July 7 – Mission Trip To Dungannon, VA – Day 3

Here we go on Day 3, and a beautiful one it has been after yesterday’s cooling rain shower.  Stephanie meets us at 9 and briefs us on our work assignments – Roofers and Painters.  Off we go in three cars. The roofing team, led by Eric and including Molly, Morgan, Lauren, Skye, and Ben peel off, and we all help them unload their ladders, mops, hammers, and roof sealant.  The first challenge was mixing the roof sealant, the consistency of stiff peanut butter.  Morgan and Molly improvised paint mixers out of long sticks, which accomplished the job after an hour of hard work.  Up on the roof Lauren and Skye poked long handle mops from the edge to the ridge.  Ben, Eric and Lauren (until the mixing was done) ripped the roof off the back porch, only to find some of the framing wood was rotten.  A phone call back to the Phoenix Center brought resupplies, and work resumes tomorrow.  In the midst of our work, the family arrived home and announced the exciting news that they had just found out that the new baby was to be a girl (particularly nice for the Mom as she already has three boys).

The painting team, for its part, continued down State 65 on for another 15 minutes to a small house at 4431 Clinch River Parkway – Vextel’s home.  Rich is the team leader, along with Lynn, Khacki, John, Noelle, Heather, Erin, Chas, Christina, and Nicholas.  Our task – prepare and paint a ramp and porch and replace a faucet.  Vextel is in his mid-70s, friendly but mentally challenged, and living alone with two Beagles.  Scrape, sweep, met cloth, and we’re ready to paint.  Many hands make light work and we are done by 2 pm, except for the faucet that lacked a few connectors.  Off to the nearest hardware store with a stop at Natural Tunnel State Park to eat our sandwiches, back to Vextel’s to finish the job (plumber Rich came through) and return to the Phoenix Center for showers and the evening meal.

Refreshed, everyone opts for some blue grass music at a nearby town.  In fact, it turns out to be a blue grass jam session where anyone and everyone can sing or play.  And dance.  Your reporter reveals that EVERY missioner danced at least once, two announced who we were, and one sang.  Amazing.  The feeling amongst us all – I’m really glad I came on this mission trip.

After returning to our home away from home we had compline, which featured an out of tune guitar, a gospel passage and some interesting dancing, to put it kindly.

We finished the day with a celebration of Skye’s birthday. After eating some delicious cake and brownies, we led her outside, where with the help of some of our new friends from Chicago we demolished a piñata.

All in all it was a great day, and we are looking forward to tomorrow.

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