Saturday, March 21, 2009

Saturday Stop

It was a day driving--nearly 1200 km from Christiansburg to Williamsburg. We left just before 7 AM and arriving just before 7 PM. We give thanks to the Lord for excellent driving conditions and a safe arrival home.

Now its time to adjust to life back here. Hopefully, I will do some further reflections in the future, but for now, it's time to do laundry, watch basketball and just sleep in my own bed, without sharing a room.

Friday, March 20, 2009

Friday Finish

Today we wrapped things up as best we could. The "closet" house required some finishing touches on the closet, while the "kitchen" house required sanding and priming in the morning, while in the afternoon, it was given a coat of paint. A few girls stayed at the settlement in the morning and worked in the office, sorting labels that they use as a fundraiser.

The first project was finished, as best we could, by 2pm. The second project group returned at 4 pm. Since everyone was packed, we quickly emptied the truck of tools and filled it up with luggage. By 4:30pm we were on the road, arriving at Christiansburg at 9:30pm. This allows for a manageable drive tomorrow and the weather looks good.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Thursday Thrills

I'm not sure that I would call today a "thrilling" day, but it does alliterate with Thursday. The night was more spills than thrills.

Everyone went on a job site this morning. At the home where we are building two closets, we are also painting the girl's bedroom. That meant that I actually used a paint roller for the first time. It wasn't bad. I think I found my niche. They mudded and put trim up in the kitchen in the other house. Work in both homes continued in the afternoon.

I stayed behind in the afternoon with three girls. They helped out in the post-school program, cleaning up the room and assisted in the reading program when the kids arrived after school. In the meantime, I tried to figure out our options for returning. We decided to leave Friday night after supper and return to Christiansburg, leaving a decent drive for Saturday.

After supper, we had group devotions and then at 7 pm we were entertained with some local talent--two men on guitars playing mountain music. Afterward, many of us went to the gym. In looking for the lights, one of our youth (who will remain nameless, right W.D.?) accidentally pulled the fire alarm. Eventually it got turned off. Then it was a game of intense basketball between the leaders and youth. I did survive, though barely. Right now C.H and R.O are painting my toe nails. (Don't tell mom).

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Wednesday's Wanderings


Wednesday is often an off-day at the Work Camp. But we decided to work this morning. I remained on site with two youth and ended up working in the greenhouses--me, who is definitely not a gardener. At the two project sites, the dry wall was finished and mudded. Because of that, it needed to dry. As a result, we could give ourselves the afternoon off.

And so after lunch, we drove to Pine Mountain State Park, where we walked two trails, one giving us a great view of the valley below and another view of a small waterfall. (Erin got a little wet under that waterfall thanks to Reuben and Andrew.) We played some mini-golf and went to Pizza Hut for supper. It was another afternoon of bonding as a group and exploring the region in which we are working.

Back at the Settlement, we planned tomorrow morning's group devotions, which we are in charge of doing. We're all have a great time. Right now as I write this the group is behind me, playing games just before bedtime.

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Tuesday's Tales


The two projects continued to be worked on. In the one where the closets are being made, they were able to dry-wall the one closet and make the frame for the other. In the other home, the kitchen has been dry-walled. This has been a challenge because of the small space and that it is still a working kitchen. A few girls stayed at the Settlement in the morning, working in the Thrift store, mainly folding bed sheets. In the afternoon, a few did a number of odd and ends around the Settlement.

As for me, I was sent to the "kitchen" site, where I managed to learn how to drill in the screws for the drywall. In the afternoon, I stayed behind at the Settlement, doing some odd and ends, including doing clean up along the road. It is amazing the amount of trash in the ditches. Our garbage bags soon become heavy.

As for the weather, the day started foggy. By noon, the sun come out and it was a beautiful day, over 20 degrees. I was able to wear shorts and T-shirts, and after work to wear my sandals. In the evening program, there was a short presentation about the area. We learned that nearly 30% of the people in this county live under the poverty level (21,000 US for a family of four or 10,000 for a senior). Only 57% have high school education (compared to the national rate of 80%). It is the 20th poorest counties in the US.

