Katrina Youth Mission - Day 7
Day 7 - Friday, February 29, 2008
Well, I don’t even know where to begin. I have to thank Brenda for filling in for me on account of an illness. It gave me time to recover and reflect on the past week, which is very weird to say. The time really has flown by. It’s so common on trips or vacations to say at the time of departure that “time flies,” but really, it did.
Leaving the house today was bittersweet for me. I must say I still have a slight feeling of emptiness inside, but we can’t always get what we want. Coming down here, I really wanted to meet the homeowner. Hearing all the different stories of previous trips got me excited to be involved in impacting people’s lives. When Jacob (Joann’s son) and Eric (Jacob’s friend) showed up on Monday, I gave a sigh of relief because I got a little piece of what I wanted. I got the chance to hear one person’s Katrina experience and how the hurricane affected him. That view kept me working this week, but still I wanted more. It’s funny how society works; we are always wanting more. It’s quite sad actually, but I have to say I’m guilty of it. I just wanted that connection with the actual homeowner of the house that I took part in building. I wanted to see what she was like and hear her Katrina story. One of the many lessons I learned this week was to appreciate what we get instead of wanting more. I just hope I can actually live by that.
Well, that was the bitter part (besides the lesson learned), but there was a sweet part. Sauntering through the house for one last time, I went into every room and checked everything out for the last time. I looked around and noticed how much we actually did. Although it may not look like it, we did a lot of time-consuming work on Joann’s house. I got to see all of the wonderfully caulked windows thanks to Brenda and the shower now prepared for tiling thanks to Dave and Jonas. I saw the countertops that were just plywood when we first arrived, and now there is a sink and the surface is ready for tile thanks to Patrick (+ others). I saw baseboards around the whole kitchen and other rooms as well thanks to Sam and Logan. Then I saw doors nicely trimmed thanks to Alan and me. Every single person made a difference on that house, thereby making a difference on the homeowner herself. I guess that is what I am holding onto as I get ready to leave.
We just got done with our nightly devotion, and Brenda and Dave came up with a wonderful list of “if we…, we made a difference” statements. Some of the things were as simple as putting a nail into a board or listening to someone’s story; this list made me feel like I had made a difference this week. You don’t have to build the whole house in order to make a difference; every little bit that we did to that house counts.
Tonight we got the opportunity to visit with Rose. Rose was the homeowner of a house on which last year’s mission team worked. We got to go into her beautiful house and hear some of her stories. Rose spoke of her faith, and it is one so large I cannot even describe it here. She spoke of God like He was her best friend who lived down the street. This week and Rose opened up my heart to Him as well. I started to speak to him for real and feel His presence with me.
This whole week has been an amazing experience for me. I really feel like it has changed me, and I hope to become a better person because of the impact the trip has had on me. I hope I can go on with my normal life and feel like I am doing better.
I would like to thank Patrick for being our team leader and Brenda, Alan, and Dave for being there for me anytime, anywhere. I would also like to thank my parents, Deb and Bill Gaskin, for giving me this opportunity, and everyone else who supported me in getting me here.
It’s back to reality as I look at the clock and realize we will be leaving this nice weather and heading back to snowy New Hampshire in a few hours. Please keep us in your prayers for safe driving and for our health (especially for the drivers).
With overwhelming emotions,
Maggie Gaskin