It started with me looking for a service project for my teenage son. It ended with me going along too. Or should I say, it began. Because it was a new beginning for me.
“It” is an annual opportunity each summer sponsored by Episcopal Appalachian Ministries for volunteers to give a week of their time repairing homes in rural Virginia. “Safe, warm, and dry” are the main objectives. This is not like Habitat for Humanity, where you build the houses and the homeowner is right there putting in sweat equity. Homeowners in this program are host families, and are not obligated to do any work. Many of the people we encountered were ill or unable to perform the repairs themselves for a variety of reasons. However, most were able to share a welcome, pleasant conversations, and sometimes some guidance on the repairs.
Since my own church had not actively sponsored a group for several years, my son Joe and I joined with a group from St James Episcopal church in Hackettstown, NJ. This group has gone every year for the past 10 years, and sponsoring them is part of the church’s focus on mission and outreach. The group was headed by the Reverend Cathy Deats, who was also the work camp chaplain for the week. Our group from New Jersey became known as “Cathy’s clan”.
Now our church has not sponsored a group for a few years, but some parishioners, including my oldest son have attended this work camp and been on the teams headed by Cathy. So we were warned – she is very competent as a carpenter and all around handy tool person, so her team gets the really difficult assignments. The fact that she was wearing the pink work boots her husband gave her for Christmas seemed to confirm this!
We left Hackettstown on a Saturday, drove two cars, and stayed overnight in a hotel in Roanoke. The young people in the group went to a minor league baseball game and Christian rock concert by the group Building 429 on Saturday night. Sunday morning, after services at a local church and a Waffle House breakfast, we were on our way to the mountains.
When we arrived at Grace House, the center where our work camp was headquartered, we were warmly welcomed and soon became very close to the others who arrived. Many of the people attending had done this before, and for some it was an annual event. Some of the really handy people had also volunteered with other missions, some in Latin America and the Caribbean, repairing and rebuilding homes and churches. And then there were people like me who can paint and hammer a nail or two, but that was it.
One of the people from the mission commented that the young people who come are always really the cream of the crop – and this summer was no exception. We were joined by teens from Michigan and Minnesota, and all were exceptionally wonderful workers. Each seemed to have a spark of just the right words and personality that made a positive impact on our host families. For some reason, teens have just the right something to get an unresponsive elderly person talking, or to connect with a child.
There are some practical considerations if you want to participate in a church sponsored mission trip like this. I was glad to have incorporated practicing tai chi and walking into my regular physical routine. Waking up from sleeping in a hard bunk bed was very difficult for overweight middle aged arthritic me. Our routine allowed for me to wake up and do the exercises before having breakfast and then going to the worksite. You should be physically fit – not an athlete, but fit or able to manage a health condition in a remote area – before you go.
With a group driving a long distance in different cars, we found that good walkie talkies with a wide range were really an advantage. It helps to communicate “who needs a pit stop” or “Lunch at Cracker Barrel or Denny’s?” or “how are we on gas?” before you turn off the highway! Part of our trip was in a blinding rainstorm, so communicating about pulling over was very important. Of course, it also helps when following someone going lickety split on a mountain road who does not realize that stuff is getting loose on the truck! We also found that cell phones do not work well in the mountains and other remote areas, so they cannot be relied upon for communication. It is wise to bring a prepaid calling card and use a landline if you need to call home or family.
Hot water tanks are often limited in bunkhouses, so everyone was limited to one minute showers. Cathy gave every member of her “clan” an all purpose liquid soap she found in a health food store – you can use it as a body wash and a shampoo. You can also use it to brush your teeth too, but as my son found out you just might appreciate toothpaste or even baking soda if you do this. His “discovery” led to much laughter in the men’s bunkhouse.
Clothes get unexpectedly dirty, so pack several changes of yucky work clothes. One day you might be clean laying tile inside, the next day you are painting, sanding drywall, and working on a roof, or worse, plumbing. That’s serious dirt and sweat. Expect the unexpected. Bring your tools, but label them. They get passed around a lot on a site.
You should also pack plenty of insect repellant, sunscreen, long sleeve work shirts (even in hot weather), and wear a hat even if you do not usually do so. You should leave home an abundance of cosmetics, frilly stuff, or t shirts with slogans that can be interpreted as having “attitude”.
In fact, “attitude” is something that gets adjusted if you bring it with you on a trip like this. One of the teens had some fear about his lack of experience with tools, and confessed to the team leader that he was afraid he would not be much help. The team leader said “Well, you’re not stupid, are you? Oh good. Ok, so you will learn”. And he DID learn, and was a valued member of the team! I also learned a few things I never thought I would – like how to handle a skilsaw. Expect to learn.
Oh, and the attitude that says “I’m on a mission from God, I’m helping these poor souls” – leave that at home too. God has other plans for your attitude, and your perceptions of poverty. I’ll share what I discovered about that plan in part II.