First Day of Work

Hello to everyone from Pipestem!  We had a great first day on the Mission Trip.  The day begins with a magnificent sunrise over the mountains (above).  Credit goes to Allyson for this amazing picture.


While we were awaiting for Terry and Rick (and breakfast) to arrive, we took a walk up the road to the entrance, past goats and dogs.  The lady up the street is the head of the local ASPCA and has quite a few in her yard, all ready to bark at any potential intruder.  Here we are in front of the welcome sign.

At last, Terry and Rick came, packed with lots of great food and hugs and stories.  After a hearty breakfast, we were ready for our first task.  Laura, the director of the Folklife Center asked us what we wanted to do, and we told her that we were here to do anything they wanted us to do - we are ready to serve.  Her project was actually on the grounds of the Center - a library that is actually a log cabin, made in the traditional way needs some serious restoration.

Since the center acts as a resource for the whole county, lots of people in the area use this place.  Kids come regularly for camp experiences.  There are many programs. The library serves as a landmark on the property, the first thing you see when you arrive.  It is a place where people can get some peace and quiet in the midst of activities going on.  It serves as a counseling area, too.  This preservation project will give this place another 30 years of use.

The logs were never stained or treated when it was built, so they were in pretty poor shape, greying with the weather and full of holes and notches dug by insects over the years.  We started out staining the cabin, got two and a half sides done and then ran out of stain.  We used up 5 gallons - the wood was definitely "thirsty" for it.  Most of all, we finished without falling off of ladders or getting stung by the wasps flying all around it.

It now looks great.  The project manager got more stain at Lowes and we will be back to work, finishing things tomorrow.  She said she chose us because she could not do the project with young people, as the stain was oil based and potentially hazardous to young people, not to mention the ladders!  Looks like we came here at a perfect time.

The afternoon brought another project.  The director explained that the rocks underneath a deck by the kitchen is a habitat for mice, which attracts snakes, particularly copperheads.  The plan was to remove the rocks and put cedar mulch down, which snakes don't like.  Definitely a project you don't want to give to a group with kids.  Since the Center serves many children, they are working hard on keeping poisonous snakes out.  Good idea!

After a hard afternoon of work, we treated ourselves to ice cream at the local Dairy Queen, and found a statue of John Henry (of folklore fame) nearby.

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Terry just came back from the Wade Center, an after-school program for underprivileged children in a nearby town.  She was thrown right into the fire - one teacher was out and she was the substitute.  She had a group of second and third graders.  She is clearly exhausted, but is now sitting down and slicing strawberries - what a trouper!  She is totally grateful that they all seemed to have a good time and nobody got hurt.  A true success.  They were amazed that she would be back tomorrow, and I suspect they are looking forward to seeing her again.

All through the day, we were in conversation with Laura, the director about our mission and vision and heard from her about Appalachia, where it's at, what it needs and what kind of vision can help 

West Virginia rise out of the poverty, both physically and spiritually.  We talked about the original vision of its founder, who was an amazing Pastor who clearly saw that changing Appalachia means first transforming the hearts and minds of the people.  To give them a sense of dignity and value.  To show them that things don't have to be that way, to give them hope.

I talked a lot during this Easter about the resurrection of hope.  Mary's hope was resurrected at the tomb, as she saw her risen master before her.  The disciples hope were resurrected on the road to Emmaus, transforming them from the gloom and despair that came from the crucifixion to the boldness and commitment when the realized the resurrected Jesus was in their midst.

Appalachia needs a resurrection of hope, and this happens person by person, just like in the gospels.  We give hope to individuals and believe this will spread.