July 6 – Mission Trip To Dungannon, VA – Day 2

Picking up from Day 1, we closed the evening with a unique Compline service, standing in a circle in our dorm room (our 30 fellow missioners from Chicago were using the common room for their evening reflections).  Adult/youth pairs introduced each other to the group, answering the question Why did you come on mission?  Wanted to serve and help others was pretty much the shared answer.  In the dark, we celebrated the light of Christ (with flashlights – told you it was unique), and closed with Guide us waking…  A fine close to Day 1.

By 9:00 am, Day 2, we had split into our teams, been briefed by Travis, and headed out.  The Elementary School Team finished quickly, rearranging the cafeteria after the 4^th of July Beauty Pageant (yep) and closing it down for summer.  They returned to the Phoenix Center to reinforce the other two work parties, called Inside and Outside.  It helps to understand that the Phoenix Center is pretty much Dungannon’s community center, where everything civic is organized and supported.  Hence, it serves as a warehouse for 4^th of July and Christmas decorations, as a weekly food bank, and as a collection point for ALL kinds of donations to support the community.  It is served by two lovely people — Travis (manager) and Jean (kitchen chef).  We served them as clean-up crew, organizing and stocking shelves in the food bank room and the supply room, throwing out unusable items, putting the small conference room back in operation, and a few hundred other little chores.  That was the Inside team. 

The Outside team re-organized the tool shed, cleared brush, collected and disposed of scrap lumber and other throw-aways, all the while dodging the occasional wasp and breaking for a passing rain shower.  We shared a make-your-own sandwich lunch, wrapped up at 4 pm for a quick run to the Dollar General (youths have to snack) and a hearty barbeque dinner.    Our newly adopted mascot, Skippy, our four-legged furry friend, joined us for treats.

Evening time – exploring the byways of SW Virginia (hilly, winding and full of curves) to (of course) Walmart for resupplies, then back to the Phoenix Center for night-time compline around a camp fire that Morgan and Ben had started earlier in the day for a rubbish burn.  Eric and Chas asked us to share what was special about our first day.  Lights out soon, and off to Day 3 tomorrow morning’s tasks.

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