(All New Orleans 2009 posts can be found here)
This week has been about getting to know people and about building relationships. Everyone works so hard and has a great attitude. Trudy Fehr has been amazing as our crew leader – not because she has a commanding presence, but because she works harder than anyone and doesn’t stop unless we have a question to ask. She answers as quickly as she can and gets right back to work.
Kitty has been our on-site spark-plug, providing conversation, energy, and a constant chipper attitude. We’ve laughed a lot, we’ve talked a lot, we’ve teased each other plenty, but we’ve all become better friends.
Brad has been an encouraging workhorse. He and Trudy have become a formidable dry-walling team: Trudy cuts them, Brad puts them up. At this point, at the end of the day, Brad’s hands remain in the shape of the drill handle.
Anna hurt herself today – a large bruise, scrape, and blood spot on her shin. She landed pretty hard, but got right back up and continued to work… until we insisted she sit down and rest. Kitty administered First Aid. We’ve learned so much about Anna this week: she’d like to be a fighter pilot; she loves watching America’s Most Wanted; she’s never been to a movie theatre – and she knows how to use manly power tools.
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Something dawned on me today: we are here doing knuckle-scraping, sweat-inducing work and enjoying it, but why do we only do it here? There is plenty of relief work to do in our own community, for people in our own church even. It’s unfortunate we’ll leave here and get back to life and forget that we could do this at any time. The relationship building and conversational opportunities alone have been worth the trip, not to mention the physical results of the work itself.
It is my turn to lead the devotional tomorrow and I’ve come up with this theme: “The Unspectacular Work of the Spiritual Life”. I’ve posted my notes here (it only needs to be 5 minutes. 5 minutes?!?!?! Is it possible to say anything in 5 minutes?!?!)
