I'm Staff

A recap of our journey from Kelley Summers

I'm Staff

I’m Staff. With a capital “S”-taff. Yes, I thought to myself, I can actually sleep and not have to do anything because I’m no longer the Staff in Training-the “parent” in charge of this sometimes rowdy bunch of kids! But that was just a story I thought would become the truth in my head, and that was a bit far-fetched to say the least. 

Why did I come back for this mission trip after the craziness of last year? I thought I did because I wanted to have something to share with others when I returned about the group, the construction work, and the drama that would make people excited to hear my stories. But the truth is that I came back so I could build something that someone would inhabit with my own two hands. Truth is, I came back so I could figure out my own spiritual journey, since these trips seem to help me focus on what my faith means to me. Truth is, I came back for the YMO group, especially these amazing kids.

          It’s no secret that I love the work that we do on these mission trips. Not only did I learn a lot about construction, but I also got to do A LOT. It’s an excuse to take sledge hammers straight to awry pieces of wood or look cool using pneumatic nail guns, and I took every opportunity I could to get involved in the construction of this hogan.

It was my enthusiasm that kept me “thirsty” for more work, and with that came more responsibility. Jack the Contractor became my “drill sergeant” I MEAN mentor for the 5 days we were on site, and when he said to put on a nail apron to “look like a leader”, I put on the first one I could find. But the thing about leading is that you are nothing without your team, and my team overachieved in every task that was thrown at them. My team, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, put up the first wall, and the third and the fourth and so on. 

Everyone on that site was there for a reason, and all of us working as one allowed us to get as far as we did in the construction of the hogan.

          Whether you know this about me or not, the truth is that, before these trips, I was not as involved with the church as I should have been. I liked the people that went to Grace and enjoyed the many social gatherings I attended, but there were years where the closest I got to church was the GEMs golf outing. I never took the opportunity to examine my faith and try to understand my spirituality.

 Not like I’m saying I know even half about what it means to be a completely spiritual person (since Father P tells us that if you think you know it, you don’t!), but what I’m saying is that this trip is the closest I’ve ever gotten to knowing what it means to have and believe in myself and my spiritual life. In spite of all the energy I have, the energy vortex made me stop, and feel, and sense, and hear. And I honestly don’t think I’ve ever felt more at peace than on that Wednesday night.

 But the biggest reason I came back was for this group of bright, inspirational YMOers I see before me. You guys are the reason why these trips are so special to me, because you inspire me with everything that you do. You’re the ones that make the work worthwhile, and the people I would always pick first to be on my team because of the heart and determination you all showed on and off the site, day in and day out. You’re the ones that made me really want to explore my spirituality and that honestly brought me back to church. 

         

And you’re the ones that make me laugh, act like a complete goon, scream I MEAN sing songs at the top of my lungs, get absolutely no sleep for days, listen to your stories and jokes into the wee hours of the night, and feel so happy to have met and gotten to know each and every one of you. It’s no question that Father P has played a significant role in your emotional and spiritual development. Each of you are a piece of a great puzzle, with your own edges and curves that make you who you are as an individual. But when you come together as a group, each piece falls miraculously into its unique place. The completed puzzle: an image formed by, but unlike its individual parts. Connected. Cohesive. Clear.

  Today marks the first time I've spoken about my time in Utah except with my fellow missioners. I've been trying to focus on sticking to the truth of what I experienced there instead of having it spiral off into 1,000 stories that don’t actually mean anything individually. I’m not able to, nor do I want to do that, since what truly happened there is something way too meaningful and important to me to be shared in some story. There is no place I’d rather be than with you all, working hard on the site with all our power tools (Bosch-made or not *flex guns*), continuing my spiritual journey that truly started just a year ago, and knowing what it finally means to be a part of a group that loves each other like family. I am honored to be a piece in the puzzle that is YMO. 

 - Kelley Summers - June 2014