Hey, All, It's Becky Shipe. This has been an interesting experience for someone as young as me. I was prepared to do the hard work I've done on trips like Soundview, and the comforting I so look forward to in Idaho. I was not entirely braced for the shock of how long these people have been waiting on anybody to do anything.
I had the pleasure of working on a house for Miss Mary. She is an elderly woman, around 80, who has dementia, and has been living in her daughters' house for the past two and a half years. A tree had fallen on a corner of her living room and the windows were old and falling apart. We tore out the brick surrounding the windows and pulled out those windows. We put two brand new windows in her front room, three in her bedroom and one in the guest/storage room. I was mostly occupied with painting her "sun room" a beautiful shade of yellow.
The daughters were so pleased with all the work we put into that house. It seemed so surreal
to see them that happy. Miss Mary just sat there and cried, she was so overwhelmed. The daughters started to cry a bit too. It was so adorable. I can't wait to see where we will be working tomorrow.
You may think someone my age wouldn't choose to go on a trip with both of my parents, but it's really been an experience. Yeah, they can be a bit annoying, but who isn't? I miss seeing all my friends at home, but Mississippi is such a different place, it's nice to just escape from the everyday drama a high schooler sometimes encounters. There are no cliques, no jocks versus nerds, just everyone loving everyone else.
Last night we played a rendition of "I Have Never" and let me tell you, it got almost as competitive as youth group! Everyone was hooting and howling at everyone else. You'll have to ask who ended up sitting on whom.
Overall this trip has been an experience I will remember fondly my entire life. I cannot believe how many lives we are touching by just being here and smiling at the strangers we pass on the street. I am so looking forward to next year!
With love,
Becky Shipe
ng & kitchen areas, while Ginger worked on the fine lines of the trim. Ebb & Tom S. worked on tiling the bathroom floor, while Mark did an excellent job driving us all over during the week. He also helped in the other jobs our team worked on & took on a garage ceiling job where a 2 by 4 jumped out & bit him! Karen installed the throne & much praising was to be had by all! Here's Karen on the throne in the newly tiled bathroom & me, her humble servant, bowing in happiness & gratitude! Our team had a lot of fun & laughs this week, especially with Ebb as our team leader! Tomorrow, some teams will finish up their projects as various homes & some of us will probably stay here in camp to help with the many endless jobs. We all saw God this week, especially in Helene's large, dark & tearing eyes as she thanked us for all the help we supplied her with. I am truly grateful that God gave me this opportunity to see His face in the hopeless & helpless in the Gulf Coast.
