Selma, AL

Wow! Where to start...today was such an incredible day. There is so much that could be shared. The day started off when we arrived in Selma. We went and picked up Joanne Bland at her house which surprised her. She is an amazing woman and that doesn't even begin to describe her to the degree necessary. Joanne, along with her sister Lynda and so many others, have done so much to help Selma as well as the entire nation. Joanne showed us around Selma and told us many stories from the past. They were all so touching and it is very hard to describe the feelings I felt while listening and taking them all in. She had us walk over the Edmund Pettus Bridge where she, along with many others, marched on "Bloody Sunday." It was such a surreal experience knowing that this was the exact place where this event occured.

After lunch, we went to your service projects which were a lot of fun. I was at the church painting and at first, I didn't think we were going to be able to finish painting the entire thing. I know Sarah said that too, but we all pulled together to finish it. It looks great! The whole place seems so much brighter and more alive. I believe we did a wonderful job. Before and after dinner, Joanne and Lynda we sitting around telling us stories about many things and I thought that was so amazing. I love listening to people tell stories but to sit around in such a casual environment and hear stories about historical events from the people who were actually there was so incredible. There are no words that can fully describe the way today impacted me. I think I speak for many when I way that today was a powerful day and possibly pretty close to the most favorite part of the trip so far if not the most favorite.

I would like to thank Joanne and Lynda for everything they shared with us today and I hope that they continue to inspire people for a long time to come.