Week 9

Having Jacquie and I drive a helicopter was a poor choice on the Coast Guard's part...

My white wale wall; this sucker almost got the better of me.

This week blended into last since I never got a day off, but it was pretty great, so you’ll hear no complaints from me. Sunday we did an ISP (Independent Service Project) at a local men’s shelter, where we did some demolition work in a closet. It was rewarding and obviously pretty fun to be given a hammer and crowbar and told to destroy something, but I’ll tell you what, that sort of work takes its toll on your body. I was sore for days afterwards and had trouble reaching my arms above my head, but it was definitely for a good cause, and as Teddy Roosevelt once said, “The greatest reward life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

My exhausted team after the demo project waiting for a ride.

We were fed a hardy meal of red beans, rice, and cornbread at the shelter too, so all in all, it was a great experience. After we finished our demo work, we got to go on an SLI (Service Learning Initiative) to a Coast Guard training base located about 25 minutes from where we live. We have to get a certain amount of SLI hours in each community we go to in order to immerse ourselves in the culture of our temporary homes. One of the guys who volunteers at our Habitat projects every Saturday is currently in training at the base, and said he’d be glad to have us come out and observe the goings on. It was really neat, because he gave us our own personal tour, allowing us not only to get inside the jets and helicopters while he told us about them, but we got to go inside of and operate a helicopter simulator as well. After the tour, we ate in the cafeteria where we paid $4.25 for an all-you-can-eat buffet that offered platefuls of deliciousness to my companions and I.

Coast Guard fun.

The start of my Habitat work week brought a new house to work on. It’s a really nice place, but it needs quite a lot of restoration work before it’s fit for anyone to move into. We pulled out the carpets and insulation, which were completely soaked through with animal urine, then carefully pulled out the kitchen cupboards, which will be resold at ReStore. Ruth and I knocked out a closet ceiling that had water damage, but it’s not nearly as glamorous as it sounds. Loose fiberglass insulation got everywhere and we had to clean it up. Not having any masks to speak of besides our t-shirts which we pulled up over our noses, and considering we both have asthma issues, it was not a pleasant task, and after we finished we ended up outside for a while hacking stuff up and taking puffs on our inhalers.

Tearing up pee carpet.

We also painted the three bedrooms this week, which was quite fun since Ruth, Mac, and I worked together, talking and listening to music as we went. I was thinking about a saying Mom always used to bring up when we’d do group work: “Many hands make light work.” So much of the work I’ve been doing would be completely daunting were it not for my teammates.

We went to a different house one day and did pressure washing and backyard tree/bush cutting and cleanup. The weather here has been absolutely beautiful and Fall-ish all week, so it was great to get to work outdoors. Most of my teammates are from Northern states, so we’re all pleased with the cool temperatures and low humidity. Fall is my absolute, hands down, favorite season, and for a while I thought I might not experience it here in the South, but luckily Fall makes an appearance here too. Every day after work I’ve been laying on one of our porch swings at the house and reading until dark with my headphones on. In those moments, I’m completely content. When autumn hits, I get severe hankerings that cannot be ignored to read classics. I started To Kill a Mockingbird the other day after Mom was talking about rereading it. I’ve read it before, but it’s kind of neat to read it now, because the setting is South Alabama, and some of the characters travel to and from Mobile. When Harper Lee discusses weather and traditions, I feel like I have a better idea of what she’s talking about now that I’ve experienced some of that. But to get back on topic…

Operation asthma attack.

My team cut out of work a little early on Friday in order to attend a Habitat home dedication. It wasn’t for a house we had worked on, but other NCCC teams had in the past, so we were representing them. It was so incredibly cool to participate in this event, because we were able to see the end product of what we work towards every day. A large family of Sudanese refugees was moving into the house, and they were really excited to begin the next chapter in their lives.

Since moving to the United States, they have been subject to the mercy (or lack thereof) of a slumlord for their housing. Besides being far too small a space to accommodate their familial needs, raw sewage leaked from the kitchen ceiling on a daily basis, just to name a couple of the problems. It’s difficult to put myself in their shoes and attempt to comprehend the hardships they must have faced in their own country, then the struggles to gain access into this one, only to be mistreated again upon their arrival. How unfair that their lives are so much more difficult than my own and the people around me simply because they happened to be born into a different family within a different country. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to help improve the lives of people who until now have not been able to catch a break.

My scariest roof task so far: felting.

Saturday was fun, because we got to work on our new build and we had about 50 volunteers, most of whom were from a local college. I worked on the roof all day leading a group of them, and we got a lot of felting done.

Only two weeks left in Mobile, and I’m kind of sad when I think about leaving. I’ve gotten so attached to my projects and supervisors; I want to continue on for a while longer. However, we did find out our next project this week, and I’m excited about moving onto it. It’s in New Orleans working on more houses! Right up my alley J

Ruth and I contemplating world issues in our pee carpet living room.