Spring was peering around the trunks of the trees as the college vans pulled up the driveway at Camp AJ. The vans were rentals mostly, built for many passengers – and for the sense of community that can only be found in places like these. When they rolled up and planted themselves in the back parking lot next to the fire pit, it was official: WorkFest had begun.
It started as it usually does – the passing out of brightly colored t-shirts (souvenirs to take home as proof that, yes, you were here and, yes, it was awesome). There were the orientations – this is who we are, we’re glad you’re here, don’t forget your safety fashions, etc. And then the real work began.
DAY ONE
On my jobsite, it all started with a floor. We were building a home addition which, like most things, requires one to work their way up from the bottom. We nailed together pieces of wood amidst the chill of a cloudy sky and first day awkwardness. Eyes skimmed name tags repeatedly, trying to get nine strangers’ names stored in one’s brain as quickly as possible. Hands picked up hammers and tried to get used to the swing of the things – these things they had never held before. The phrase, “Take a picture, because my mom is never going to believe that I did this!” was passed from one college student to another. By the end of the day, the awkwardness had melted, the floor was laid, and one wall stood alone atop the foundation. The chickens next door watched as a ring of cement block started to look more like a room.
DAY TWO
The chill of the previous cloudy day disappeared and the sun reached down from the sky. Eyes no longer relied so heavily upon nametags and hands were eager to pick up the hammers with which they had become so acquainted the day prior. Two more walls rose up from the floor. Then came the trusses – big triangles carried from the pile and placed atop their new four-cornered home. People who were strangers a day before took a break and chit-chatted in a circle. Sensing a more sociable atmosphere, the chickens from next door approached and dug around in the straw at our feet, running away only when anyone got too close.
DAY THREE
After we finished putting up the trusses, it was time to sheet them with OSB and synthetic felt. People climbed ladders and nailed from their perch – something that they had been hesitant to do yesterday. For many students, fears of climbing on a roof dwindled as well, along with the supply of orange-topped button cap nails in their nail aprons. The camaraderie of the lunch circle was amplified by the presence of the next door chickens, no longer afraid, hoping to break bread with us. The white rooster was the most persistent, showing off the curve of his throat while trumpeting to the sky. Being chased off multiple times did not sway him; he knew a good thing when he saw it. And that good thing was there – in that circle.
DAY FOUR
The last work day. We crawled under the floor and installed the insulation, in all of its pink fiberglass glory. The window was popped into the opening left for it in the side of the wall. The siding climbed slowly but surely up to the top of the house. When the time came for prayer, two girls who at the beginning of the week said they didn’t think they would ever feel comfortable leading prayer, led us in prayer. They offered a humble bit of thanks for this place, these people, this week. The chickens looked on from the yard next door and nodded their approval. The sun smiled down as we drove away, daffodils blooming and neighbor children waving.
There is beauty to be found in these places – these uncomfortable places where you find yourself amongst strangers, doing things you’ve never before done.
