Today we woke up with a real sense of purpose now that we got a taste of doing
meaningful work. The work crew teams were reworked a bit to give people
opportunities to have different work experiences.
The roofing crew continued without Abe, Hannah, Randy and Marisa who worked
with the kids at VBS. Sophie and Meredith joined the boys on the roof and did
most fine job laying shingles and helping to prepare a floor for staining in another
Hand and Heart Home. The remaining roofing crew almost completed the
roofing, cleared the remainder of the wood pile and finished trimming trees.
The wheelchair ramp crew stayed intact and finished the ramp. A feeling of
accomplishment was evident throughout the team. Happy faces all around.
The group at the cannery (Kat, Llora, Rachel, MaryClaire, Angela, Jack,
Eli, Nathan, Marisa and Laila) made strawberry/green tomato jam. Word
on the street is that the frozen strawberries looked a lot like ground beef
in their frozen state. But I am told the smell of the jam cooking was very
tantalizing and the end product was very good.
We had another group go to VBS (Abby, Zione, Hannah, Merdy, Sheeba,
Alex, Elizabeth, Taylor , both WIlls, Abe and Randy. They did a skit, led the
kids in songs, games and crafts. After working with the kids they went back
to the Parish Center and sorted clothes for the Thrift Shop, moved playground
equipment, did some landscaping, dumpled shingles and made wraps
for house footings.
Another group (Max, Eric, Luke Bobby and Peter) were also at the Parish Center,
and worked on constructing a new playground structure.
After arriving at the church and another mad rush for the showers, we settled
into our small groups and ate a lovely dinner together consisting of the catfish
that were caught the previous evening, coucous, vegetable stew and salad.
All of this was accompianied by delicious bread that James bakes for us
daily. They say you can't live by bread alone, but maybe with this bread you could.
This work would not be as enjoyable or shall we say possible without the stupendous
sustanance that James provides for us. (Thank God for James!)
Dinner was followed by lively discussions at all the tables.
In the evening tired as we were, we all rallied for a lively evening of roller skating
(old school and new school) and taking a few swings at the batting cages
at a local facility. We had a grand time and thankfully just came away with
minor bumps and bruises, nothing major that would keep us from our work,
for we are committed to make a difference through our work in our
short time here.
"Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lots of others,
or strikes out against injustice, he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and
crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples
build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression
and resistance. ~ Robert F. Kennedy
Amen!
--
Deborah Wood
Senior Art Director
