Work Day 5

Today’s bloggers are Jackie Forde and Ali Margarone:

Waking up this morning there seemed to be a certain gloom that illuminated the faces of everyone during morning watch.  It seems like just yesterday we were on our way full of excitement for the prospective week ahead.  When we got to the site we weren’t prepared for the rigorous day we would experience.  Half of the team built shelves

while the other half leveled the front and back yards by use of shovels and pick-axes (particularly Ali’s expertise).  It was tough and tedious, but we got the job done.  When we stepped back to take a look at our work, it was truly rewarding to see the progress we had made on the house.  

We were also able to finish off our day with a trip to the French Quarter which was full of excitement and culture.

Along with an absolutely rewarding feeling that came out of this trip, came an overwhelming sense of community.  Many friendships were made within our FPC group as well as outside of it.  One example of this is our new relationship with the adult mission group from Sarasota.  We were both able to impact each other’s lives in different yet significant ways.  We had an opportunity to learn and grow from each other and look at the world with new perspectives that we never thought to take on.  If you had asked us how hard it would be to say goodbye to this unfamiliar group of adults at the beginning of the week we might have said it wouldn’t be too difficult.  We came to learn that it was quite sad to part ways.

(The combined FPCs - Stamford and Sarasota)

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of doing something for someone who can never repay you.  This week was able to provide us with that feeling and much more as we leave our Habitat house and our work behind.  We will bring home with us many memories and life lessons that can carry us through the rest of our lives.