Among the many stories told, experiences had, and
memories made, two young ladies of our group had a few minutes to share some of
their thoughts. Kendall Walker of Saint Pauls’ Church in Hanover and Madeline
Granger of Warrenton have been working hard as part of a crew that has done
demolition, finishing work, more demolition and, you guessed it… more
demolition.
When asked what her first trip here has been like,
Madeline was quick to answer. “It’s been really good and extremely satisfying
to be doing such great work and make a big impact on the families we’re working
for.” She said. “I’ve never really done any of the things that we’ve been doing
this week previously, so along with teaching me new skills, I think it’s a lot
of fun.”
Miss Kendall Walker, on her fourth consecutive
mission trip from Hanover, was more than happy to be back in Hollywood, and
back to work on the job site. “One of the main reasons I keep coming back is
because, not only is it satisfying, you never know what kind of work you will get
to do from year to year.” said Walker. “My first year here, I felt like when I
left my connection with God was made stronger through this ministry. The people
we do this for have very little in terms of possessions, yet they remain
extremely faithful, and I learned a lot from that.”
The two then laughed and reminisced a little as they
looked back on the week about 15 minutes prior to leaving for the job site one
last time. “I’m glad Patrick is ok, and not having seen it, it’s still pretty
funny that he fell through the ceiling.” Said Madeline with a smile.
“It’s nice to be able to hang out with people all
week, both old friends and new. It’s a great bonding experience, and we share a
lot of memories together.” said Kendall
As we sat and put together this blog, long-time
volunteer and co-coordinator Ryan Wilvert walked into the room. With a quick
joke about the girls being in trouble, he exited the room without interview.
The girls
said Ryan’s brief interruption was a perfect example of relationships they’ve
had and built over their time here.
“When I first came on the mission trip, Saint Pauls’
only had like 3 adults on the trip, so we’ve always connected and felt very
welcome by the adults of Saint James’. I only see Ryan once a year, but it
seems like I’ve known him forever.” Kendall said. “I definitely look forward to
coming back, and can’t wait to come and learn new projects. I want to take
every opportunity I have because I know not every person my age has that. I
always learn something new about myself on these trips. It’s a little sad to
think that after next year, I might not have that one week missions trip, but
these memories and experience are something I will take with me forever.”
Madeline agreed about seeing familiar faces and
being made to feel “comfortable” throughout the week. “I think I would
definitely come back and have really enjoyed this experience and have had a lot
of fun.”
When asked what they would like the readers at home
and elsewhere to learn from our trip, the girls shared a little insight. “That
we need to recognize the impact small gestures can make to people. Leftover
lunch can be an emotional treat for folks who may not be able to afford a
watermelon. It’s not only this trip where we have an opportunity to give back
and learn about people that we live with in this world.”
Thank you ladies!
Peace from the south y’all
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