October 21, 2024
Young Adult Volunteers filled some downtime at Cafe Justo with a game of Uno. On the third day of orientation for the 2024-25 class of Young Adult Volunteers for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the group had a Sonoran Desert and migration experience led by CATPSIC (Centro Atención Psicológica) drug rehab center and visited Café Justo, a coffee cooperative founded by Frontera de Cristo on Aug. 23, 2024.
At the end of August, many young people, the new group of Young Adult Volunteers (YAVs), gathered from different worlds — some speaking English, others Spanish.
Conversation came slowly and hesitantly as we tried to connect, but the distance of language hung heavy between us. Then, one evening a few days into orientation, everything changed. With just three words, everyone gathered around, and suddenly we were all speaking the same language.
“Let’s play Uno.” The rules are simple, understood in glances and nods, smiles and laughter. The language we had struggled with earlier dissolved, replaced by something deeper. Joy became the bridge we hadn’t known we needed. As someone played a +4 card, suddenly we didn’t need words anymore. Laughter became a universal language. In that moment, all walls came down. The Spirit of God moved through us, carried by the sound of joy. The joy of the
Lord had spoken louder than any language has the power to do. We had found a common tongue, one that didn’t require translation. It was as if the game itself had become a vessel for deeper connection, one that transcends any one language. A game so simple turned into long-lasting memories. We found that sometimes the simplest of things can bridge even the widest gaps, and that joy can be the most profound language of all.
Isabella Ramos, current Young Adult Volunteer
Daily Readings
Today’s Focus: Youth and Young Adult Sunday
Let us join in prayer for:
PC(USA) Agencies’ Staff
Nicki Thomas, Gift Processing Associate, Ministry Engagement & Support, Administrative Services Group (A Corp)
Edward Thompson, Senior Church Consultant, Louisville, KY, Board of Pensions
Let us pray
God of the universe, may our hearts be clear and open, ready and willing, calm and pure.
In the stillness, may we hear the voice of God, a gentle hum, a soft caress. May we find solace
in the quiet, the pauses between heartbeats, waiting to be felt.
And as we close our eyes to rest,
may we drift into dreams where the weary find refuge, where our souls are cradled in the arms of eternity,
where the light of justice guides our every step through the night.
And as we awaken, may our spirits rise above the veils that cloud our vision, untangling the
threads that weave hatred where unity should dwell. In the sacred harmony, may the shadows
that seek to divide us be gently dispelled by the light of grace.
May we always find God in the simple things, for in simplicity lies the beauty of the divine,
ever-present, ever-giving, ever-loving.
Amen.
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