Mount Mission
Colleen Wait
Published by: Colleen Wait at Smashwords
Copyright 2010 Colleen Wait
Discover other titles by Colleen Wait at www.Smashwords.com.
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Chapter 1
Mission. The word itself conjures up different meanings to different people. Mission trip, mission statement, mission group, personal mission, missionary. The word could describe a place, an action, a group of people, a building, a personal or business goal, or even a person. To me, whenever I hear the word mission I think of missionaries and I think of highly spiritual people going into a foreign land, usually a very poor place, who teach the word of God as well as educate them in some way. I think of people who sacrifice the comforts of city life to live in huts in Africa and oftentimes die for the cause. I often think of old black and white movies such as the African Queen with Katherine Hepburn where the women are dressed in long sleeves and long skirts who are trying to teach the poor unfortunate natives that it is not good to be naked in the jungle. For some reason though, I always thought these people were amazingly strong and I wanted to be like them.
My job, at a theme park in Florida, surrounds me with people most of whom are not Christians. I do my best to be Christ-like and plant seeds wherever I can. The rules of my job do not allow me to discuss religion with the guests or even with my co-workers most of the time. I do not have the time or the opportunity to do so anyway, so I'm okay with that, usually. I'm not terribly outgoing and I am not the kind of person to introduce myself to a stranger and ask them where they go to church or get into a conversation with a guest and suggest a church for them to go to if they are still in town on Sunday. I do try to be loving and kind to everyone around me and with my co-workers, who all know I am a Christian because I pretty much begged to have Sunday off. I have, however, had a few 'religious' conversations at work and socially with them, but only when they bring it up. However, I still want to do more. I often feel frustrated because I want to share Christ but I feel inadequate to do so. Who am I? What do I say? Will they think I'm nuts? What if I say the wrong things and lead someone away from Christ instead of to him? Many nights I pray for God to use me. Just use me Lord, any way you see fit. Tell me where to go and I will go. Tell me what to say, put the words in my mouth. Use me.
When I joined my church I met with the elders who talked to me extensively about who I was, where I was in my faith, what needs I had, what gifts of mine they could use. Extensively may be stretching it a bit. The talked and asked questions and I answered but I'm not one to tell strangers my life story. Although a bit uncomfortable, that was a new and awesome experience. These people wanted to know me and they wanted me to know that this group of people, God's church, actively sought to do God's work, His will, His plan. I told them I wasn't very educated, Biblically, but that I wanted to work with kids, middle school, high school.
They must have thought I was just being humble because they put me right to work. First with 5th grade for a year and then I moved up into middle school just as the 5th graders graduated and moved up. Teaching gave me the opportunity to learn not only about God and about the struggles of teens but also a little more about myself. As I got to know the kids and their problems, the more I wanted to be involved. Chaperoning was my next opportunity. I went wherever the kids went. Most of the time I simply played games with them, discouraged arguments, made sure they were where they were supposed to be, and listened. I listened a lot.
The first mission trip the Youth Group went on after I came to this church was to Belize. I was unable to go for a variety of reasons, work mostly. The Sunday after the group returned sparked a keen interest deep in my soul. The kids spoke about how the trip changed them, changed their perspective on life, how seeing what poor really was made them appreciate their life and their freedom more so than many of them could articulate. Immediately, I thought, I want to go. I want to experience that. I want to make a difference. I want to be spiritually on fire like them.
Shortly afterwards, our church hired a new Youth Minister. He was young, roughly the same age as me, and newly married. One day the other chaperones and parents and I planned meeting with him. I was anxious to hear what his plans were, what he planned to do differently, what he planned keep the same. I felt for him because the kids absolutely adored the previous Youth Minister. He had been at this church for nearly 10 years and had brought many youth to Christ and instilled great values of leadership in them. I hadn't known him long but was saddened at his decision to retire.
I sat down in the back of the room during the meeting because I wanted to observe. I tend to do that a lot. I liked to watch and observe how people interact, see what their body language revealed about their personality. Dan and Missy walked in escorted by one of our elders. Dan was friendly, shook hands with the parents and interacted easily with the kids. Missy stood quietly by his side, smiled and nodded, but seemed a little uncomfortable.
"Hi everybody. Thanks for coming," began Dan. "Today's meeting is simply to give everyone the agenda for the year. I have learned in my short time here that this group of students is very active, and I like that a lot. We will definitely continue that."
Missy passed out the agenda, which I read over carefully. Sure enough, Mission Trip was the first item during summer break. What he said about the mission trip, however, angered and confused me.
"This year, due to the expense and also because of political turmoil, we will not be going out of country. The student mission trip will be, however, out of state. I do not have all of the details yet. Actually I don't have any details but I will give them to you as soon as I have it nailed down."
What? No Mission Trip? I didn't understand how he could do this. Every year the kids plan on the trip. They would do fundraisers for 6 months to raise the money. Suddenly, new guy here comes in and changes things? If the kids are to stay in country, why not do a local trip, here in the state? There are plenty of poor and needy here. We should simply stay and take care of our own. We could stay at a state park for a week or even camp out in the homeowner's yard. I wanted to raise my hand and voice my opinion, but didn't. I disagreed with the idea so I just resolved to stay out of it and not go.
