The Publication of Habitat for Humanity International | February/March 2003
| The Publication of Habitat for Humanity International | February/March 2003 |
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When they were seniors at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., Theresa Schwartz and Clare Higgins wrote this narrative following a Habitat building experience in Richwood, W.Va. Today, each of the girls has moved on to college, Clare to St. Louis University and Theresa to Indiana University. Both say the West Virginia trip--their first exposure to Habitat--remains one of the most meaningful of their lives. "As the final evening of the Habitat for Humanity mission trip wound down, former pastoral director, Vince Wirtner, presented us--a collection of nine seniors of different personalities and backgrounds--with the same question. He picked up a hammer--its head worn, its bright yellow handle illuminated only by the light of the space heater. Knowing that hammer had found its way into each of our hands at some point during the trip, he asked us to contemplate what it meant to us. "With the [Habitat] house in sight through the glass door behind Wirtner, we all could see exactly what we had done with a simple hammer. Through energy spent pounding away at the house, we all gave a part of ourselves. "We gave the part of us that was truly selfless; the part that was willing to drive 11 hours without leg room; the part that was more concerned with the well-being of the family than with the fact that we got to miss three days of school; the part that was willing to perform hours of manual labor, richly compensated by the look of gratitude on the faces of the family that would live there. We gave of ourselves, and because of that, we are physically, emotionally and spiritually connected with the house--and will forever be part of that family. "Physically, through our sheer determination to prove that we were capable and worthy of this demanding task, we transformed a simple wood frame of a house into something that resembled a home. After having perched atop scaffolding and ladders; measuring, aligning, re-measuring and hanging siding; and negotiating the dark, muddy hole of the cellar to lay insulation, fellow student Matt Ehinger said, 'I learned the true meaning of manual labor.' We all gained that lesson. "Emotionally, we transformed from individuals into a cohesive unit. As much as we were emotionally attached to each other, we also became emotionally attached to the people of the community. We were supplied a place to sleep, tools with which to work, food to eat and friends to work alongside. The bonds with the community became so strong that we even exchanged phone numbers and addresses to keep in touch. "Spiritually, we transformed the word of God into the work of God. We learned what it meant to truly follow God's path. 'I watched God work through each one of [the students] as the Holy Spirit transformed their hearts and minds, along with the house,' said Wirtner. Pastoral director Sue Mathias added, 'These kids became dependent on each other and worked in cooperation with each other for the common good.' It was this kind of collaboration that we shared on so many levels. "As we crossed the state line from West Virginia to Ohio, quietly singing John Denver's 'Take me Home, Country Roads'--it was where we were supposed to be. For an instant, we were there in the same moment, thinking not about what we had left in Fort Wayne, but about what we had accomplished in Richwood. "Staring out over the mountains that had become so familiar, the realization of what we had done and what we were leaving behind overcame us. We will be forever imprinted with that final view of the sun setting behind the Appalachian mountains, and the feeling that if we ever returned to that spot, we would know we were almost 'home.'" |
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