The Story of the Day

if you can't see the video, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWOUICYPygU

(sorry about the video music...reused The Rolling Stones! I promise not to do it again...Louise)

To every reader,

I don't know how to describe this trip. Words fail to do it justice and hardly scratch the surface of what this adventure truly means. When Mama Louise asked for volunteer writers for this blog, I immediately shot my hand in the air simply because I loved writing. I assumed at the time that I would eventually figure out what I wanted to say and piece it all together the moment my dusty finger tips hit this keyboard. But in all honesty, I still don't know where this piece is going to go even as I sit here writing it. Maybe that's why I'm here. Maybe I was called here to figure out where I'm going not only in this writing, but in this insanely confusing existence we call life. 

Going on this trip took courage. 97 degree heat in the middle of the desert, 29 hour long bus ride, short showers, long work hours, and no cell phone service basically spell out disaster to most teenagers. Even with having experience from last year's trip, I still didn't really know what I was walking into. But I can tell you with firmness and a smile that would send the sun's infinite brightness to shame, that this trip, this place, this adventure, is one that has forced me to search for the soul that God has destined me to become, something that I could never discover in any suburb. If you asked me who I was before last Saturday at 3 am, I would say a dancer, a member of Italian club, a writer, someone who wants to go to college, and hoping to live in New York one day as a journalist. There's nothing wrong with this person, but it's not truly who I am-it's just what fills my time and what I hope for in the future. Coming to Bluff Utah has helped me answer my question of who God desires for me to be beyond what my family expects me to be, or who my grades say I am. Life is deeper than those things; there is more to living than just earning enough money to drive a Ferrari, or earning that A so you can get into Harvard. Life is about enjoying the wild ride that God has planned for you and being in the moment. 

Father Chris told us that we are all one breath away from our last breath. Now don't worry, we're all alive and well here, but if you think about it, that's true. You never know when God will call you to heaven and even though humans enjoy planning their lives out onto an intangible timeline, this call cannot be prevented or put on a timeline. This lesson has reminded me to live in the moment. Why plan out tomorrow when there are so many more hours of today to be enjoyed? You never know when you might take your final breath, so why not live in the now? Worrying about tomorrow or yesterday only brings suffering, and that's suffering that you're putting on yourself. We are all given this incredible opportunity to live on this Earth and thrive in it, that not living in the now is practically a crime. 

You probably think this is incredibly cliche, and that I'm just some crazy teenager who thinks they have life all figured out. Well let me assure you that I'm aware that I don't have life all figured out. Trust me, there are plenty of times that I'm not living in the now and are stressing about grades and school, but going on this trip has helped me not worry so much about these minuscule things. I'm learning to live vibrantly, full with color and motion, being one with nature and all of God's gifts. But most of all, it has allowed me to find the path that God has destined for me, committed to being here now while experiencing and enjoying every breath in a in a rainbow of colors, not just operating and existing in shades of black and white. 

Wishing you a day full of color,

Viv Drury

Tuesday's Activity

Hi All!

Today was our second day at the site, and although we had a slow start on Monday, we really picked up the pace today. We woke up this morning at 5 a.m. energized and ready to go! We grabbed our coffee and our hard hats and were on the site by 8 a.m. Jack, our contractor, gave us great instructions and lead us into the construction of our first wall. We have four teams with us, and we are each working on a separate project. I am proud to say that the Red Hot Chili Peppers (my team) put the first wall up this morning. Led Zeppelin followed shortly after with the second wall. We had trouble with the walls with windows, but I don't doubt those will be up by noon tomorrow. It is scorching hot outside, but our motivation to get things done is only growing. We cannot wait to come home and show you all the great and hard work we have done here in Bluff. 

Wishing you all the best,

Sofia Howson

The Shower - Phase 1

Starring John Robinson