Alana Knepp

So, today was Hump Day. Almost the very first thing we talked about at our morning meeting was the fact that today is usually the hardest day on a week-long missions trip. Monday and Tuesday, you’re super excited to be there and start working; on Thursday you’re thinking, “I’m almost there!”; Friday is exciting because it’s the last day and often there’s some kind of celebration; but Wednesday is often just kind of rough.... We’re all tired and sore, a lot of the jobs we started on aren’t done yet, sometimes you’re not sleeping great, or maybe you just really miss family back home.

But you know what? At our evening debrief meeting, we realized that we didn’t really have a “hump day.” Yes, a lot of us were sore and tired, but the awesome thing was that no one complained! And instead of being grumpy, there seemed to be even more joy and goofiness than usual. God has given each and every one of us so much energy this week, physically and mentally.

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Something that has helped me to keep going when I start getting tired is something that Rhonda Calhoun (co-founder of Harvest Home) said on Monday morning. Recently she did a Bible study on the word “worship,” and a crazy number of times the word used actually meant “work.” Remembering that when we work, we’re actually worshipping God was so much better of a reason to keep at it than anything else.

Speaking of work, a ton got done today!

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The roof got finished! The hope was to finish by noon because we expected to have some serious winds in the afternoon. While they didn’t quite finish by noon, the wind held off, and they finished not long after lunch.

Another team finished grouting the kitchen backsplash in the downstairs of The Refuge.

Most of the tiling was completed at the Hope House, plus the tile was prepped for grouting tomorrow.

��The Jungle and Fire Demolition team made HUGE headway!! A ton of brush, trees, and weeds were ripped out in preparation for a gorgeous outdoor space where staff and residents will be able to gather in the shade for meetings and fun activities.

In addition to all of this work, each mealtime has been filled with amazing food and great conversation. It’s a wonderful thing to see all of us mingling around the table and getting to know each other, no matter our background or what brought us here.

�And to top it all off, tonight after dinner we all went on a field trip to get frozen custard! Once again, the bus was filled with laughter, joy, and awesome relationship-building between Vineyard and Harvest Home staff and residents.

One thing that has been so clear all week long is that God has brought exactly who He wanted on this trip. This place is truly one of transformation, and almost every person on the team has had a revelation or God moment of some kind. What has struck me most this week is how God so lovingly chooses to meet each person right where they are. He doesn’t expect us to fix ourselves; instead, He treats each one of us as the unique creation we are and reveals Himself in the way that will touch our hearts most. It’s even more exciting to think what else He will do on this trip! It’s only Wednesday, after all! =)

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