Well, clearly I missed my update last Sunday. I was a bit under the weather and didn't quite recover as quickly as I thought I would so I just missed my post as a whole.
The second week of February brought us 23 high school volunteers from Louisville, KY. Half were from DeSales High School (an all guys school) and the otherh alf were from Assumption High School (an all girls school). It made for some interesting dynamics throughout the week which was a bit lower in energy and initiative. I found myself back at Rex and Tina Wildman's to finish their insulation and their deck. Despite 22 hours without power from the night of the 11th to the 12th we managed to leave Rex and Tina on Friday with a brand new deck to use once it gets warmer. (I would just like to mention that during that power outage we had no water, since out water works on a pump, no heat, and no telephones - I really felt cut off from the world. It \made me realize all the luxuries that I take for granted and that, in all honesty, I'd rather go without.) Below is a picture of myself with them in front of our work (I am pretty proud of that deck). I was very happy to get the site finished with volunteers, I always enjoy when the students get to see the finished product. We'll be visiting the Wildman's again sometime soon because their plumbing is still not fixed from the second week of January when their pipes froze and literally exploded. They haven't had running water since.
This previous week brought us three groups from New York who brought much more energy to the Farm than the Louisville groups. It was a noticeable change on Sunday night alone. The downside was that I woke up Sunday feeling a bit nauseaus with a fever and by Sunday night I couldn't take it anymore, I ended up going to be early and staying in bed all day Monday. So I missed out on my first chance to get to know the volunteers. I didn't have an official site but took groups to two different painting sites and then finished up with woodsplitting down at Butch's. Our woodshed is now full with wood to dry out for next winter, woohoo.
I'm off work today because of the previous consecutive group weeks. The remainder of this week we'll be finishing up some sites as a staff including Gail's bathroom, as well as taking care of some other things around the Farm and being certified in CPR. I am very anxious for the upcoming weekend because Caitlin is coming to visit for the first time since my birthday (about 6 weeks). It should be a great week, I've really been working to get plenty of rest lately so that I can get over this sickness. Staying in bed Monday seems like something that would be nice, although I found myself quite bored and wanting to be with the volunteers. But it did serve as a nice reminder that this place isn't about me, that my service here isn't just about myself. The show went on without me - a reminder my mom has to tell me all the time as a child. The world doesn't revolve around me.
Lent starts this Wednesday with Ash Wednesday... Reflect each day during lent on one of the 40 poorest countries in the world (40 Days with the Last 40).