Reluctantly, I decided to simply take a back seat and try to get to know the new minister. After all, he is in charge, not me. Perhaps there were other reasons I was not aware of for his decision to have a local albeit out of state trip. Still, to me it was not really a mission trip unless it was out of the country.
Several months passed without mention of the mission trip.
"Parents and youth workers are invited to come to a meeting regarding this year's mission trip," stated Dan from the pulpit. "This is open to all students currently in 6th to 12th grade. Please meet in the youth room immediately after Bible Class."
Hmm, curiosity got to me. I thought maybe I would go just to see what he had come up with. Maybe he had changed his mind and he was planning an actual mission trip.
"Okay, so, as you all know we are not going to Belize this year. I have been talking with a group up in North Tennessee called Mountain Home Ministries. I'll give you their web address so you can check them out."
Dan went on about how they are a nondenominational group who started out doing adventure and summer camps for youth groups then branched out into service as the need arose. Dan learned of the group from a youth minister's conference and had been studying and researching how our church could get involved. He decided on doing a service project through them which would include the entire youth group, 6th grade and up. I had to admit that was a good thing because out of country trips were only for those finishing 9th grade through college.
The trip, Dan said, would be an adventure. Everyone would live in tents at a National Park for the entire week. The first 4 days would be for the service project, most likely home repair of some sort and then the 5th day would be an adventure day. He didn't know exactly what yet. Chaperones were needed, the number would depend on how many went but they needed 1 for every 3 students. Specifically 1 male chaperone for every 3 guys and 1 female chaperone for every 3 girls. He and his wife, Missy, would definitely go so they needed at a minimum 1 more man and 1 more woman.
Dan asked if anyone was willing to volunteer and could commit right now. Several men raised their hands, but no women. I said a quick prayer. This was not what I wanted. This was not my idea of a mission trip. This was a short drive to the mountains to a park. Was it what God wanted for me to do? I had been praying for a very long time for God to lead me, to put me to work. I had prayed - where you lead me I will go.
I raised my hand. "I'll go." Maybe this isn't my idea of a mission trip, however, I did want to get to know Dan and Missy better. In the few short months they has been here Dan and Missy had been busy getting to know the kids and I had been busy with work. I had lots of camping experience as a Girl Scout when I was younger and my mother was a scout leader. My parents were big Do-It-Yourself project people who taught me how to use tools. Maybe I could be of some use here.
"Thank you, Holly," answered Dan. I will get with all of you when I have all the details, dates, costs, and all that."
Well God, it's time I put my faith in you and let you use me. I have no idea what your plan here is, but I'm willing, I think.
I cleared the dates with my boss the next day who was actually quite enthusiastic. He had gone on mission trips when he was a teen and had enjoyed them. I had no idea. My boss didn't seem like the type, not that he was a bad person, I actually thought he was fair, just didn't see him as a Christian. I hope I don't get that same reaction from people, that 'Oh, I didn't know you went to church'. I believed I have failed as a Christian if people thought that of me.
Chapter 2
Mission trip day finally arrived. As much as I was against this being an actual, official "Mission Trip" I was in reality excited and looked forward to the 12-hour drive. There were 16 of us going; 6 girls, 6 boys, Dan and Missy, Bruce and myself. Bruce was the father of one of the High School boys, Tony. We all met at the church at 6 a.m. Sunday morning. Some of the kids showed up wearing their pajamas as they simply rolled out of bed and into their parent's cars. Before getting into the large passenger van I talked to some of the parents who nervously instructed me to keep their kids safe and applauded me for being the brave one. I shrugged it off because I didn't feel brave. Unbeknownst to anyone, I was very nervous. Excited about the adventure, yes but nervous about the whole spiritual side of the trip. I was going somewhere I had never been before with people I didn't know very well to do God's work. That was intimidating.
The kids finally loaded into the van, girls in the back, boys in the front because Dan and Bruce were doing the driving. Missy sat up front behind Dan. I had hoped to sit next to her so we could talk but one of the other boys beat me to it. Maybe, I hoped, later in the trip I'd get the opportunity. I found a seat in the middle next to the youngest and most nervous of the girls, Krista. She had just finished 6th grade and had never been on an overnight trip with the youth group.
"Okay guys," announced Dan, "unplug. Electronics off." The kids groaned and I said an Amen to myself. "You were told this was an electronics-free week and it starts now. There will be NO electricity at camp. If you want your phone and music for the ride home, shut them off now and leave them off."
"We can still have music," Tony said enthusiastically, "we can sing just like we did on the way to the concert last month!"
Most of the kids agreed, but later, much later, like after they woke up. I laughed to myself, everyone was still half asleep. In fact, the kids were tired because they had just finished school less than a week ago and were worn out from exams and graduation. Two of the kids, Tony and Lily graduated High School only 10 days ago.
Minutes into the trip, the kids were fast asleep. This group of kids sincerely loved each other. It was obvious by how they talked and laughed and laid on each other on trips. It was often like a pile of puppies, each one using the other as a pillow, some on the floor, girls laying on the benches with feet in their faces. I never had to worry about the boys and girls acting inappropriately with each other because they were like one big family, treating each other as brothers and sisters. In fact I sat with one girl's head in my lap. Soon, I was also asleep.
