There's no free lunch!!

So these are my Houstonian thoughts (Some of them are too embarrassing to record, so I will keep those memories in the recesses of my brain)...

1) A big lesson I've learned from that trip is... Plan my next trip more thoroughly.
2) To see a close friend 'hanging in there'... There's nothing like it in the entire world. I thank the 'best head couselor' for giving me that opportunity to be with him for a Shabbos. It had an extremely strong and positive effect on me.
3) It's honestly the first time in my life that I've seen Shluchim who are in it for the cause and are given over heart and soul. There was a time during the Friday night meal with Rabbi Lazer and Rochel Lazarrof, where I wanted to jump up onto the table and scream "I don't understand you guys!! Why in the world are you so worried about improving the living conditions of your Aishel house, when you don't get any money from it?... All you get are people complaining, when they should owe you their life... How can you not just blow up at people who aren't appreciative of all that you do for them?!!! PASS ME THE CHRAIN!!!"
Let me start from the beginning: A little over ten years ago, Rabbi Lazer and Rochel lazarrof moved into 'The Medical Center' district of Houston. It's probably the biggest medical center in the world. It's like it's own city of Hospitals. There are about 25/30 hospitals in this little area. It looks sort of like Las Vegas' strip of all the casinos, except all the big buildings are hospitals... Really cool. Some of the hospitals are seriously world famous. People from all over the world come there for treatments and stuff like that.
Unfortunately, there are Jews also who come to Houston for treatment. Many times family members accompany them there and stay there with them as well. Sometimes the people come for a week, sometimes for several months. It all depends.
Now, when the people come, they have no idea where to start with themselves. They don't know how to get Kosher food, where the Shul is and other important things like that. That's when the Lazarrof's come into the picture. They have a building with living facilities for these family members and these patients to be able to stay in while they are in Houston. It's pretty much free. They also supply you with a car and Kosher food. They also have a Minyan. In short, they hook you up with all your physical needs... For free.
It's called the Aishel House. The amazing thing about it, is the amount of love and care that they have for it. It's not like they give you everything and then expect you to bestow blessings upon them all day and continue to live in the dirty conditions asigned to you. They care so much about you truly being comfortable. If you want a couch in your place, they will get in touch with all their volunteer's and get you a couch. It you want a new matress, they will arrange a new matress for you. They make sure that the person is really comfortable with his little living quarter. I was so touched by it this past Shabbos. I have never ever seen anything like it.
It's physical Shlichus. The job is not worrying about people's spiritual, but rather their physical needs. It's definitely alot harder a job. I think the founder of Friendship circle once spoke about that type of Shlichus and the hardships and pressures that comes with it (Peretz told me that part), but it's well worth it. It definitely is where truth lies. Spiritual Shlichus is not the Emes (In a sense). Being all spiritual and Farbrenging all day is easy. But when it comes to physically taking care of saddened and embittered patients who can't appreciate what you're doing for them, but still continuing to show them love and support... Ah! That is TRUTH!

Anyways, L'chaim! All of us Jews should be redeemed and freed from all of our problems. Some of us have bigger problems, some of us have smaller pettier problems. Some of us worry about how we are going to live through another day alone, while others worry whether or not the cleaners can take out the Ketchup stains on our collars... But they are all worries nonetheless. May Moshiach finally come and take away all worries from us forever.


Gosh! I had so much to blog about when I was in houston... So many thoughts just spill over that it becomes too overwhelming. I forgot most of the things I was thinking about.
Just to mention one that I do remember: Do memories of the past affect our lives in the future? Experiences in life affect our lives and change our character. But can mere memories have a similar effect as well, or are memories just memories?

A final word: On Friday night, Peretz and me were singing the Poltava niggun for his mother. It was seriously a beautiful moment (By the way, hospital rooms have amazing accoustics). Motzaei Shabbos, when I went back to the hospital, The Big Rabbi Lazarrof was there visiting. When we told him about our Poltava singing, he told us how he once composed words for the Poltava which have the theme "There's no free lunch!" ... Hence, this post was named.

Refuah Shlaima to Masha bas Sonia!!! May the rest of life give us shocks of goodness. Goodness that will shake us with the same shock that we experienced when hearing about the tragedy.