Sometimes Blessings Stink

One of the defining moments of the trip, and my favorite, occurred at a place called St. Thomas More. As we woke up that morning we were scheduled to work at another local kitchen/shelter in the town. However, upon our arrival, we were slightly dissapointed and at the same time somewhat excited to find that the entire building had been closed due to a sewage backup. The backup had become so bad that it had become a health hazard, and everybody, even staff, had been ordered to leave the building. It was kind of a bummer not to be able to help. We had been told that this would be the best kitchen that we had worked at yet, and there was a strong Christian foundation too, something lacking at the other kitchens. But after waiting around for a little while as our hosts made a number of phone calls, we were soon on our way to St. Thomas More's, a hospitalized retirement home that also dealt with rehabilitating injuries and the mentally ill.

I was very excited. I love medical stuff, and the idea of being able to talk with these people had my full attention. Sam, an avid outdoorsman and very good friend of mine, and I immediately headed to the third floor and walked into the first room that we were invited into. In that room we met a man by the name of Donald. He was a local, having lived in DC his entire life, a former stone mason, as well as a fan of hunting. We immediately hit it off, and listened as Donald told his story to us, his desire to get out of there as soon as possible (a common feeling among the residents there), and about his interest in and experience with hunting. Stories were swapped, laughs were shared, and we all had a good time.

Eventually, as the time came for our group to leave, Sam began to make his exit (I had left 15 minutes prior due to somebody on the fifth floor asking for company). Before Sam left though, Donald thanked the both of us for coming by. He's been in there for a month now, and nobody visits. His family does not call. He feels as if he's been forgotten. The churches in the area that do visit, quickly stop in, say a prayer, and leave. Donald thanked us for coming, for being the first ones to come and actually take an interest in him, and for taking the time to talk with him. It was somewhat hard to leave that place knowing that he would probably be alone for a long time afterwards, but I believe that God had us there for a purpose. I believe that we touched his heart just as much as he touched ours. And I can honestly say that I have never been happier about a sewage backup in my entire life.