Name: Sheena Jacobi

Sheena Jacobi recently graduated from the University of Kansas with a degree in social work. She is currently participating in Mercyworks, a full-time, faith-based volunteer program at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls, an agency that serves at-risk youth. She works in Cooke Home, home to ten young men between the ages of 14-17. The website for Mercy Home is www.mercyhome.org

1. How were you called to your current ministry/service?
   I remember having a sense of social justice at a young age. I think most kids are naturally concerned about what is “fair”, and my parents encouraged this reflection. I saw them active in our parish, always reaching out. In high school I felt God pulling on my sleeve and began to develop a deeper sense of spirituality, a relationship with Christ that felt much more real and authentic. Then someone asked me “What difference does it make in your day to day life that you are Christian?” This really got me thinking about what I was actually doing (not just believing or thinking or discussing) that reflected my developing faith. Service became a natural and enjoyable part of my life.

   In my heart, faith and service are two sides of the same coin, but it wasn’t always easy to merge these two. My social work classmates in college were loving people but didn’t understand that it was my belief in God that compelled me to do social work. My St. Lawrence friends were people of faith but didn’t always have the same desire to serve and be with people who have been pushed to the sidelines in our society. I was hungry for a volunteer program that would encourage growth in both. I worked with teenagers in college and found it to be challenging and rewarding work. So here I am in the Mercyworks program.

2. What are the biggest obstacles to peace?
   I think the seeds of peace begin inside individuals. Do I say I value peace but fail to ask myself questions about what I might be doing (on a small scale) to inhibit it? I heard a quote once that said, “Let everyone sweep in front of his own door and the whole world will be clean.” I need to start asking myself regularly how my choices affect those in the community around me, and ultimately people all over the world. Someone cut me off in traffic today. What did I do? Did I spread anger or peace? If I spread anger, could that person have shown up to work and taken out his frustrations on a co-worker? Do I start ripples of anger or peace? Where do I buy my clothes and how many do I buy? Is there a person in some part of the world whose hands made this shirt that I’m wearing? Does she have a family? Is she paid fairly and able to provide for them? Do I forgive those who have hurt me? Am I a voice of compassion? Of course, none of us are perfect, but peace starts with asking questions of ourselves. And then we can begin to ask questions of others.
3. Describe for us a typical day.
   I work young guys aged 14-17 who have experienced some deep hurts in their lives and want to start working through these challenges. My job is to be there to support them each day. They go to school in the city and I show up at about 3:00, when they begin to get home. A typical night for them includes study time, talking on the phone with friends, watching tv, eating dinner, and doing chores. There are also community meetings, where they discuss their concerns with one another and therapy, where they can sort through the hurts that I mentioned and keep moving forward. Some of our time together is very trying and challenging, for both the guys and me. It’s not always easy to grow, and that’s what we are working towards together. There are also fun moments like dancing in the living room, and moments of success, like receiving a good score on a paper.
4. How do you get the news?
   The Chicago Tribune, CNN.com, Humanrightswatch.org.
5. How do you nurture your faith life?
   I try to take time each day to be in silence with God. The work we do is often emotionally exhausting and I find myself feeling restless internally if I don’t take time to just sit and be with Him. Sometimes I don’t say much of anything at all. I just breathe in and out slowly, rhythmically and I imagine Christ in the room with me. Also, I live in a community with 13 other volunteers. We pray together, ask questions, explore. Community is such an important component of faith! Also, small things like trying to trying to keep my eyes open to moments of grace with the guys. Sometimes God speaks through small moments that I miss if I’m not paying attention. The other day one of the guys and I sat together in quiet for 45 minutes sewing his coat and it was such a peaceful moment. I think in order to nurture my faith, I need to be open to moments when God is nurturing me.
6. Tell us something about yourself that we wouldn’t know.
   My first job was at Chuck E. Cheese. And yes, I did dress as that loveable giant rat from time to time ;)
7. Last good book you read?
   The Book of Mev by Mark Chmiel. It was written by a man who lost his wife to cancer and is a tribute to her and their life together. Mev was a photographer who traveled all around the world to listen to people’s stories and used her camera to share these stories with others. She was a very spiritual person who lived with grace. The book is inspiring, moving, intimate, and real.
8. What were you like in High School?
   Active, spirited, determined to be myself. I loved high school for all the opportunities it gave me to jump in and get my feet wet with sports, service, and youth group. There was also a part of me that felt constricted with my friends. I remember listening to conversations about clothes and guys and asking myself, “Is this what really matters?”. I felt my values developing and wanted to grow in deeper ways, but it was hard for some of my friends to understand this and hard at times for me to separate myself from them and go against the grain.
9. If you were a teenage Peacebuilder you would…
   Try not to be afraid to go against the grain. Read lots. Forgive myself for making mistakes. Know that I can be a maker of peace in quiet ways. People will notice. Ask myself questions. What conversations do I participate in or choose not to? Do I talk about my peers in a way that might be hurtful if they were standing there? Journal. Explore my spirituality. If I struggle to find peace in myself, if I have been hurt by others, work through the pain with the help of those around me. Refuse to let hurts harden me. Rest and be quiet with God. Surround myself with people who encourage the values I want to embrace. Look for opportunities to get involved.
10. What is your favorite comfort food?
    PB and J!
11. Share a favorite quote that inspires you.
    “When you plant lettuce if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look for reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like the lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and argument. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change.” -Thich Nhat Hanh