Volunteer Work Camp 2011 - 5

We will never walk alone again.

I've been part of many work groups, camp experiences, and other extended youth events in the past 22 years.  This year's Volunteer Work Camp has been one of, if not the best one I've ever been a part of.

Our last work day split the group into a few different projects.  One group headed to Benton Harbor to work with a local Hospice agency in putting together an estate sale.  One of the people in hospice care had recently died and without any family, the agency worked to help get her estate settled.  There was sorting, cleaning, and helping ease the stress of folks who had just a few days to get things settled.

The other group stayed at Tower Hill to work on continuing projects.  We demolished and removed a rotting wood flower bed from the front of the dining hall and also moved several (10?) yards of dirt from the tennis court drainage project.  The work was grueling - and every person worked hard all day, as we have all week.

The evening wrapped things up for our camp experience.  We had chances to give encouragement and appreciation to each of the campers (something that began the night before with a candle-lighting experience) and also shared communion together.  We invited people to come for seconds if they wanted.  It was the first time I've ever served the whole loaf of bread at communion. -- Go spread the feast!

One more evening at the beach.  One more bonfire.  One more walk home in the dark.



But we will never walk alone again.   


* more pictures from the week are here

Volunteer Work Camp 2011 - 4

Senseless, brutal acts of kindness.

No Internet service yesterday at Tower Hill.  Here's the first of today's posts.

Thursday was a day off at Work Camp.  But our theme continued.  On this day, we relaxed.  We ate lunch out at Redamak's in New Buffalo, spent the afternoon at the beach, climbed Warren Dunes' Mount Baldy (and jumped off the steeper slope on the back side) and visited the clay pits of the stream that empties into the Lake.

We also found ways to do senseless, brutal acts of kindness. 

It's not customary to see senseless and brutal attached to acts of kindness.  We talked about how the line in the "Small Rebellions" song first lets us notice that we can be kind instead of cruel.  We also talked about how senseless, brutal acts of kindness go beyond simple kindness.  They may be the kind of kind things you do that go beyond the norm.  They're the things that make you go outside your comfort zone and beyond what you would do easily.  We invited everyone to think about a time when they'd performed a senseless, brutal act of kindness.

Renee (one of the high school work campers) wrote this.

My friends and I are sitting and laughing, sharing nachos and half-eaten desserts.  Life is good.  We are five friends enjoying a break from schoolwork to eat lunch and tell stories.  Although we don’t like to be mean, the table of special ed. Students next to ours is a bother to our average teenage lives.  The students at the table there drool or walk funny or laugh too loud.  We like to pretend that they don’t exist to ignore the guilt we feel for being so “normal.”
There is a girl I know, Sara, that sits at this particular table.  Sara is short, and walks with a large limp.  She carries her medical equipment with her everywhere.  She is hard to look at because her features are distorted and her mouth hangs ajar with drool falling down her chin. 
Poor Sara, even the students at the neighboring table pretend she doesn’t exist.  The teachers are impatient with her because she only shouts noises and she can’t see unless she angles her head right.
On this day, Sara is limping along, pulling her supplies with her backpack strapped on as well.  Sara is walking past our table using our chairs for support to walk.  We are surprised to see her walking past us, because her table is on the other side.  We whisper and move away from her helpless grasps. 
I am wondering where she is going and why she doesn’t have a teacher with her.  At last I realize that she is headed towards the stacks of extra chairs.  I notice her table hasn’t bothered to offer her one.
I hesitate a moment, then, without thinking, jump up and walk towards Sara.  I ask her, “Sara, do you need a chair?  Do you want me to help?”  She nods viciously.  I grab a chair and walk with her back to the table.  “There you go, Sara,” I say. Sara does the sign language motion for ‘thank you.’  I say “You’re welcome, Sara,” and a warm feeling spreads through me.  The small act made me feel like a better person.
Just then, I remembered I was in a crowded cafeteria.  As I turned to walk back to my table, I noticed everyone was staring at me.  High School students don’t normally help people who are different. They whisper, laugh, and avoid staring at the “special ed students.”
All the staring began to burn through my skin. I could feel my face becoming cherry red.  I sat down as quickly as I could and wished I could hide.
When I looked around at my friends, they looked shocked.  I asked, embarrassed, “What?” (Even though I knew why they had their mouths wide open, or so I thought.) Instead of the bashing I was bracing myself for my best friend Cathy told me I inspired her and my other friends echoed her with nice things.
I felt brave and accomplished.  The act was small and Sara probably could have managed by herself, but I felt great and knew I had done the right thing.
At the time it felt painfully embarrassing to have done something so different, but now I realize it was probably very special for Sara and it was kindness that my friends admired me for.

