My name is Caroline Driskell and this is my fourth mission trip. The thing I have liked most about this mission trip in particular is that we get to do something hands on and that we get to progress everyday. This week, my group has been working on repairing a house. So far, we have helped put in floor joists and nailing in subfloor and getting another room ready to repair. I thought it was really fun to use some of the power tools and getting to do demolition. By far, my least favorite part was having to clean out the crawl space and getting bug bites. I have really liked learning new things and getting to experience how life is in Hazard. It is very different from Indianapolis and it’s shown me how fortunate we are. Overall, I have already learned a lot this week and I can’t wait to learn more.

Song of the Builders by Mary Oliver

On a summer morning

I sat down

on a hillside

to think about God –

a worthy pastime.

Near me, I saw

a single cricket;

it was moving the grains of the hillside

this way and that way.

How great was its energy,

how humble its effort.

Let us hope

it will always be like this,

each of us going on

in our inexplicable ways

building the universe.

Hi my name is Kade Irwin, and this is my fourth mission trip. I started the day waking up earlier than I would like, to look forward to the long day ahead. I got in the car and followed a truck with Kyle. The truck was loud and dirty and didn’t catch my attention of something that would later mean a lot to me. At first I was hesitant of the people I was to be working with, but right as the work started, I saw their passion in their work. Their job was not a job to them; it was laughs and problem solving and a way to connect with the community. The house we went to did not have a kitchen floor and just had a large hole where many people’s kitchen would be. I didn’t see the progress ahead, but as hours passed and sweat was shed, I saw a kitchen being formed. The sub floor was standing beneath me upon where a hole and dirt used to be. The day was filled with struggles like the water breaking and dogs getting in the way, but we got through it. I felt a lot closer to God today from seeing my results and seeing my effort turn into someone’s home and something to keep someone else safe. Day one was a success for me!

Hi my name is Sami Seifferlein, and this is my third mission trip with Geist Christian Church. This year we traveled to Hazard, Kentucky. Today was our first work day, and we went to a site that was building a house for a family with 6 children. The foundation for the house was already built so our job was mostly hammering nails into wood, making the basic structure for the walls and ceilings. Although today I found out that hammering nails is not one of my strong suits, I still enjoyed being able to help around the site doing whatever was needed. Some of the family that was house was being given to even stopped by to say hello. It was really cool being able to physically see the family in person and experience their gratitude and thankfulness for what we were doing first hand. Although the heat seemed to be brutal at times, Mary Jo’s spray fan saved us throughout the day. Although the heat caused us to take many breaks, we still made a lot of progress in the 6-ish hours we were there, including starting building their front porch. It was amazing being able to see the excitement on the mom’s face after seeing her soon-to-be front porch. Today I saw God in the nature surrounding us as we worked. Throughout the day, butterflies flew around the work cite and even landed on a few of us multiple times. Although these butterflies seem like an insignificant thing, they were a good reminder of the beauty of the nature God has created, even in an underprivileged area like Hazard. So far this trip has made me appreciate the opportunities I get back at home in Fishers, and I feel really lucky to be growing up/raised in such a great area. Mission trips like these keep me grounded, and I am very appreciative for the opportunity to be able to help others. I can’t wait to see the progress on the house we’re working on this week!

Our youth have been broken up into two teams. Here are some pictures from our sites.

Why I Wake Early by Mary Oliver

Hello, sun in my face.

Hello, you who make the morning

and spread it over the fields

and into the faces of the tulips

and the nodding morning glories,

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable and crotchety–

best preacher that ever was,

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

to keep us from ever-darkness,

to ease us with warm touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light–

good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day

in happiness, in kindness.

Hey! It’s Alyson Bradtmiller & Olivia Rubick and this is our second mission trip together! We’re so excited to get closer to each other and other peers on this trip. It’s going to be a blast to get in touch with ourselves and God. This week we can’t wait to be able to build houses and help out in any way possible. We’re also very thankful because we hope this trip will help open our eyes to the world outside of Indy. We’re extremely grateful to be able to have this opportunity to broaden our horizons. Especially to have new experiences and memories that Hazard, Kentucky will bring us.