I have to admit that I've been lacking in keeping people posted as to what is going on in my life currently. I've been drained what with camp, followed by Sierra Service Project (SSP), followed by getting sick. So, here it is. Camp was great, as stated previously. I had a week to rejuvenate (which was not enough considering right after SSP I got sick) before heading off to the wonderful Loleta, CA to participate in Sierra Service Project - a project much like Habitat for Humanity, in which we go to an Indian Reservation (this year it was to the Wiyot Tablebluff Reservation) and rebuild homes. It was an interesting and educational experience for me and I enjoyed it very much.
As soon as we got to the little town of Loleta, located about 10 miles south of Eureka, CA., we were divided up into work teams and given a specific project to work on. My team was assigned to Pam's house, which needed new windows installed due to the fact that when the house was originally built 20 years ago, the windows were not properly weather-proofed and caused quite a bit of damage to Pam's home. Our group was the last to participate in this year's project (week 6 of 6) so a lot of the homes were just finishing projects. At first, our work team (which consisted of me, another counselor - Phil - and 8 high school students) had nothing to do. The contractor, Bob (yes Bob, and yes, we called him Bob the builder) was the only one who knew what to do and he was not scheduled to show up until Tuesday afternoon. So the majority of the first 2 days of work consisted of twiddling our thumbs. Finally, on Wednesday, we got to work. Tearing things out and installing insulation, removing screws and rusty nails (no one got cut, thankfully), installing flashing, followed by putting in the new windows and putting up sheet rock. I'm very proud of the kids for everything they contributed that week (and not just the kids on my work team, but the entire SSP group) and how hard they all worked to do something good for others. It really was a positive experience.
As someone who is accostomed to getting to know God through camps, I really wasn't sure of how this experience was going to be. It was a different experience and sometimes, I'm not the best person when it comes to changes (as I'm sure most of you out there are the same). But I have to say that I did get to experience God in the kids that were there. Seeing them do a good deed for others and letting them take things into their own hands was a rewarding experience for me. At the beginning of the week, something felt off to me though, and it took me a couple of days to realize what it was. I'm so used to camp and having the chance to know the other counselors really well. That was not the case here at SSP. I think I was expecting it to be a little more like camp than it actually was and when it wasn't, I was a little disappointed. But that's not to say that I didn't have a wonderful time. It was just different than what I expected. Anyway, the week was great, I made new friends, and got to to something good for someone in need. What more could I ask for?
Upon my return to reality, I was struck with a cold. No doubt due to the fact that I've been running around nonstop for virtually the past month and not getting the ample rest that I needed. But I'm almost all better, with the exception of a nagging cough - which is not helped by the fact that there is now a fire in the area and aggravating the hell out of it. School starts Monday, which will be good. With that comes homework, papers, projects, college apps, and stress, but hopefully I will be able to handle it well and do well this semester. And that, my friends, was my summer.
