Hey Friends!
We were blessed to participate in hurricane relief efforts in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It was truly eye-opening to witness the ongoing struggles of many people after a year, as it seemed like the entire country supported them but within months moved on and they were left to continue to rebuild.
Our first two days were spent assisting in cooking meals for the relief team and families in need. On the first day, Sion-ed and I got to bake desserts for the first couple of hours. Subsequently, we engaged in various preparations, such as cutting 5,000 servings of peppers and 6,000 servings of onions and assembling salads, shredding chicken, and more.
The third and fourth days were spent at base camp, where we assisted in cleaning and making necessary repairs to the base. This also helped them prepare for the anniversary of the hurricane and the dinner that would be held in remembrance. Lucy and I had the opportunity to hang lights for a classroom, enabling the team to educate themselves about the projects and ensuring the safety of the volunteers, as volunteers are crucial in their relief efforts. This involved some critical thinking, which I found particularly enjoyable. I had to figure out how to angle the lights to the front of the classroom, which required some creativity.
After lunch, we took care of the Adventure in Relief staff’s children, who numbered 12 in total. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them. We did a lot of drawing and hide-and-seek!
On the next day, I returned to the lights to add finishing touches. While working alone, I hung up the extra lights and connected one side to the power source, all while discreetly hiding it. Later that day, a group of four of us, including one of the AR staff members named Eddie, visited their campsite to assist in rebuilding a fence and covering an electric wire. This allowed the children to run and play safely without tripping over it and getting hurt.
From there, we went to one of the houses that had been affected by the hurricane and collected the rotted wood from their deck, which we then brought to a dumpster. We were informed that this would be the first weekend that they would be able to live in their house since the hurricane. This news filled us with joy and gratitude.
And just like that, our week came to an end, and we said our goodbyes! It was an incredibly fulfilling week, and I was so happy to be put to work.
During our stay, we were accommodated in army tents or trailers, and I was in the trailer and was so happy to have a mattress for a couple of nights. It was a change of pace to have actual bathrooms instead of porta-potties. Showers were actually hot, but there was limited water, so we had to rinse, turn off, wash our hair, and then turn the water back on and off. No continuous showers, or someone would have run out of water with bubbles still on them.
Prayer requests:
– For the residents of Black Mountain and the AR staff!
Thank you for your continual prayers and support!
Much love,
Lydia
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