However, as I drove behind our buses full of these teenagers that Michael and I have come to adore over the last two years, my heart changed. I’d drive past the buses and wave to all of the faces pressed against windows. These kids and our mission for the week were so worth the lack of sleep and aching body. If I had missed this trip I would have been MISERABLE that whole week! I loved being there and sharing a week with everyone!

So the funniest part of the trip was watching me try to learn how to put up siding. Yes, Katelyn’s team was in charge of a siding job… CRAZY. I knew nothing about siding. However, I learned VERY quickly that it’s a very TEDIOUS job and “eye-balling” it won’t work. I’m not an “Exact” person. I don’t measure things and I NEVER use a level! So this job stretched me a bit. After day one I knew how to hang j-channel, f-channel and I was a pro with a pair of snips! (Daddy aren’t you proud that I know these terms?!!) It was HOT…. and I mean REALLY hot. We were working in 105 degree weather with limited shade and everyday I thanked the Lord I wasn’t on the “roofing” team.  You’ll see in pictures later that the roof was SO hot that the bottom of some of their shoes were melting! Yikes!!

However, at the end of the week, it was all worth it. We left the Eastern Shore better than we found it and we were able to serve that community in the name of Jesus. There is nothing greater than that!!  I mentioned to my small group during the week that when you’re on a mission trip, you have a strange sense of overwhelming PURPOSE each day.  All the girls agreed and so I went on to explain that I really think that’s because on Mission Trips, everything is stripped away and we’re unable to be focused solely on ourselves.  We were never designed to be focused on ourselves constantly and so when we finally start to view the world around us like Jesus would, it’s amazing how GREAT that feels!

I had a blast on this trip and I just want to say THANK YOU to the high school girls for having minimal drama!! Seriously, that was such a BLESSING!!!! haha Enjoy a peek of our trip!

A giant fan demands a photo shoot:) Lets not talk about how sad I am to see all of these girls leave for college :(