HS Mission Trip Day 1 - LOVE

Hello Everyone!  Sorry that it took us longer then we had planned to get our first post up, but we got up to Camden safely had a first great day!  Some of students wanted to share their thoughts with you about the first day.  The best news that we got today (Monday) is that we are all going to be able to be at the same house because there are so many projects that need to be completed this week!  Put that also means the home owners Ernie and Linda could really use all of prayers not just for the condition of their home but their health and other life challenges they are facing.  It has been a blessing to have the opportunity to be in conversation with them and we believe they are excited to have us there to talk with them and all of the construction that we are going to get completed is going to be a bonus!  Thank you for all of your prayers and support.  I will now pass it on to the students.

*Disclaimer -  Despite what you are about to read no students were harmed in the making of our first work day! 

Today was an interesting day in the life of the Camden Mission trip. Through rain, abrasions, lacerations, and a few contusions, we showed the kind of grit and determination that scrappy gym rats could provide to perform this kind of manual labor. The roof was an interesting task: legs dangling through the ceiling, blood spewing from the knuckles of one the greatest crew members ever associated with Grace Presbyterian (no stiches need just a small Band-Aid and Neosporin ), and nails flinging through the air in a beautiful and sweaty motion. But it wasn’t this intense all day. After a grueling wake-up song, arky-arky, a.k.a Rise and Shine, sung by Curt, we hit the streets en route to the work site. We met the five cute kittens, along with Scout and the other dog. We got to work knocking down a wall inside, stripping the skirting off the side of the house, and pulling nails and tin roofing off of the roof. It all seemed to be going smoothly. But then, disaster struck. Aidan, in his first trip to the roof, was elated! He even got out a nail in his first try! Excitement quickly turned into tears (from laughter) as his leg fell through the roof like a thin sheet of ice. But Aidan chalked the abrasion, patching up and getting right back to work. And then the next thing you know, it’s raining cats and dogs. We took a break to play ninja in the rain, and eventually got back to work. And then the next thing you know blood is spewing left and right. We had to cut new tin roofing which left some sharp edges resulting in deep lacerations to the thumb for Calvin and to the hand for Liam, adding two more to the injured reserve – but they are now day-to-day game-time decisions for the rest of the week.

-Liam “the laceration” Mulvaney

Enter Calvin, Ned, Mary, Aidan and Curt.

The day was warm as the sunshine flooded through the tall green trees. All the others were on the roof or on the single wide interior.

What shall we do Curt the siding has been removed but the foul insulation material still remains? exclaimed Mary

Now that thou hast excavated the siding thou must banish the insulation material to the black bag of the void this is the wisdom I bestow onto thee answered Curt.

Ah, thou hast shown us the light

Exit Curt.

Then me and Ned and Aidan and Mary tore out the siding and the insulation and it was gross. Then we helped with other stuff. Ned and Aidan did most of it.

We then had pulled pork for dinner and played ladder ball and Frisbee games or whatever and climbed a tree yeah. So now were writing this blog.

-Calvin Stonecarver