictures. There were times I had wondered if I had gotten through to the kids with the language barrier we faced, but in this moment I knew my time at ENP had been meaningful. I could tell that even small things like playing a game of checkers had made an impact on them. Showing genuine passion and care is not something you have to say. I showed it, and I knew the kids had seen it.

I still think of the youth and staff at my center frequently. I wonder how the girls nights have gone since I’ve been home, if the kids are improving in their English, if they are happy, if they think of me like I think of them. I don’t just think about the kids, I think about the staff that I grew close to. I think about the community of Ethiopians and how their life is in Israel. I still reflect upon my experience at ENP. I know that I don’t get to see the youth and staff at my center daily like I did while I was in Israel anymore, but I still cherish the memories I made with them.

Thinking of my girls at the Youth Outreach Center and missing the Girls Nights!

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