At lunch time we awoke, groggily ate lunch then got right back on the road. The plan was to make as few stops as possible because we were due at the campsite at 7 p.m. A few of the kids began to sing while the others chatted about school, summer plans, and of course my all time favorite subject on long road trips - bodily functions and the noises they make. Dan and Bruce pretty much ignored all the noise and chatted about sports while Missy sat quietly and listened or read her book.
Suddenly, the van began to make a weird thumping noise and one of the girls shouted "I think the trailer blew a tire!" Sure enough, the tread of one of the 2 tires on the supply trailer had shredded. I told everyone to calm down and be quiet so the driver could concentrate. Bruce slowed then got off at the next exit. It was a small exit, only a few gas stations, no town according to the road sign. Bruce and Dan decided to turn right because they could see the sign of a gas station and it was the shortest distance to travel. As soon as we turned into the parking lot I saw it.
"Hey Bruce," I hollered over the kids, "there's a Tire Mart across the street!" Imagine that, we get a flat and God puts a tire store right there where we needed one.
One hour and 1 new tire later the 16 of us pile back into the van. This time I sat in the front passenger seat and Dan and Missy sat together in the first row and the girls and boys played musical chairs sitting in different seats.
"Let's say a prayer before we get back on the road," Dan said as we got settled. "Satan may be trying to slow us down, but God is one step ahead." Dan said a prayer then called to let the staff people at the camp know we would be delayed.
The front seat was quiet. I watched the cars and the scenery go by as I listened to the kids chatter. Dan and Missy napped. Occasionally Tony would break out in song and the kids would get caught up in praise. Again, I sighed at the fact that I hadn't had the opportunity to talk to Missy. Maybe I'm just impatient. I really wanted to get to know her and I had hoped she wanted to get to know me.
A short hour after leaving the tire shop, BAM, THUMP! "What did we hit?" I asked Bruce.
"You have got to be kidding me," was his answer, "the other tire just shredded and it took off the rim. You know, I was thinking at the tire store that maybe we should go ahead and get 2. Live and learn."
Dan got on his GPS to try to find another tire store while Bruce slowly got off at the next exit. This one was even smaller than the last. No gas stations at either of the 4 corners. "Turn left, there is a town that direction."
Bruce drove to a tire store listed on the GPS, but it was closed. He stopped while Dan made a phone call to another store, which was too far away and didn't have the tire we needed. The clerk suggested we go to the SuperMart down the road, which had an auto service department. Slowly, Bruce drove to the SuperMart. They had the tire in stock but it would be at least an hour before they could get it done. I suggested I take the kids inside the store since it was so hot. We could get something to eat there and save time by not stopping again for dinner. Missy stayed with Dan and Bruce while I took 12 bored teenagers into the giant SuperMart. We meandered through the store until we found a small food court. Not everyone wanted to eat there so I told the ones who did to stay put while I took the others to find something to eat.
I was glad to take them around because I don't eat fast food either. Especially the one there. It looked, well, not appetizing or healthy in the least. While everyone was sitting down eating Bruce came over to let us know the tire was being worked on but it would be a little while longer.
"Can I go get some gum?" asked Lily.
One by one they all chimed in that they wanted to get gum or candy or a drink to go.
"Yeah sure," I answered, "we've got some time to kill, but we have to stay together and then hit the bathrooms on our way out." Like a momma duck, I paraded the teens through the SuperMart, stopping to get gum and chips and drinks and all the while the other shoppers stopped and stared. We were in a tiny little country town and were obviously from out-of-town.
As soon as we left the bathrooms I saw Dan coming towards us. "All fixed."
"Great timing," I said. "We were just headed your direction."
Missy was sitting in the front passenger seat, so I waited until everyone else found their seats before I got in. Dan climbed into the driver's seat and Bruce waited behind me. I figured he would want to sit up front so I got in the back with the girls.
"How many tires are on that trailer, Dad? asked Tony.
"Very funny," he answered. "So the lesson here is, when one tire blows, buy new ones all around."
Everybody laughed then Dan said another prayer that the rest of the trip would go uneventfully and safely. I prayed as well, silently, that I could do God's will on this trip and in His timeline. I had an agenda, was it God's? I had decided that I wanted to get to know Dan and Missy on this trip. Well, it's been 10 hours and I had barely spoken to either of them. I hadn't really had conversation with anyone yet. I shouldn't be surprised. This is the way most trips with kids were. They laughed and played and I, the adult, usually wasn't included. Maybe that's my problem, I wanted to be one of them. I was single so I wasn't in Dan, Bruce, or Missy's circle of friends, and I was not a teen, so I was not in theirs. I knew I needed to find my place in this group or I was going to be very frustrated and lonely.
I sat quietly the rest of the trip and simply listened and observed. I learned which kids were the leaders, which were the followers. Which were more mature than the others. I pretty much knew all this already but it was interesting to watch for long periods of time. It was impressive how well they all got along. Usually when kids are in close quarters for a short period of time they start getting grumpy and argumentative but not this group. After 12 hours in the van they were still sitting on top of each other laughing and singing and even debating scripture. The one topic that lasted the longest was whether or not you should say "I promise."
