Today is my eighteenth birthday and this is how it went.
6:30a.m.-Wake up from a long and restful sleep of three hours. (Angelica and I were up late celebrating).
7:00-Dad and I pack up my car and head to pick up THE John Hein, from whom I've been receiving informational e-mails about this trip since the summer, and have never met. It seems since I was unable to go to any of the meeting concerning this trip, I was the mysterious Maddie Harvey, Chris Harvey's alleged daughter.
7:30-At Brotherhood the team packs the vans and have a time of prayer and pictures. I rush to the atrium for my happy drug, and fix dad a cup of half caff. He doesn't do caffinated coffee anymore. I hug Mitzi and Lisa goodbye, and steal the department camera from Tim. I'm to document my time here.
8:00-Departure time. I'm in the back seat of the rental mini van with Eloise, who is super sweet and super quiet, a perfect compliment to myself. We are going to get along great! I try to pick up my new book, but soon become bored. I have a good four hours of homework I could do, but I'm perfectly exhausted. I reply to text messages that my dear friends sent at midnight to wish me Happy Birthday, then fall asleep.
The Rest of the Trip-This is a pattern of three simple things, read for ten minutes, sleep for two hours, wake up, eat, repeat. I feel ashamed as I wake to find Kathy or Eloise faithfully journaling, taking pictures, or building relationship with the team; (I find it so wonderful that Eloise writes down every little thing including rest stops). I can barely keep my eyes open long enough to eat lunch. Oh well, I'm determined to do better once we arrive.
4:00 (our time), 3:00 (Tennessee time)-We arrive and meet Dave, who right off the bat is a hoot. He's the sort of person that strikes you as...well just strikes you the first three seconds you know him. I like him. The church is locked, but we are let in to a house directly behind the church which is used as an office. It's very quaint. All the houses in this neighborhood are. It is difficult to describe. Picture a Frank Lloyd wright Victorian design for ritzy folk who like comfort and character. Anyway, the house we're staying in is nice. The four of us girls are staying on the main level in the living room, and the ten boys...ahem! men...are upstairs. It's weird being the youngest, I have to admit. It is at this point that I bust out the camera, but still Kathy is much better at this whole capturing moments thing. We meet Brooke who works at the church and her two beautiful kids. They must be bilingual because she speaks both English and Spanish to them. For a half hour or so we settle in and meet everyone, and the agents arrive.
4:15 (in Tennessee which is the time zone we'll stick with now)- We see the church for the first time and look at all the projects. A few concrete rooms need painted and a wall needs knocked out. A couple carpets are coming out, and there's tile to be laid. We'll eat a 6, and I confess that at this point I'm starving and don't know if I can wait. (I do though.) To kill time before dinner, we have a brief orientation and then clear out all the rooms, so we can begin work right after dinner. Oh, and we rip out all the carpets.
6:00-Kathy is a dear and set the table with birthday decorations. Fellowship at dinner was nice, and Kathy made me a delicious chocolate cake! So unexpected and so nice.
6:30-Phone call from Mommy! (I received a package from a friend. It seems I have something to smoke when I return. Clove cigarettes. Mom is not thrilled.)
6:45-We take a walk around the block and pray for the community, the pastors, their ministry, some upcoming events, and our time here.
7ish- Demolition begins. Now begins the job of trying to pick up the camera and document everything, while trying to be useful and help out. We girls and my pop, along with Mr. Allison begin cutting-in and taping the large dining area, so we can prime the Salmon-colored walls which will be taupe by the time we're through. The guys begin work ripping out a wall and laying tile. We all work quickly and happily. The girls sing old hymns- Eloise and I are altos, and Kathy and Deborah are sopranos...Destiny! Eloise has never painted before but I think she has fun, and does a stupendous job!
9:15-We are told to stop work and meet in the parking lot. My phone dies...I'm sad. We all load into three vehicles and take a drive around Franklin. It feels a bit like Naples. It's all very cool. The downtown has store fronts everywhere, but they're all ritzier, well-known stores. There's a Starbucks on the corner; I crack a smile. I only had two cups today. I want more, but I'm content without. We stop at Baskin Robins for ice cream. So I unexpectedly got Ice Cream and Cake on my birthday.
10:15-We're back, I sit down to write this, and catch up on phone calls and blogging services (facebook, myspace).
This is the most interesting birthday I've ever had. I slept most of the day, and had less coffee than I've had in so long. I spent the day with strangers except daddy and Kathy. I didn't think anything would be special about today. But everyone is so nice, and work well together. I'm not stressed, I'm not exhausted. All of my friends made an effort to contact me today and wish me a good trip. I'm quite content although this is a little unconventional. I'm convinced most of this won't end up published, but it's thorough enough that I won't forget, and can pull the good stuff out for Lisa. The camera does have plenty of decent "working together photos" as Tim Barron calls them.
I'm going to bed now so I can be of some use in the morning. I only hope I can find an effective way to remain useful, document most of this, and keep my cell phone charged.
For lack of better words, and with a certain degree of fear that I might sound corny, God seems close. It seems as though simple acts and a few short days a fellowship and work is the very simpleness that fills the soul right up with contentment. I miss some back home, but am cheerful this evening in this place, serving others. There is joy in the act often talked about, but seldom practiced, when it is actually done. It is better to serve others than yourself, but you only know that once you experience the joy when you actually do it.
Happy Birthday to me.
