So, finally we're doing the hard work! This morning, we got up super early and packed up, cleaned our cabins, and drove from Miami to Boca Raton in time to be at the Florida Atlantic University by 7:15. Setting up the display was a lot of work, and took approximately an hour.
While the photos were being put up, some of us went out and started to engage the students as they walked by. We each had a stack of pamphlets we'd hold out and ask them what they thought of abortion.
I must admit, I was terrified. The first few people I asked, I felt so nervous I was almost glad they weren't interested in conversation.
But I eventually got braver, and before lunch, I managed to get yelled at by one man and change another's mind by out-logic-ing him.
There were some pretty tough things people brought up, and I mostly got nowhere with people, but I hope I planted a seed, and that the pictures are what they'll remember.
For lunch, we took breaks a few at a time, to ensure there were enough people in the square to engage the students. The Knights of Columbus from Boca Raton brought us lunch, which was so kind and supportive of them.
From the training, I had thought that most of the people would talk, but only about 20% stop to talk, nd maybe 30% take a pamphlet. There were a lot of girls who you'd walk up to, and they would just ignore you, yell at you, or mutter things like, "Get out of my face," or "I'm not answering that."
I walked with a girl to her class across the campus, to discuss when a baby is a human, and to get back, I had to walk down two hallways, go through a door, and take two staircases, as well as trotting back across the entire campus.
Needless to say, my feet hurt. Luckily, I have a photographic memory, and I could retrace my steps.
About half an hour before we stopped for the day, a student came marching up to us and declared she was from Planned Parenthood. She complained loudly that we were a week early, and they weren't prepared yet.
She recruited her friends, who parked a golf cart on the other side of the sidewalk, set up a display board on the back, and stood around yelling, "Let us talk to you about safe sex and get a free [campus credit dollar]!" They were handing out baggies with condoms and candy, and catching students before they could get to us.
Joke is on them, though: there WILL be more of us next week!
We broke shortly after that, and took down the signs and packed them back in the truck. Then, we all sat in a circle in the grass and rehashed anything people wanted to rehash. Questions were answered, stories were told, and testimonies shared.
At the end of it all, Devorah smiled around at us all and said, "Well, this campus is more pro-life than it was this morning, guys!"
Five of us are staying about ten minutes from FAU: Esther and I, and our friends Nicole and Marlissa from Neerlandia, as well as a CCBR staff member called Janelle, who lives in Calgary.
Our host couple are named Patrick and Cindy, just your regular stereotypical American couple just before retirement, extremely enthusiastic about literally EVERYTHING. Everything from sheets to dogs to salmon at dinner is just the bomb.
Their house is big and beautiful, very homey (gezellig), with a lovely backyard, and it backs onto a wide canal full of watercraft. The couple is planning a houseboat trip once they retire in two years.
All of us are totally crashing, and will probably go to bed early tonight.
Tomorrow, it's back to FAU, and then on to Tampa in the evening.
That's all for now!
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