It's hard to leave things unfinished. We're struggling with that today. This was supposed to be our last day of work here in Alabama, but we weren't able to complete all of the projects we were working on, and some of the group will go back for a few hours tomorrow to wrap up what we can.
In another sense, though, we know that no matter how many projects we are able to complete here, our work still won't be finished when we leave.
At the end of this day, we had an unexpected treat. We went out shrimping with Robert, our coordinator, and his son. The birds followed us, hoping to share in our catch, and so did a group of dolphins. When the nets were pulled in, we gathered around to help sort out the shrimp, catfish, squid, and a wide variety of other sea creatures. Then Robert cooked the shrimp up for us--delicious! It was a small glimpse into a different world, though. For us it was a pleasure cruise, a chance to enjoy a cool breeze and watch dolphins frolic behind the boat, but we did come away with a sense that this would be a hard way to make a living, as many of the folks around here do. This time it was Robert who brought up Forrest Gump, reminding us of the scene where Forrest goes and shrimping and returns with only three shrimp to show for his efforts.
Our new friends from the Wellstone Nazarene Church in Ohio left as we were getting ready for our boat trip, taking with them a surprisingly large collection of rubber insects as well as the rubber snake they introduced us to when we arrived. The practical jokes they played on each other (and occasionally on us, as per the shower tour) never stopped this week. We didn't work on projects together but we did share living quarters and social time in the evening, and we listened in as they gathered for worship before they went to work in the morning. We realized that the words and phrases we use to express our faith may sometimes sound different, but the message we are trying to live is the same, and we developed a great deal of respect for them as we got to know them.
We are looking forward to a day of recreation tomorrow, once the work is done, and then it will be time to start the long trip back to Pennsylvania.
More to come!
