Thursday March 31st, 2016
Nicholas Jones
We have traveled far with trusty silver bullet and big red. We have taken up shelter in a service building, where it seems many have come before us. We are running high on supplies, as we have made a trek to the local supermarket. Our moral is high, as we have befriended two knowledgeable gents by the name of Jonathan and Walter. We have been channeling our gumby hardcore. Throughout the week, I have been the go to power-saw man. I am glad to be the go-to person, but I have shared this knowledge with other volunteers and have served, not helped them by teaching them the saw.
Today Tara, Walter, and I’s morale was low. Poco-a-Poco was our slogan. As we attempted again and again to fix the garage door with nuts and bolts, our attempts only met its demise as the garage doors measurements were off. But it was all good, because we channeled our inner chill, chill, chill, chill, chill.
MAB Franklin dropped a mixtape shortly after the day was done. Check out the cover art on twitter or the gram.
On a more serious note. Through service, I have befriended the other 10 volunteers. I have gained a broader view on the world, socio-economics, and developed a deeper respect for other views and opinions. What’s even better, is that we all have developed these things. It is interesting to learn how you can become so close to what seems to be complete strangers over a week. When you work in a team atmosphere, break bread with others, and share stories, laughs, and personal things with a random assortment of individuals, you come to understand the power of MAB. All of this is in the name of service.
An amazing choice for spring break. Basically chicken noodle soup for the soul.
Abby Uhlar
My college experience has been an overall positive one: I’ve made friends, learned a plethora of information and brought myself out of my comfort zone in more ways than one. Mizzou Alternative Breaks has been the most amazing way to represent all of that. The last five days have consisted of hard work, extreme bonding and crazy moments. Out in rural West Virginia, my group has come together to work on making a house a home.
This week has brought about different challenges and opportunities for every member of this group. I’ve never really used power tools, let alone been trusted to build a window frame or paint a building without supervision. This trip has given me the opportunity to expand my skills and learn new ones. At our site, we worked with Walter and Johnathon (Habitat for Humanity supervisors) who couldn’t have been a better fit for our participants. They are positive, reassuring and supportive in a way that helped our group grow both individually and as a whole.
I was fortunate enough to go on the stereotypical college spring break twice in my life. I thought that nothing would ever trump those memories but I am so happy to be wrong. Not only have I bonded with other participants and our site leaders, but with members of this beautiful community. We’ve collaborated and become a team and I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything.
No comments:
Post a Comment