To lose yourself in righteous service to others can lift your sights and get your mind off personal problems, or at least put them in proper focus. -Ezra Taft Benson
Today we sent our first group of volunteers to the Energy Express Program in Mullens. As per their website, “Energy Express is an award-winning, 8-week, summer reading and nutrition program for children living in West Virginia’s rural and low-income communities. With Energy Express, more than 3,000 children statewide gain or maintain reading levels during summer months through creative, colorful and captivating uses of art, drama and vocabulary. Our program also provides children with two nutritious meals each day during the program, helping to ensure our youths are fed each day even after the school year comes to an end.” The Energy Express program in Mullens has been very welcoming to the PVs whenever we have PVs who would like to go and help out. Today’s volunteers helped in the classrooms, working mostly with kids ages 5-7.
The rest of the group went back to the home repair site in Bud. They made a lot of progress with the beginning section of the ramp and inside getting electric outlets and switches working again. The home owners have been having to use a lamp in their bathroom for quite awhile and now can just switch a light on. In addition to all this work, we were able to make two trips to county dump to haul away the old back deck that was torn down yesterday.
Tonight in the PV house it was Taco Night which is always a good night. Lots of options to create each person’s “perfect taco.” For dessert we had jello, Oreos and several different cake options. (Can you tell desserts are a big part of the PV dinner.)
For reflection tonight we were asked to reflect on our routines. First, sharing something that we miss that is part of our daily routine back home. And then on the heals of that, share something that we are enjoying about the routine of PV life. In the middle of reflection we had a wonderful “interruption,” a visit from one of our longtime friends, Maragret and her daughter Genieva. Maragret shared with the volunteers the story of her life as well as a song. It was a wonderful surprise that made the night extra special.