Monday, March 16, 2009

Monday Work Start


The arrival of Monday meant we could begin our work projects. Before I describe the two major projects we'll be working on, let me share what will be a typical day. By 7 am everyone from all groups are expected to come together for opening devotions. Breakfast follows at 7:30 am. Then it's off to the various work sites. We come back for lunch at 11:30 and head out again for the afternoon. We end by 4:30 pm, with supper at 5:00 pm. At 7 pm, there is a presentation of some sort, lasting up to an hour. (Today it was a film on the history of the Henderson Settlement.) Then it's free time, except for group devotions. Free time involves games, gym activities, and limited time on the computer. Curfew is at 10:30, with lights out at 11 pm.

We are two main projects. One group is building two closets in a home. I was with that group today. So far, we framed one closet, after cleaning the areas where they will be built. I discovered that I'm not so good at the power drill. I'll leave that for Andrew to do.

Another group is repairing a kitchen--putting up drywall (ceiling and walls) and all what follows after that. Try doing that while the couple is still using the kitchen. Gerald ensured the (loaded) guns were placed in a safe place, before the youth went to work.

Since we'll be working on these projects throughout the week, I'll try to provide more details in future posts. In terms of the weather, it was a very wet day. But at least it didn't feel cold.

Sunday, March 15, 2009

Sabbath Sojourns


On this Sunday we experienced God in worship and creation. In the morning, at 11 am we attended the Hope Methodist Church, right across the street from Henderson Settlement. Afterward, they provided us with a very delicious potluck lunch. mmmmmmmm.......

We then decided to climb the mountain behind the Settlement. This involved a steep climb at the beginning, making me realize how out of shape I am. Then we followed a ridge for awhile, before heading down the backside of the mountain. This proved very interesting, with a small tunnel to go through, as well as discovering a salamander, a vine that Greg climbed and a turtle shell.

After supper, Jerry, the work site coordinator, gave a humorous introduction to the place and the week to come, followed by a brief devotion by the Chaplain. We then had our own group devotion time. By this time it was 9 pm and we had own our personal down time.

(Oh yes, as for the night's sleep, it wasn't bad, but not quite like home.)

Saturday, March 14, 2009

Arrival in Henderson Settlement


We have arrived. We left Christiansburg at 7:45 am after a decent "free" breakfast at the hotel. It was cool and rainy. It rained throughout the day, but thankfully it was above freezing. We made our way to Cumberland Gap National Park, where we had a tour booked at 2pm. This was a two hour guided tour of a large cave, with many interesting formations.

After supper we continued to Frakes, getting onto roads that took us up and around--into the back country of Kentucky. We arrived at 6:30pm and are making ourselves at home here. That's all for now, I'm tired and need a good night's sleep. Will that be possible in dorm style bunks of over 40 people? (There are other groups as well). Stay tuned for the answer tomorrow.

Friday, March 13, 2009

First Day Drive


We left Williamsburg at 6:38 AM and headed to the border. Our prayers for a smooth border crossing were answered, as we just had to show identification, without even leaving our vehicle. Then it was 1200 kilometers on I-81 to Christiansburg, VA, where we are staying at the Quality Inn--sweet. It was sunshine most of the way, though at the end, we had some rain. While we lost the snow in Pennsylania, it reappeared in Virginia, where it must have snowed hours before we drove through. We arrived at 9 pm at the hotel and are now chilling out in the lobby, watching TV and on computers.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Entering Into the Blog World

It is with some hesitation that I enter the sphere of blogging. On the one hand, this is a great vehicle for me to share my thoughts and comments with friends, family, church members and anyone who happens to come by. That's why, on the other hand, I am hesitant to do this. My thoughts will be out there for everyone to see--from parishioners to complete strangers. But given my upcoming trips to Kentucky and South America, I thought it is time for me to make this move. Besides, I usually have to something to say and not everything can be said or should be said from the pulpit.

The name of this blog is "John's Jots." The name goes back to a newsletter that I sent out to friends during the days when mail, rather than email, was the means of communication. The companion to this blog is my Smugmug picture website. It's at http://johnhenry64.smugmug.com. Enjoy the pictures posted there.