I could hear her voice quivering over the telephone line. She was awestruck by the kindness and grace of our group who had just finished building a ramp for her parents, an elderly couple in Westmoreland, Tennessee. Over and over again she would repeat the words, “I don’t have words to thank you enough.” It was a beautiful conversation that caught me completely off guard. I was just going to say hi.
Moments like these remind me that all the stress, and running around, and forgetting things, and teaching students (and some adults) how to use hammers is truly worth it. Building a ramp for an elderly couple is a week of math, and angles, and splinters for us, but it’s freedom for them. They can enjoy the outdoors again. They can even take the dog out!
Last week was full of surprises. Barrel rolling down hills, catching chickens, and becoming members of a secret club is fun, but those friendships will be remembered for a long time. I’m so thankful for an amazing group of lively students who gave all they had to the worksite during the day, then bringing it back to camp, spinning and hopping in wild dance parties and warming up their vocal chords with “Let it Go”.
It was a pleasure to serve with you guys.