"The Bible says not to swear," stated Philip.
"Yeah," agreed Hunter, who was usually a very quiet petite girl who rarely spoke up "that means you don't have to say I promise. If you do you will be condemned."
"Actually, it says let your yes be yes and your no be no," corrected Tony.
"That's the same thing," Lily added, "if your yes is yes you don't have to promise or swear by anything."
"I don't remember seeing that," said Benji, "where is it in the Bible?"
"I don't remember," Tony said trying to think.
"James 5" I said.
"Oh, cool," Tony whipped out his Bible to look it up, "James 5 what?"
"12, I think," I remembered that verse because my ladies Bible class studied the book of James a while back and it came to bite me in the rear not too soon afterward when I didn't want to answer someone and said maybe when I really meant no. I then had to go apologize to that person when I realized what I had done. It was a good lesson for me.
The kids went on to debate when you could and could not say I promise and how you are told to do so in court and so forth. The debate went on until we got to the mountains and the scenery grabbed everyone's attention. Until this point the roads had been the typical highway lined with billboards. When we turned off onto a smaller road we were instantly in a whole new world. Tall trees, not palm trees, flanked us on either side with small houses dotting the land. The road twisted and turned, rose and fell as we climbed the mountain. Most of the kids had not been this far north. I had not been this far north. As I watched the road I was in awe of the beauty of the mountain. On the right was a steep rock face with trees and flowers climbing upwards to find the sun. To the left was a severe drop off with a tiny creek far below. Then suddenly we would make a hairpin turn that went up then turn again and go downhill.
I got a little dizzy as I watched the road twist and turn, then my stomach would drop as a car would zoom around the corner seemingly straight at us. Up the hills Dan would have to put the van in a lower gear to get all of us and the supply trailer up and then again to get us down slowly. There were moments when I was a little afraid like when we rounded a corner going uphill and came upon a man riding his bike and there really was no good, safe area to pass or for him to move over. Why anyone would ride a bike on a road like that I'll never know.
As we got closer to the campground the kids got more and more excited. They were tired of being in the van and anxious to get to our destination. I felt the same way. The mountains and the forest were beautiful and I wanted to get out and explore.
"Hey Holly, did you bring your running shoes?" asked Bruce.
"Yeah, I did. Do you know if there are any good trails? I've got a race next month." I was an avid runner as was Bruce. Dan and Missy had just started running and we had all casually mentioned bringing our running shoes at one of the meetings.
"I think so," he answered. "I looked at a map of the campground and there are several hiking trails that we can use."
"Hey there it is," Missy pointed to a sign, "Brandy Creek Campground."
"Okay, so now where?" asked Dan.
Missy read the directions the Mountain Home Ministries staff had given them. "Go 5 miles then turn left at campground #2. Then go to site #4."
The road twisted and turned so the 5 miles seemed more like 15 miles. Bruce tried to call to let the staff know where we were but the phone service kept dropping and he couldn't get through. We were 3 hours late, it was dark, and the staff hadn't heard from us in more than 2 hours.
"There it is," I exclaimed, spotting the sign for campground #2.
Dan turned in and we came to a fork in the road. "Right or left?"
"Doesn't say," said Missy.
Dan hesitated for a minute while we looked for any indications of which way we should go, which there were none, then he turned right. A minute later the headlights lit up a big banner 'Mountain Home Ministries'. "We are here!" he declared.
Chapter 3
"Hello, welcome. So glad you made it here safely," greeted a young woman in shorts, an old flannel shirt, and a bandana holding back her hair as we got out of the van. "My name is Sunny and this is Nate. We are your MHM staff and will be with you all week."
Dan shook hands with Sunny and Nate then introduced the rest of us. Sunny was just like her name, very upbeat and cheerful with a big smile. She looked like she belonged in the mountains with her bandana, braids and hiking sandals. Nate was a nice-looking guy with curly black hair, grungy t-shirt and shorts, the same hiking sandals and a kind face.
After the introductions Sunny immediately broke us up into groups and then she and Nate showed us how to set up our tents. I would be in a tent with Krista, Lily and Hunter. The 4 of us set up the tent, mostly in the dark. Fortunately, the moon was full and the sky was clear. The moon gave us just enough light to see once our eyes had adjusted. I remembered enough from scouting how to set up the large tent without too much help. Missy and her girls set up next to us and the guys set up their tents down a path on the other side of our van and the staffers truck. Behind the vehicles a large pop-up tent had been set up by Nate and Sunny. The adults were instructed to meet there after tents were done for a briefing.
"Again," began Sunny, "Welcome. I know you guys are tired after such a long trip so we will make this as quick as we can. The four tent groups were set up beforehand by Dan. Is that how you want to keep it? Any cliques need to be broken up?"
"No that's fine," answered Dan.
