Hey! This is Bonnie. I told my BSF discussion group that I'll write a post to tell them about what I'm doing this week in New Orleans, so here it is:
First and foremost I am having a amazing time down here, and am learning quite a bit about everything. This is my second mission trip of my life (my first one being the very first H.S. mission trip back in 2003), and I hope to be able to go on more when possible.
Second thing is the house that I am working on with my fellow groupmates. The kind of work we are doing is mostly finishing work (flooring, stairs/sheetrock (drywall). My main jobs for the week have been working with Sean on finishing the stairs and doing the drywall that is needed on the wall and to encase the stairs. I also learned how to install a interior door. Just like I learned on my first mission trip: When building/remodeling a house no job as easy as one may think it will be. Our homeowners are Toni and Jack, and they are amazing people. They have such a positive outlook on life despite what they have been though with the hurricane, and the aftermath of the storm to what they are going though with now. Their storm story is an amazing one as well, but what really got me was the fact that thier now 5 year old German Shepherd, Charlie, has his own "tail" of surviving the hurricane. Overall, they are just truly blessed and extremely grateful that we are there, and that we would take a week out of our personal lives to come down here and help them to return to their home. I am learning from them, and they are learning about us, and they want to know about us and our lives back in Northville just as much as we want to learn about their lives here in New Orleans. Personally, I am finding this work to be very extremely rewarding, and humbling. Even if I am tired, hot and sticky, dirty, sore, and feel like I just want to pass out from the long day of hard phyiscal labor, I know that I am getting the satisfaction of serving others while serving God, and I am right back at the job site at 9am the next day. I will continue to stay focused on my job til it is done at the end of the week.
Besides working all day at the jobsite, we have our meals, do chores, relax/shower and have reflection time at the end of the day before we all go to sleep, so all in all life is good here at Camp Olive Tree. Saturday is our sightseeing day in downtown New Orleans, and I am really looking forward to doing that, and seeing some historical places.
I better stop now cause if I don't then who knows how long this post will be. I have many stories to tell already and I'm sure there's more to come, and if anyone wants to hear them I'll be glad to tell them. Also I will post my pictures ASAP. Before I sign off I just want to give a shout out to young adult BSF group of Farmington Hills, MI esp.Jill's discussion group. I'm thinking about you guys and am praying for you, and Thank you for your prayers this week.
Your fellow daughter/sister in Christ,
Bonnie
