During early June, I participated in a service trip to the Wayne County Work Camp in West Virginia with a group of NDCL students, along with several faculty and alumni. We joined students from schools across the United States. It was incredible how many people cared enough to donate their time, and came to help. The purpose of this trip was to help the people of Wayne County who needed home repairs and they did not have the financial resources or health to take care of these.

At the camp, the people in charge split all the volunteers into several different crews, each with different tasks. Some of these assignments included insulating houses, repainting walls, and installing roofing. My crew took out an old porch that made it impossible for the elderly resident to walk upon. Our crew built a brand new one for her and her family. We also did other repairs for the home of this family, such as, digging trenches for the plumbing and electric lines.

Our biggest job was underpinning a new house which was being given to an elderly couple. Underpinning blocks the area under the house, so rodents and other pests can’t get in. It also insulates the home so that the cold in winter prevents the floors from freezing. By the end of the week, we had finished all of our jobs and helped other crews with additional jobs. We felt very proud of our effort.

The trip overall was a great experience for everyone involved. The things we saw and experienced touched every volunteer. What touched me the most was meeting the people for whom we worked and experiencing how grateful they were for what we did for them. They had few material goods, but they were so high-spirited when they came out to chat with us. They told us a lot about their lives and thanked us many times for the work of our crew. This trip taught me how grateful I need to be for all I have been given and to be happy for all the gifts God has given me.