My first trip to Africa was sponsored by a program for college students called “Outward Bound” in 1969. Each participant had to raise money for their trip through their respective parents, relatives and communities. This meant asking people for their hard earned money to sponsor you for the trip to go overseas. We were required to make speeches about our experiences when we got back to church groups, civic groups and other organizations.

My pastor, Rev. Augustus Pearson,(Topeka, Kansas) called me after I got back and asked me to speak to the congregation that coming Sunday! The days leading up to Sunday were brutal with rehearsing my speech; and knowing my peers would be there to snicker and laugh if I made a mistake. That Sunday morning, my father announced that he would attend church services to hear me speak. My father never ever attended church during my years growing up until that day.

Rev. Pearson, told me to answer just two questions in my speech: 1. what did I learn? and 2. how do I plan on using what I learned? “When you answer those questions the audience will know your trip was useful and beneficial”. It is necessary to know what was spent on the Washington D.C. trip; however most importantly, What did you learn and how do you plan on using what you learned?  I hope that our “Leaders” of our community who traveled to Washington, D.C. from Vicksburg will make the effort to answer.

Karen Frederick

Vicksburg