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mission trip to the jersey shore, day 4

thursday was a sort of new beginning for our journey here along the atlantic coast, as we all were starting on a new project - two new projects, to be more precise.  since two of our number returned home on thursday morning, our number was now twelve, so six of us went to a home in wildwood and the other six to a town, a bit inland from wildwood, called delmont.

those who went to wildwood, were involved in painting, demo-ing a floor, carrying incredible amounts of drywall, and doing some insulation work.  here are some pictures from that project:







the other six, who headed to delmont, were doing mostly drywall installation, some insulation, and lots of mudding/spackling.  here are some photos from the delmont home:








we're all learning new things; new skills for working in a home, but we are also all growing closer together, laughing together, eating peanut butter and nutella sandwiches together, sharing the same sleeping quarters (and all the bodily sounds involved in that), and working side by side, serving people that we haven't even met.  and in the process of this service, we are discovering a deeper bond, a joyful heart, and a satisfaction that goes beyond just sending a few dollars to UMCOR to help out with the mission work. we have dust in every crevice and spackle in our hair.  we have sunburn and bugbites.  we are weary and well-worked, but we are also overflowing with joy.  everyone keeps saying how glad they are that they came, and that all the other team members came also.  some among us keep shaking their heads and saying that this was far different than what they had expected.  some are "coming out of their shell" as one of our team members told me.  and all of it, i think, is what happens when a group of people make a concrete commitment to love others, regardless of the sacrifice.  the joy we feel is the direct result of love putting its workboots on and getting busy.

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