"Cool. Okay, so now we need to make 3 work groups. We will have chore groups for camp and 3 groups for the work site. We can have the same groups for each or mix it up, your call. Let me tell you what each will be doing before you decide. I'll tell you about camp and Nate will tell you about the work site. Around camp everyone works. We, you, the kids will cook the meals, clean up after meals, and lead morning and evening worship." Sunny held up a chart, "this is the daily schedule. I will go down every day and write 1,2,3, 1,2,3 or however many groups you decide. First slot is breakfast, 2nd is morning worship, 3rd is lunch, 4th is dinner, 5th is evening worship. So the first day group 1 will do breakfast and dinner, group 2 will do both worships and so on. The list will be posted on that pole so everyone can see what their job is every day. Our motto is 'Show, Help, Let' which means first we show the kids how to do things, then we help them, and finally we let them do it on their own. So your job as leaders is to show, then help as needed and finally, the hardest is back off and let them do it. So with that in mind, Nate you're up."
"Hey. I'm Nate and I'm the staffer over the work site. Your service project this week is home repair. The family is the Hubbard family. Mom, Dad and 4 kids. They live in a trailer. Dad had an accident at work, broke several bones and hurt his back. He has been off work for over a year. 6 months ago we had some really bad storms. It blew over a shed and tore off siding from their home. What we will be doing is replace the siding, building a chicken coop and clearing land for a garden. There is a lot of debris in the yard so the first thing that has to be done is clean and clear. There are 12 kids and 6 adults so we need 3 groups with 2 adults and 4 kids and since there are even numbers of boys and girls I suggest this, Dan and Missy as leaders of group 1, Bruce and Sunny as leaders of group 2, and Holly and I as leaders of group 3. Each day we will assign one of the kids to be site leader for the day at the work site. Sound ok so far?"
"Yeah," stated Dan, "sounds awesome so far."
We spent the next few minutes splitting up the kids into the 3 groups. My group consisted of Lily, Krista, Benji and Philip. We would tell them the next morning before breakfast and then at the work site Sunny and Nate would tell us exactly what each group would be doing. I was excited to finally be here and getting to work. I thought having the kids be responsible for and doing everything around camp was a great idea. I remember one of the kids, I think it was Tony, stating that he wished they lived among the people in Belize instead of going back and living in a comfortable hotel. Looked like he got his wish. As we wound up our meeting, the sounds of singing wafted in. Tony was doing his thing, he was a great leader and all the kids looked up to him.
"One more thing," said Sunny, "did you write a covenant? The rules to live by while you are here?"
"We did," answered Dan. He pulled out a sheet of paper that everyone had signed. "Our covenant starts with 429, which is Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen."
"Awesome, I like that," said Nate.
"The rest," continued Dan, "is based on that. No complaining. Take serious moments seriously. Bathe every day. That was from the girls to the boys. No pairing off, no excluding anyone. Be considerate to the family we are serving."
"We will post that right next to the chore chart so that everyone can see it." stated Nate who took the covenant and taped it to the pole. "Okay, that's it for tonight."
Exhausted, we all fell right to sleep the minute our heads hit our pillows in our relatively comfortable tents. Much too early, the sounds of birds chirping woke me up. Whip-or-whill, whip-or-whill, the bird sang out from a distance followed by another bird closer by. I opened my eyes briefly enough to see that it was still dark. I closed them to try to go back to sleep. Whip-or-whill, whip-or-whill the bird called out from what sounded like a closer tree top. I willed it to be quiet but it didn't. I turned on my phone briefly to see what time it was. 5:20 a.m. Oh good grief. Whip-or-whill, whip-or-whill. I sat up and put on my running clothes as quietly as I could and crept out of the tent. The sky was still dark but the moon was bright. Carefully I made my way to the bathhouse. It was the only building in the campground and down a long path away from the tents. There were 2 toilets, and 2 sinks. No showers. No showers concerned me. How were we to wash up? In any event, that was on the girls side. I assumed the boys side was the same. On the way out I met up with Bruce.
"Ready for a run?" he asked.
"Yeah, but I have no idea where to. No showers in our side, you?"
"No, but I found this map in the bathroom," he said, showing it to me. "We can follow this road until it gets light and then look for a trail."
"Sounds good to me." We took a minute to warm up then started off down the road. He was a little slower than me but I wasn't about to run off in the dark in the woods by myself.
A mile or so down the road the sun began to brighten the sky and we could see the beauty of the park with its tall trees and the feel of serenity all around. The woods even smelled good like the earth should. It's hard to explain how woods smell besides saying earthy. It isn't fragrant like a rose or like in a barn or even like the smell of a freshly cut Christmas tree. It smelled like all those things wrapped up together. It smelled like dirt after a gentle rain. Not stinky mud that's been run through with cars and people. The smell of the earth is a deep organic smell that you never forget.
"Look," whispered Bruce.
There in the middle of the road was a deer. A buck with huge antlers. We slowed as he lifted his head and looked at us. Hi deer, I said to myself. Good morning deer. In an instant and with one leap, he was gone. "That was cool, thanks God," I said out loud in a hushed voice.
"Hopefully we will only see deer and no bears."
"Bears?"
"Yeah, didn't you see the signs on the trash cans?" asked Bruce as we picked up our pace. "It said to keep all food locked in vehicles."
