A Day at Sioux Center: Day 2 at Dordt

When we woke up Friday, it was absolutely gorgeous outside in Sioux Center, IA. We didn’t have to meet with community members until the afternoon, so the morning was used to recover from exhaustion and catch up on work we all had been falling behind on. Then we headed out to a couple spots where the locals liked to spend their time, hoping to continue conversations with students from Dordt and maybe start some new ones.

The first coffee shop was a chic café that fused local charm with a classy edge. Upon our arrival, some students from Dordt were already gathering and we quickly struck up conversations with them. We broke off into groups, some of us just chatting while others gathered with students to play card and board games.

We spent three hours there and spoke with about thirty students; the conversations ranging from intensely spiritual to casual. There were faces we recognized from the day before, but even more new faces eager for dialogue. There was one theme that ran through all the conversations: student’s hearts and minds had been opened.

After a brief break at the hotel, a few Riders headed out with some Dordt students to the local movie theatre, as it was “get in free night” for Dordt students. It was a great decision (despite us being on the point of collapsing from exhaustion – hey, just another day on the Ride). We continued to talk with students about Dordt’s policy and where to go from here. Students seemed really interested in how to create support for LGBT students so that the effect of the Equality Ride would stay alive after our departure.

One of the best realizations of the night came when we saw “Wild Hogs,” a viciously homophobic, sexist and racist movie. After almost walking out several times, we stayed to talk with students afterward about why the movie was so bad. The amazing part was the students got it. For the first time they saw the negative effects homophobia could have on LGBT people. They even apologized for it. It was pretty incredible.

The best surprise came the next morning when we found two of the students we had spent time with the night before at the hotel to see us off. They had stayed awake all night talking about the Equality Ride and the conversations we had been having and decided last minute to come and say goodbye to us on behalf of Dordt College. I could not have thought of a better thing to wake up to.

One of the students who spent the entire day with us sent us an incredible letter telling of the effects of the Equality Ride’s visit. Here are some excerpts from it:

“If someone had told me at the beginning of the week that I would be deliberately making and spending time with LGBT people, I might have told them they were crazy and laughed it off. I admit that I never had any intention of attending any of the presentations or the panel discussion when you guys were here at Dordt. But because one teacher decided that my Sociology class should attend the presentation instead of holding class, my life has been changed, and in an amazing way! My mind and my heart were really truly opened. Never has something really stuck with me this hard or so clear. Everything I experienced in the past couple of days has been so amazing. I met some incredible people and I have come to cherish every second that I spent in their company. God works in mysterious ways. I felt God pulling at my heart and now I understand why….

“I want to encourage you in that no matter what happens, you have friends here at Dordt College that are praying for you the whole way on your journey. You are warriors on a new battlefield. You are a few against many. But your strength is with each other and with God and you will shake the foundations of this nation and the church down to its core. For with God on your side, who will be able to stand against you? Whether you reach an entire campus or just one person, you have made an impact and you have initiated change. And that is something that will stick for life like it will with me. These past two days and the friendships I’ve made will stay with me my entire life.

“What you are all doing is courageous and brave. You face opposition and adversity and yet you continue on. You are all amazing people. I wish you all safe travels and I will pray for your safety as you will probably face communities that were not as pleasant or “accepting” as what you experienced at Dordt. May God watch over you in everything you do and protect you with his loving hands. And may He work in the hearts of those who so strongly stand against you. I love you all and God Bless!”

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