Finishing the Work

Last night featured some more entertainment from our assigned teams as they competed in more fun relays and contests. It's been a closely fought contest thus far. For now, the Hermits are routing everybody, but other teams like Peel My Nanner, Crabiators, and Turtle Time are close behind them. Flock of Seagulls is trailing pretty badly, but oh well. You can't win 'em all, I suppose.

Today was our last day of actual work here at Johns Island. The guys on the construction site really wanted to get their vinal siding project finished up before the day ended, so they took a small group of 15 boys to the site early with a continental breakfast the staff at St. Christopher's was nice enough to provide. Again, the day was hot and sunny, but not quite as hot as the past few days.

I finished up with the nursing home group, and I could tell most of them were tired, dead on their feet. While I was hole-punching memory verse papers and cutting out construction paper, I saw quite a few about to nod off in their chairs. It's been a long week. But we had a terrific last day. I saw all my new friends at the home again, like Guy, Linda, Oscar, Shirley, and William. Guy is one of the few people at the small home who still has most of his mental faculties together. He's very frail and his hands shake a lot, but his mind is as sharp as ever. He can tell so many stories about war and his service; he's like a talking history book! I made him a tote bag that had a naval ship on the front and a Bible verse (Phillipians 4:13) tied to the handle. Linda is an Italian lady who I had a long conversation with yesterday. She's very funny and it was nice to see that she remembered who I was today. Oscar is a man who usually sits with his wife Mary near the kitchen window; they've been in the same spot for almost the whole time we've been here. I think he got a little offended when he thought we didn't get him a card. Shirley lives in the larger residential home, and she has such a beautiful room. She showed me all the figurines and ornaments on her bookshelf; she said she won them from playing Bingo. We hung her memory board from yesterday beside her bed where she could see it clearly. William is another very good friend I made who's got most of his wits about him. He's very conversational, and he always shakes my hand whenever I go up to greet him. He loved the tote bag I decorated for him, and held it up for the whole room to see. He claimed that he had the best-looking bag in the entire nursing home. Hehe. I don't know about that, but it was really nice to hear.

For me, this has just been an incredible week of service, ministry, and growing closer to the Lord. I've been so richly blessed with friends, new and old, an awesome staff of adults in so many facets of the camp, and had lots of opportunities to share the love of Christ to people I don't even know. I just can't put down in words how it affects me when I see these elderly folks respond to us, whether in singing, or just talking to us, carrying on a conversation or whatever, it just touches my heart in such a way that it makes the whole day seem easier. Thank you again, Lord Jesus, for sending me to Johns Island. Thank you for giving me such an opportunity to do Your work in new ways, and to grow and develop in my spiritual walk with you. I pray that I'll carry the lessons that I've learned here at Saint Christopher's and Habitat for Humanity beyond this camp, all the way back to Furman and Greenville in the fall. It is in the name of your Son, Jesus, that I pray, amen.

I'll update some more later...