One more work day left.

Volunteer Work Camp 2011 - 3

Push against the current.

A rainy day three brought new challenges to Volunteer Work Camp 2011.  Delivering paving bricks to build outdoor firepits and delivering and setting up dvd players to cabins kept the group busy and damp for most of the morning, and then in the early afternoon we all tried to work together on a stairwell and hallway painting project.  Close quarters helped show some of the weariness of a group that has been working hard all week and it almost seemed, for a moment, that the peace and harmony of work camp might become a clanging, dissonant chord.
And just as we were finishing work for the day and the skies began to clear up, these simple words started bringing a sense of relief and joy.

Slip n Slide.

Tower Hill has a great . . . hill for setting up a giant slip n slide.  Folks released a whole bunch of tension as they ran, jumped, and slide down plastic streaming with water and dish soap - enjoying every last bump, bruise, and soapy, dirty water splash.

The tension release helped the group get into a discussion about what it means to push against the current.  One expression involves staying away from the things that are harmful even though "everybody's doing it."  And another significant expression is about standing firm on issues of justice and equality even when it may not be the popular or easy thing to do.  It is heartwarming to see a group committed to justice and kindness. 

I also know that we don't always act the way we're committed to.  Thank God for grace.  Thank God for second chances to push against the current.

Volunteer Work Camp 2011 - 2

All of your people matter.

We took the daily theme to heart at Volunteer Work Camp 2011.  Though muscles are sore and folks are already feeling the wearying effects of the work, kindness and respect have been present, evident, and thriving. 

Yesterday we spent time landscaping and sorting through clothes at Polly's Place, a shelter for pregnant women in Niles, Michigan.  This is a place where we've worked in several other years and the volunteers loved being back at a place that really does communicate that hearts in every form still matter. 

Our other group spent the better part of the day digging a drainage ditch around a tennis/basketball court at Tower Hill.  6 inches deep and 18 inches wide through root-filled ground.  Sore muscles have definitely arrived!

After a swim in an ultra-cold Lake Michigan, a "Everyone Matters" Bible study relating to Lady Gaga's "Born this Way," and some fun at the rock climbing wall, we had our evening sunset bonfire at the beach. This time we even had some guests with us, as folks from another camp were walking the beach and came and sang campfire songs with us.

Thank you, God -- for continuing to remind us that all of your people matter.

Volunteer Work Camp 2011 - 1

This week I'm a co-director of the Illinois Conference, United Church of Christ's Volunteer Work Camp.  We're working at and out of Tower Hill Camp in Sawyer, Michigan.
This year's theme grows out of the Jars of Clay song, "Small Rebellions" and the adults and students at the camp are paying attention, as we work, that every one of God's children matters.  We've already noticed such kindness and goodwill -- from campers, with folks we work with, from the camp staff . . . everyone!

Our first work day involved working both with the city of Benton Harbor, Michigan (Part of the downtown beautification project -- we mulched, raked, watered, and cleaned) and right at Tower Hill (we cleaned the beach, put up new street signs, painted tables, and worked to beautify the camp!)

We're also spending time at the beach, having a nightly beach bonfire with campfire songs (yes, I love leading songs with the guitar!) writing notes of kindness and encouragement to campers, filling up a "Small Rebellions" wall mural with 'rebellions' we've noticed, and having a continuing conversation about how showing kindness, love, and encouragement really do matter.

We're also exhausted after the first day.  More energy is coming for the rest of the week!