Today was a great day, and a difficult day at the exact same time.
I had the honor of working alongside some amazing people.
Our second day working for the Southern Appalachian Labor School, we all woke up with a lot of "oh, my back really hurts".
But we had a great breakfast, and after a quick stop at the hardward store, headed off to the work site.
We plunged right in, and we accomplished so much.
John and Matthew were amazing. The working conditions were really not pleasant, yet they perservered, and in the end, cleaned up a wreck of an apartment.
Dottie and I beat the living heck out of the downstairs apartments.
I had the sledgehammer going, and I completely gutted a nasty bathroom, including doing my best imitation of the Incredible Hulk to rip out a fiberglass bathtub, a toilet and a vanity.
Dottie was fierce taking out sheetrock, insulation, and any nail that even dared to stick it's head up in her direction.
Mary, Morgan and Alice were beyond amazing. I've never seen 3 ladies work so hard, lugging one load of trash after another out to the dumpster. They were relentless, and I was so incredibly impressed.
Sadly, during lunch, I learned that my Debbie suffered a terrible fall while skiing with Jacob up at Jay Peak in Vermont. Deb is my entire life, and I would do anything for her. So, I'm getting on an early flight tomorrow morning out of Charleston to fly home to Boston to take care of her.
But....
my memories of my short time in Beard's Fork, West Virginia will last forever.
I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have shared a mission trip with John, Matthew, Mary, Alice, Morgan and Dotty. They did our church and our community proud.
I am already looking forward to our next big mission trip.
For those of you that were not able to join us, I encourage you with all my heart to plan to participate in the next big opportunity. It would be impossible for me to articulate the many great memories I have from this experience.
In my first blog post, I finished with a quote from St. Francis of Assisi's great prayer "Lord, let me be an instrument of your peace - for it is in giving that you receive."
I had a chance to live that prayer this week, and truer words were never spoken.
I have received so much in return for the little that I have given.
I have walked in the path of righteousness for his name's sake, and I am grateful.
I am blessed in so many ways, and I will always be gratefull for this opportunity to serve.
Amen.
RB
I had the honor of working alongside some amazing people.
Our second day working for the Southern Appalachian Labor School, we all woke up with a lot of "oh, my back really hurts".
But we had a great breakfast, and after a quick stop at the hardward store, headed off to the work site.
We plunged right in, and we accomplished so much.
John and Matthew were amazing. The working conditions were really not pleasant, yet they perservered, and in the end, cleaned up a wreck of an apartment.
Dottie and I beat the living heck out of the downstairs apartments.
I had the sledgehammer going, and I completely gutted a nasty bathroom, including doing my best imitation of the Incredible Hulk to rip out a fiberglass bathtub, a toilet and a vanity.
Dottie was fierce taking out sheetrock, insulation, and any nail that even dared to stick it's head up in her direction.
Mary, Morgan and Alice were beyond amazing. I've never seen 3 ladies work so hard, lugging one load of trash after another out to the dumpster. They were relentless, and I was so incredibly impressed.
Sadly, during lunch, I learned that my Debbie suffered a terrible fall while skiing with Jacob up at Jay Peak in Vermont. Deb is my entire life, and I would do anything for her. So, I'm getting on an early flight tomorrow morning out of Charleston to fly home to Boston to take care of her.
But....
my memories of my short time in Beard's Fork, West Virginia will last forever.
I will always be grateful for the opportunity to have shared a mission trip with John, Matthew, Mary, Alice, Morgan and Dotty. They did our church and our community proud.
I am already looking forward to our next big mission trip.
For those of you that were not able to join us, I encourage you with all my heart to plan to participate in the next big opportunity. It would be impossible for me to articulate the many great memories I have from this experience.
In my first blog post, I finished with a quote from St. Francis of Assisi's great prayer "Lord, let me be an instrument of your peace - for it is in giving that you receive."
I had a chance to live that prayer this week, and truer words were never spoken.
I have received so much in return for the little that I have given.
I have walked in the path of righteousness for his name's sake, and I am grateful.
I am blessed in so many ways, and I will always be gratefull for this opportunity to serve.
Amen.
RB
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