On
June 15 Caitlyn Castillejo, Rebecca Elefante, Chris George, Minh
Nguyen, Katie Sellers, Nick Doud, Sarah Madden, Kevin Ollerdisse,
Henry Drak and I, traveled to Delbarton, West Virginia where we spent
a week creating an adventure we never would forget. The adventure
began as soon as we climbed into the 15 passenger van and pulled out
of the parking lot of St. Columban, where we left our worried parents,
our cozy beds and our comfort zones of Loveland. When we arrived in
Delbarton, we were surprised by the poverty of this little town as
well as the friendliness of those who lived there, we were in awe of
the beauty and splendor the Appalachian Mountains created but
disturbed by the living conditions these people called home. We were
eager to help them in any way we could and excited to learn more about
the culture in which they live.
Sunday night, we reached the
old school where we would be staying and met the other students who
found their way to Delbarton from Kent, OH, Indianapolis, IN and
Minneapolis, MN. On Monday, we split up into two groups; a Kids Club
group and a Work Site group. Kids Club provided the area children
with a place to go for part of the day to sing songs, play games, make
crafts and have fun during the summer. Those who were going to the
work site, were equipped with scrappers, buckets, paint and paint
brushes, hammers, nails and lots of bug spray. Their job was to
clean, paint and make small repairs on the homes the residents of
Delbarton resided in. After a hard day of work, everyone would gather
at the old school for dinner (which each group prepared) and an
evening activity. One night we went to a Blue Grass Concert in town,
where we learned how to clog Appalachian style, we also went to a
Baptist Church for their evening service as well as hosted a cookout
in town square for all the neighbors to enjoy.
The week was full of
adventures, trying new foods and activities, meeting new people,
singing new songs and dancing in different ways. We grew spiritually
as well, by deepening our faith in the Lord and sharing the love of
Christ with those around us. All in all, the week was a tremendous
success and will definitely become a part of the SMILE tradition!
Thank you to all who made this life changing week possible.
With great joy,
Leslie Caulfield
Director of Youth Ministry
