2017 Mission Trip - Gatlinburg - TUESDAY

7/11/17

                This morning, we headed to breakfast with a little better idea of what to expect, seeing as a couple nights at camp had already acclimated us to the atmosphere. We hopped in the vans for our 45-minute commute to the site to see our favorite girl, T. When we arrived, the job that some of us had been working on the day before was already finished, so we searched for some new projects to dive into. Anna and I helped out with filling holes with dirt that had set concrete in them, and the 4 of us attempted (but didn’t exactly succeed with flying colors)  to nail some boards that became the supports for the pickets, and finally found that weed whacking would be our project for the majority of the day.

-Lydia Blakely

The next activity we began today was weeding. We used weed whackers, saws and clippers. They were definitely a challenge but it was a good challenge to take on. The plants were short but feisty, some even the same size as our height. A lot of them did have thorns, but we worked as a group and attacked the thorns with all our might! As I got deeper into the weeds I somehow ran into some lovely poison ivy that got me on the leg, but it’s a new experience to add with this week!

-Mari Ahern

                After weeding, we started digging holes for the fence poles. We had holes that had already been dug but we needed to dig a little further so everything lined up. We had to use post hole diggers which were a little complicated to use at first, but T taught us the correct way to use them and it made digging the holes a lot easier. It took some hard work and muscles but it was overall a very rewarding process. There were a few tough holes that took a long time to dig but we trekked through and got all of the holes dug pretty quickly!

-Anna Gawel

                Throughout those times, others were setting the posts for the fence or hammering down the pickets. However, we eventually ran out of wood/supplies to complete those jobs, so we all tried to help each other tackle smaller projects. Finally, we had worked hard enough to throw in the towel early that day. Our group leaders had a secret group meeting to plan something for us. Instead of going back to our dorms, they took a different turn and we got ice cream! It was a wonderful treat after our blazing hot day. When we got back, a few of us went swimming again, or we had some free time to shower and chill before dinner. After dinner, our S.T.A.G.E. group gathered to go through our Tuesday (technically morning) devo, and then we played an intense game of wrestle. Then we had some free time and we headed to chapel. We ended the day with some S.T.A.G.E songs and our highs and lows.

-Sam Bourgeois