The beginning of a new school year is always accompanied by that same nagging question – Did you do anything special over the summer? Typically we talk about hanging out with friends or perhaps a family vacation. However, this year I have a unique answer. I went on a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to help rebuild after tornadoes devastated the area in April.
It all started with an idea that I should participate in a trip of this caliber so I could put it on a college application. I realized one of my close friends goes with a group from her church, Hope Youth Ministry, every year on a mission trip. I made a few calls and with some determination and a little luck, I was in. The only issue was the fact that I knew one person out of fifty, which was a little daunting to me.
August 4, 2012 approached fast, and I found myself waving goodbye to my mother at 5:15 a.m. from the back of van number four. Everyone was extremely friendly and most went out of their way to make me comfortable. After two days of travel and a time change, we finally arrived in Alabama.
Monday was the start of our work week, and it was exhausting. As we were pulling up to the Alpha Boys Ranch, which is a facility that helps boys acclimate to society after rehabilitation, the magnitude of the disastrous tornadoes that had ripped through four months prior hit me. There was barely anything left. The scarred landscape consisted of shredded foliage, jagged tree trunks, and debris scattered around the torn ground. It was a humbling experience, to say the least.
We were immediately divided into small groups and sent to work. Our goal was to build a barn from the ground up. Even though it was grueling and difficult, I didn’t think of it as work. Instead, the tasks were fun. We got to use a variety of power tools, including chain saws, table saws, and nail guns, among other things. By the middle of the week I even got to lead my own team! We were the group putting up the siding of the barn.
By the last day, we had managed to put up the foundation, to complete all the doors and windows, to cut, stain, and install all the siding, and nearly finished the loft. All that was really left to do was put on a roof, which we couldn’t do anyway.
Each day one group would stay back and help fix up the camp which we were staying at. We helped to build a dock, reconstruct an old stage, and install a much needed staircase. I enjoyed being at the work site much more than being at the camp, mostly because I liked to be around everyone there. Also, it looked like a much bigger accomplishment than finishing a dock.
It wasn’t all work and no play. The camp we stayed at offered a zip line, horseback riding, canoeing, and swimming. My favorite part was the horseback riding. You actually got to take the horses out on a trail for about an hour and ride however you liked. Not to mention we saddled, brushed, and fed the horses ourselves. We even got to race around barrels in the corral. Here at home, a lot of places prefer to hold the reigns of the horse, but we got to ride all on our own, which is an experience I’ll not soon forget.
As the end of our stay grew closer, we all packed up and got in the vans again. After two more days of travel, we arrived home and found our parents and siblings, and of course, our pets. Personally, I wasn’t ready to go back home! I loved everyone and everything so much, I would have liked to have stayed longer. But all good things must come to an end eventually.
I helped to make a difference in somebody’s life. Even though my initial reason for embarking on the trip wasn’t genuine, the memories and friendships I got out of it were. I still keep in touch with a number of people I met on the trip. I will definitely go next year, but not just to put it on an application.