"Oh, yeah, I did see that. Hot dogs are a bears enemy or something. I think we were loud enough last night to scare them off." I half joked, trying not to think about a bear being just around the corner.
The air was warm and humid so we turned back after only about 15 minutes. When we returned, the sky was brightly lit but it was still early and no one was awake yet. Sunny and Nate were asleep on a tarp next to the big pop-up tent so Bruce and I silently went our separate ways to wash up and change. When I returned from the bath house Sunny was awake, sitting up in her sleeping bag and Nate was stirring but not up.
"Good morning," she said, "you're up early."
"Yeah, some loud bird woke me up and then Bruce and I went running. We saw a deer."
"You run?" she asked.
I nodded yes.
"Oh. The bird is a whippoorwill. They are all over the forest here."
"That's what I thought. They sound just like their name."
"Where did you run?" Nate asked groggily, still lying in his sleeping bag with his eyes closed.
"Just down that road," I pointed in the direction, "about 2 miles. We thought about bears after we saw the deer so we decided not to go on the trail."
"I don't think there are any bears right now," said Nate. "I ran the trails the other day and left out some food and didn't see any signs."
"Oh, good to know," I said.
"Well, its time," Sunny said looking at her watch. "Good-mor-ning," she stood up and sang as loudly as she could. I couldn't help but giggle as she walked around singing the good-morning song.
"It'll be like this every morning," grinned Nate.
I liked to sing so I joined in with her catchy good-morning song. Good morning, good morning, the sun is brightly shining. Good morning, good morning the sun is brightly shining. Its morning, its morning, time to shine time to shine.
Once everyone was up and gathered around the big tent Sunny and Nate informed everyone about the work assignments and showed how it would all work. The food was kept in their trailer, the water pumped fresh from the pump across the path. Sunny showed us how dishes were to be washed. 3 large tubs were filled with water. One with soap for washing, one for rinsing, and the third with bleach for sanitizing. Scraps went into the bear-proof trash cans and the dirty water thrown into the woods. There were no showers, as we all had figured out by now.
"Down that hill," pointed Nate, "is a creek. It is shallow, rocky, and clear. You can rinse off in it. However under no circumstances is there to be soap in the creek. If you need to use soap, take one of these buckets, fill it with water from the creek, then walk over to the flat rock on the far side to rinse off. It angles off towards the trees so the soapy water won't go into the creek. At night, or after dinner the girls then the guys can go down in groups. Clothes or bathing suits on at all times. You can change in the bath house. There are ropes that can be strung inside or outside the bath house to dry towels and things."
"Also, down by the creek," continued Sunny, "is a nice spot to have devotions. We have other places to go to as well. Any questions?"
"When is breakfast?" asked a hungry teenager.
"Group 1," answered Sunny, "you're up. Oh, another thing. Breakfast is at 7:30 sharp. Last one in the tent has to do something embarrassing!" she said with a menacing but funny laugh.
"Group 3," called Nate, "follow me. We have lunch to pack."
After breakfast we hiked a little ways down a path to the creek and then up the creek to a small clearing that had been set up like an amphitheatre. Several rows of benches faced the creek and in between the benches and the creek was a small stage. As we gathered around and found our place on the bench I soaked in the beauty of the area. The creek gurgled softly while the morning birds chirped. A soft breeze blew swaying the trees just enough to keep us cool. The sky was clear and cloudless, it would be a hot day in the mountains. I had expected and packed for much cooler weather.
Sunny and Nate took the stage. "Today, Sunny and I will begin the devo and then you guys can take over." Nate began with a prayer then said, "You guys are here this week on a mission trip to serve a family in need. In Matthew chapter 20 Jesus says that he didn't come to this earth to be served, but to serve. Why did you come?"
The group was quiet for a minute then one by one each of the kids stated why they came. Tony was the first to speak.
"As Christians we are called to be imitators of Christ," began Tony. "I serve because Jesus served. I am here to be Christ in the eyes of the family we will be helping."
I was surprised at such a profound statement from such a young person. The next person stated they came to share Jesus, the next to help, the next because it is what they are taught, help the needy and the poor. Dan shared his experience growing up in a poor area similar to this and wanting to show the kids that there is poverty everywhere, that we didn't have to go to a foreign country to do God's work. The sincerity in everyone's statements and the love in their hearts moved me to tears. I couldn't speak, I couldn't say why I was here. My initial thought was anger at this trip, I was against it. I felt completely unworthy be here at that moment.
We sat in silence for a few minutes then Sunny spoke, "Take the next 15 minutes and read Matthew 28. Focus on verses 16 through 20."
I opened my Bible and read about the resurrection and the Great Commission. These were the versus I had studied in deciding whether or not to go on a mission trip. I prayed that God would use me this day, that I would forget myself and simply serve. Opening my eyes, I noticed each one of the kids and adults around me deep in study, thought or prayer. They were truly taking serious moments seriously. No one was goofing off or whispering or doodling or fidgeting. Silence was called for at this moment and the only sounds were that of the bubbling creek.
