The Work Begins...

Shenendehowa UMC Workcamp 2016

Woonsocket, RI

Work day number one is in the books!! Everyone set out for the day with smiles on their faces and with lots of excitement (and maybe a little nerves too) about meeting their resident and starting their work projects. We got to our sites, met our residents, began our work projects, and had the pleasure of experiencing and working in the wonderful sun and heat. Some of the projects that are being worked on by members of the Shen UMC group are wheel chair ramps, porches, decks, roofing, interior painting, and exterior painting. Everyone worked hard all day and we have made great progress on most of our projects. Not only has everyone made progress on their work projects, but they have also begun building relationships with their crews and residents. It was great to come back to the school and talk with one another about our residents and their stories; as well as the relationships we are building with our crews. 

Our main theme for the week is Extraordinary and each day we look deeper into that theme; with today's theme being 'Extraordinary Service.' We talked about what it looks like to be a servant and to switch the focus off ourselves and put the focus on others. One of the key verses of the day was Matthew 20:28 || “Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As we go throughout the week, we hope to have the same mindset as Jesus, and focus on how we can serve others, both on and off out work sites.  

Thank you for all of your continued prayer and support. Please be praying for good health and restoration, as the heat and sun have been taking a little toll on some of the workcampers. Continue praying for our relationships within our Shen UMC group, crews, and with our residents. 

We hope to add some photos from our projects to our blog sometime tomorrow...until then imagine 44 of us sweating in the 100 degree weather! :-)  Thanks Ashley Latham for writing this post!