Before last week I had never been on a mission trip. Frankly, the concept has always scared me senseless. The idea of embarking on a trip with people I wouldn't know all that well, to an entirely unfamiliar place for the sole purpose of interacting with complete and total strangers - even if it is just to help - never really sat well with me. Honestly, the very thought made me shudder.
When the sign-up sheet for this trip was posted, I wrote my name in on impulse. I figured 'hey, it's something to do with the first week of quarter break, and maybe it won't be that bad." As the day of departure grew nearer, though, I became more and more apprehensive. I started to think about what I'd possible gotten myself into. I looked at the sign-up sheet and realized there were not many people attending whom I could claim much previous acquaintanceship with. I started thinking about how I had no idea where Orange, Texas was, how I wouldn't know anyone there, how I would be traveling - and living with, for a period of time - people I didn't know. Basically all the things that ever scared me off mission trips in the past. Despite all this, though, I never seemed to be able to cross my name off that list.
The day of departure arrived and I still wasn't sure. I climbed into a car with two guys I'm pretty sure I'd never spoken to before, and our caravan of 7 vehicles was off. I started feeling better about the whole situation after that point. By the time we'd left Louisiana (which I wasn't actually conscious for), I was ready for whatever was to come next.
A lot of things came next. There were many lessons learned over the course of the week. I'm going to take a moment and impart some of the valuable knowledge I became acquainted with because of this trip.
Things I Learned in Texas:
1) Wheelbarrows are much harder to steer than they initially appear - but still tons of fun.
2) Bathtubs are freaking heavy.
3) When attempting to pull a stubborn nail from a wall with a hammer, one should make sure all body parts are clear of the hammer's path. Especially the back of one's head.
4) If one does not heed the above sage advice, it is probably a good idea to tell someone what you've just done to yourself.
5) In a pinch, privacy walls can be fashioned from wheelbarrows, coolers, trashcans, and shrubbery.
6) Bill Sherman's feet don't sweat.
7) Taking up laminate flooring is possibly one of the most horrid jobs on the face of the earth.
8) Fiberglass is a horrible horrible substance. Very useful at times, but horrible nonetheless.
9) Months-old, stagnant saltwater will sizzle when poured on grass.
10) Wearing gloves, masks, and goggles does not mean you are "safe".
11) Zombies walk/stagger/crawl in a variety of ways dependent upon the extent of its injuries and the type of zombie it is.
12) Animal crackers can be wonderful companions; even after you've bitten their heads off.
13) Duct tape works wonders on broken boots.
14) When in doubt, make a three-point turn in the middle of the road.
15) Mr. Tumnus' mom makes awesome gumbo.
16) How to be a splashing raindrop.
17) 2+2 somehow = 5.
18) Fiberglass and hot water do not mix.
19) Kicking down and/or slamming a crowbar through a wall produces a very empowering feeling.
20) If you hear a click every time you take a step, there is probably a nail stuck somewhere in the vastness of your three-sizes-too-big work boot.
21) The Song of Gilgamesh.
22) The Song of Doris.
23) It's always a good idea to make sure there's no one on the other side of the drywall before you start kicking it down.
24) You can, indeed, bruise the palms of your hands.
25) If you put a glazed doughnut into the microwave and are too hungry to check and see how hot it is when it comes out, you should definitely pause for a moment and ponder what it might feel like to have molten glaze stuck to the roof of your mouth.
26) Silverfish are not fish.
27) Everyone should attempt a flip on a balance-beam-like thing at least once in their lifetime.
28) Pickles DO go bad.
29) Creepy hats are good for a number of things; but beware - they can make you sleepy.
30) Laughter is carbonated holiness.
31) Love is action speaks louder than words.
Of all the interesting things I learned on this trip, perhaps the greatest is this:
When God leans on your spirit to do something - when he tells you to move - it is, in most cases, for you own benefit and you should think real seriously about listening. I very nearly bowed out of this trip several times out of naught but my own misgivings, my own doubts and hesitations which stemmed from nothing more than a fear of the unknown. Had I backed out of this mission I would have regretted it with every fiber of my being and would never have understood why.
The community we became was amazing. The work we put in, the injuries we suffered, the time we spent caring for, helping, and sharing with each other and, most inspiring of all, complete strangers was such as I have never known existed, let alone been a part of.
The absolute presence of love in the atmosphere of which we all were a part was incredible, dumbfounding, ridiculous.
Ridiculous love.
Ridiculove.
