Final Day: Saturday, July 25, 2015
We're in the final stretch. Granted, we're still about 3 hours away and have to pass through Ohio (the armpit of America) and with our luck you never know what car troubles we'll encounter. Looking back on this week, I'm glad that I got to have an experience like this as my last mission trip. This was a week full of defeats and triumphs, challenges and ingenuity, difficulties and teamwork, and lots and lots of sweat. We were able to tackle any obstacle throughout the week with unmatched enthusiasm and teamwork. We took any situation that God gave us and worked with it. When the luggage truck broke down, cooler heads prevailed and we ended up playing frisbee while waiting. When we couldn't shower for a couple days, we decided that it was okay because we all smelled bad, together. When it seemed like finishing Castella's porch was impossible, we all pulled together and worked an extra 2 and a half hours to not only finish her porch but give her a railing as well. This week isn't supposed to be about us, it's supposed to be about doing God's work, but it's hard to not feel a sense of accomplishment when we saw Castella's smile as she stepped on her new porch for the first time. It took a while for me to realize that we don't go on mission trips just because Jesus was a carpenter. We came down to West Virginia because we are called to love, and we made an impact on someone's life. Castella is going to have that porch for the rest of her life, and we as a group were able to make that happen. As Nathan's dinner prayers go, 'thank you God for this food. Thank you God for everything we have.' I'm thankful that God has given us an opportunity to love. I'm thankful for all the silliness that happened this week. I'm thankful for all of the reflection this week. I'm thankful for all the love that we have shown each other this week. I'm thankful for all of the parents that are supportive of this. And I'm thankful for STAGE. Rock on.
~Dave Bluhm
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