Lily began to sing when the time was up. Everyone joined in raising their voices heavenward. I saw surprise in Nate's eyes at this spontaneous song service. Maybe he was just surprised that a girl led us. He and Sunny joined us as we sang several songs and my heart was filled with joy. Tony closed us out in prayer and we silently walked back to camp and got in the van.
The trip to the Hubbard family home took 30 minutes through the winding roads. We passed large stately homes followed by rows of shacks and trailers. I saw a few very old wood-planked houses far off the road with rusty pick-up trucks in the yard and several hound dogs running around. In nearly every yard was a garden filled with tall rows of corn and other vegetables. Cows were everywhere. Not once did I see a subdivision or an apartment complex. Houses dotting the landscape was a new experience for me. Many of the homes had large flower beds with brightly colored flowers in them. Tall old trees were everywhere. I had never seen so much green. It was early June and already hot. I wondered what it looked like in December.
The road narrowed as we turned off the 2-lane highway. The trees came closer to the road, the turns became sharper and the road turned from pavement to gravel. We slowed down in front of a long row of tall weeds or brush to the right and to the left was a tiny cornfield. The MHM staffer's truck made a wide turn, backed up, then started forward again. Oh no, I thought, can our van and trailer make the turn? After several tries, Bruce was able to squeeze into the driveway. A fence on the left held up an old scarecrow. To the right were more vines and brambles. In front of us was a sight that made me want to cry. 2 very old trailers stood under tall trees. The siding was gone on one. There was debris and trash everywhere. Lumber, siding from the home, an old picnic table, piles of chicken wire, trash cans full of soda cans and beer cans. On the far left side of the trailer was a trash pile used for burning household trash. On the far right side were several piles of new lumber and materials for our projects. I took a deep breath. We had a lot to do.
Sunny and Nate gathered us in front of the trailer home then knocked on the door. A young woman, maybe late 20's opened the door and stepped out. She was dressed in cut offs and a faded tank top and no shoes. Her hair looked like she had just gotten out of bed and quickly pulled it into a ponytail. Sunny introduced herself and asked her to come out and meet everyone.
"Is the rest of your family here?" asked Sunny.
"No, ma'am," she said in a thick accent. "My husband didn't want the kids to be in you'uns way so they went to the crik for the day."
"Oh, okay. Then we will get right to work. We would like to have a prayer over you and your family and then explain to everyone what they will be doing. You are very welcome to stay outside and help in any way you would like."
"Okay."
Dan blessed the family and the work to be done then Nate divided us into our 3 groups, the same as the campsite groups. He explained that Group 1 would be building the chicken enclosure, Group 2 on siding, and Group 3 the garden. First task today, however, would be clean up. Nate explained about the storms knocking down the shed and tearing off the siding and about the father getting hurt.
"In each group," added Sunny "will be a site leader. Today it will be Tony, Jamal, and Philip. You guys are in charge. The adults will have the plans and will help you along. Also, one person in each group, preferably an adult today, will be in charge of making sure your group has periodic water breaks. We don't want anyone to get dehydrated. Okay, lets unload the tools and get to it."
As the kids went to the trailer and unloaded I got out my camera bag and started taking pictures. Dan had asked me to document the trip and since I had recently bought a new camera I was more than happy to do so. First, however, I spoke to the homeowner to ask permission.
"Good morning Mrs. Hubbard, I'm Holly." I said, extending my hand. She timidly nodded and took my hand. "Do you mind if I take pictures? We like to document the trips and also to show the parents what their kids did during this week."
"No, I don't mind. I'm really glad you alls is here."
"Well I am very happy to be able to come to help you and your family. Do you mind if I take pictures of you and the kids when they are here?"
"I don't mind."
Quickly, I took several 'before' shots of what the home site looked like and then of the kids as they unloaded the work truck and the supply trailer. Mrs. Hubbard watched for a few minutes then retreated back inside. Putting away my camera I noticed Krista gingerly picking up a board and scrunching up her nose like she was afraid of it. Apparently, she's not used to this kind of work and getting dirty.
"You doing okay Krista?" I asked as I helped her pick up the board.
"Are there snakes?" she asked.
"I don't think so. Where does Nate want these moved?" I asked her trying to get her to focus on the work.
I worked alongside my team all morning picking up the pieces of the shed that had blown over, moving the tools and toys and old clothes and trash that littered the ground. Most things we were told could be thrown into the dumpster that had been brought in. We were very careful to watch where we stepped because glass was everywhere. Large pieces of bottles, tiny fragments, whole bottles, even broken dishes littered the ground. I couldn't understand how anyone could live like this. Does poor always have to mean dirty? Why is it? Door the poor give up on life and therefore give up on keeping their homes clean? Do they not know any better? Are they not taught how to keep a clean home and that clean was sanitary and dirty was unhealthy? I caught myself talking like it's 'them' and 'us' and I tried very hard not to feel like I was better than her. I know in God's eyes we are all equal. I knew that at any point in my life I could be in a similar situation and need the help of strangers. It was very sad to see the despair in her eyes. I felt the need to get to know her and do it in a way that I would not make her feel bad about herself. I needed to show her Jesus through me. I just didn't know how.
