Peaches

When I first signed up for this trip, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that we would be helping others, most likely physically as well as spiritually, but I had no idea how. After approximately 14 hours of work, I have figured out the physical part of how. Now, all i need to figure out is the spiritual part.
At our work site, we have been putting lattice up around the base of the mudroom that was built by a previous group, digging holes for fence posts, leveling ground, and installing drywall. I have learned how to use a power drill, a circle saw, and become what could quite possibly be considered an expert on breaking drill bits. The work is hard, but it's neat to be able to look back and see what you have done. When our homeowner came outside this afternoon to see what had been done, she was kindly surprised.
Peaches is our house owners name. She is very popular; nearly every car that drives by honks and waves. Throughout the day, guests of all shapes sizes and ages stop by and visit inside or on her newly-built porch. When we first met Peaches, I think what most of us were thinking about was how to get through the tricky "How do you do?"'s, not necessarily thinking about getting to know her. Our leaders back at the house were insistent upon the fact that this trip was all about mutually transformative relationships; that we left having been touched as well as touching others on our way. On that first morning, I didn't know how we were going form a relationship with Peaches, and it bummed me out. Thankfully, this afternoon, I was able to take a break and chat with her. I learned about how she came to her current home, when her kids were born, all about her grandchildren, and about her favorite shows on the Food Network. She also shared her knowledge about the local community. I was glad to be able to take a break from the work, but in a way I was more glad to have been able to find out about her life, to find out what made her who she was. Well, that last part I might not quite have, but I'm working on it.
After only two nights and three days here, I feel at home in these beautiful mountains. I can't wait to see what the rest of the week holds.

Liddy Renner