{ our project is not a porch }

Last night (Monday), after supper and a campus debrief, we returned to the house for our evening devotion and time of personal reflection. This has become a sacred time of communal worship for us, especially concluding our first day at the project site.

Britton shared that she was “happy when Ms. Hester walked outside, saw the progress our team was making, and had a huge smile on her face!”

Roy commented on the team’s accomplishments, “I am so proud of this team and the work we accomplished today – we exceeded our own expectations!”

Another team member stated that while he’s impressed with our progress, his energy was not focused on the real purpose of this trip. “I realized earlier, when we were about to leave the site, that I had only focused on the porch. I did not start conversation with Ms. Hester, or try to establish lines of communication with her. My focus was solely on the finished project. I told myself tonight it would be a shame if all I did while I’m here was build a porch for a lady.”

After everyone had shared their moments, we served one another the Sacrament of Holy Communion.

We also had a belated birthday celebration for Kirsten, who turned 13 last week. In the craziness of preparing for this trip and leaving late Friday, we really didn’t get a chance to acknowledge her special birthday. Debbie was so sweet to get a chocolate birthday cake for everyone to enjoy ….. even though she gave up chocolate for Lent!!!

In a few moments, we will be leaving the Settlement and return to the project site. In order to focus as much time and energy there, and establish a relationship with Ms. Hester, we will not return to the dining hall for lunch. Instead, we will take prepared lunches for everyone, including Ms. Hester. This will cut excess driving and lost time from the project, and provide us with the opportunity to be in relationship with Ms. Hester.

Have a blessed day and keep your comments coming!