Chapter 4
My team fixed lunch, which consisted of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, apples, bananas, pretzels and lemonade. We used no utensils, plates, or napkins except for the one knife for the peanut butter. It was a unique and different experience to eat in such a primitive manner. Afterwards, I was thankful because we only had one small bag of trash. I was a little concerned about cleanliness at first because all we had to wash up with was a water hose and hand sanitizer. I've never been a germaphobe, however, in this environment I was afraid of picking up something from all the trash even though I was wearing work gloves. This was going to be a little difficult to get used to.
After lunch I knocked on the trailer door and asked to use the bathroom. I had asked about bathroom facilities that morning and was assured it was alright to use the family's. Mrs. Hubbard opened the door with a cigarette in her hand.
"Hi. Could I use your bathroom?" I asked.
"Yeah. It's down the hall," she answered shyly.
I looked around, trying to be inconspicuous, as I went to the bathroom. The inside was a reflection of the outside plus it was smoke-filled and musty smelling. Sheets covered the furniture, which were littered with clothes. A few beer cans lay on the dusty floor and I noticed the windows were covered in dirt. The bathroom itself was old and worn, yet relatively clean. A yellowed shower curtain hung over the bathtub, the sink had a large rust stain from a constant drip, and the countertop was made of plywood. A well-worn towel hung on a rod next to the sink. Leaving the bathroom, I glanced to my left into a bedroom. It must have been the kids room as I saw toys and clothes and candy wrappers strewn about. Sadness and compassion welled up inside me. How could a family of 6 live like this?
"Thank you so much," I said as I returned to the living room.
"You're welcome," she replied.
"So what do you think about all of us invading your home?" I asked lightly, trying to start a conversation. I felt so inadequate. I wanted to talk to her, however, I really didn't know what to say. Should I keep it casual, should I ask her where she went to church. I was at a total loss, but I knew I need to talk to her so I simply opened my mouth and let the words come.
"I am just so grateful," she began. "I been tryin to get some help out here. I called lots of places and yourn is the only one who would help us."
"Your church wouldn't help?" I asked, pretty much thinking I knew the answer.
"No ma'am. I hadnt been to a church in a long time. I been meanin to. I used to go. I want to again, I just havnt," she said shyly.
"Is there anything inside that you would like help with?" I asked.
"Oh, no, I couldn't ask, youns is doin so much already," she was taken aback at the thought.
"We are here to help you in anyway we can. Really, what would you like done?" I prodded, "I can get one of the girls to help as well."
"Well," she thought, "I would like to mop the floors and scrub the kitchen."
"Done," I said, "I'll be right back." I trotted over to my work group and spoke with Nate, told him about my conversation and asked if he could spare me and one of the girls for an hour or so. He agreed, thinking it would be a great opportunity to build relationships.
Moments later Lily and I went back inside the trailer. She was grateful to get out of the heat. We spent the next several hours picking up everything off the floor and sorting them. Clothes went onto one of the beds, toys were piled up onto the couch, candy wrappers and soda and beer cans emptied into a large trash bag. Ash trays were emptied and put into the sink. While I swept and mopped the floors, Lily worked on the kitchen washing dishes and scrubbing countertops. Occasionally I would hear Lily talk merrily with Mrs. Hubbard. I wanted to wash the windows, but once all that was done, it was time to leave the worksite. As we parted, Mrs. Hubbard looked happier and more relaxed than she had been that morning and I felt content that I had made a small difference in her life.
On the ride back to the campsite the kids chatted about their day, told one another about their experiences and their thoughts about how the family lived. They even commented on how much hotter it was than they had expected it to be up in the mountains. I tuned them out briefly as I watched the beautiful scenery as we traveled the winding roads. I couldn't get enough of the trees and flowers, gardens and green things in general. Something the guys said caught my attention.
"Are you stalking that poor girl again?" I asked Tony jokingly.
"No," he laughed, "I was thinking about asking her out. We've been talking on Facebook a lot."
"She's hot," added TJ.
"Do you plan on marrying her?" I asked half heartedly. "You just graduated High School, going to college soon..."
"Yeah, yeah, I know, you don't believe in dating," answered Tony.
"I never said I don't believe in dating."
"That's what my brother said. He asked you out and you turned him down flat. Said you don't believe in dating," stated Tony.
"You won't go out with his brother?" Jamal exclaimed. "The ladies love him!"
"Actually," I answered as we pulled into the campground, "he asked me out and I told him I don't date. I didn't say I didn't believe in it. He never spoke to me again."
The van had quieted down and all listened to our conversation. The guys were about to probe deeper when Dan broke in, "Group 1, immediately go to the tent and start on dinner. Everyone else unload and clean up. Group 2 needs to get together and plan on tonight's worship. Nate told me the creek will be roped of as to how far you can go, so please look for the markers and stay inside them."
I hopped out and grabbed my camera to take pictures around the camp. The kids quickly did what needed to be done to get dinner ready. None of them had ever used a camp stove so it took a while to get it lit. Hunter used about 15 matches before she was successful in lighting the gas burner, but she was proud of herself once she had done it and everyone around cheered. I followed the girls down to the creek to cool off, clean up, and take more pictures. The water was shallow and cold, perfect after a hot day.