Mission Trip

randlemanboater · #1 08-12-2008, 08:05 AM

I typed this yesterday but it got lost when I hit send so I will try again in smaller installments.

On Saturday, 8-2-08, I left for SC for a mission trip with 10 middle school kids and 7 other adults. We went to Hollywood SC, which is about 10 miles south of Charleston.

Our mission was to do some painting and light repairs (you cant do construction with 11 and 12 year olds). We apparently picked the hottest week of the year with heat indexes in the 100's everyday and the worst 113.

One of the kids on the trip had an ear ache when we arrived so his dad took him the the ER, turned out to be swimmers ear. (ER trip #1)

When we got there we found the A/C broken in the building that we were to stay in, it was 87 degrees inside.

Continued

randlemanboater · #2 08-12-2008, 08:31 AM

So we spent the evening trying to fix the A/C with no luck so I went to Walyworld to get window units, they were out!!!!! But Lowes had em.

Got back to the church and got them put in, got showered up and ready to hit the sack when one of the other kids says his belly hurt.

One of the ladies with us is an RN so she checked him out and thought it might be appendics so the RN, the kid and I were off to the ER. (ER trip #2). He had an elevated white cell count and some inflamation near the appendics. We got back to the church at 0430.

After church Sunday, they were having a hotdog lunch fund raiser, but they ran out so we had to go to Subway. While there, the RN saw that the kid still had on his wrist band from the hospital so she borrowed a pocket knife from one of the guys and ended up slicing HER wrist. She was bleeding like a stuck hog.

Back to the ER for 6 stitches. (ER trip #3)

Then that evening we had to take the belly ache kid back so they could check his blood again, this time it was back to normal. (ER trip #4)

So in the first 24 hours, we were at the ER 4 times.

Continued

randlemanboater · #3 08-12-2008, 08:55 AM

The rest of the week, we managed to only need bandaids to treat minor injuries.

Our mission was to do some painting and light repairs through "Rurual Missions Inc." (That is a very worthwhile program for you locals down there in the low country)

The first day we painted a porch for an elderly lady.

The rest of the week we worked on another elderly ladies house. We painted the outside, removed a rotten porch, replaced some steps, repaired an outside wall, repaired a roof leak, and cased in all of the inside windows.

Did I mention it was HOT!!!!!!

Continued

randlemanboater · #4 08-12-2008, 09:03 AM

We worked in the mornings when it was bearable, and then did tourist stuff in the afternoon/evenings.

We went to Fort Sumter one afternoon where the kids who are boyscouts got to lower the flag at the end of the day (my son said it was "a once in a life time" experience). We did some touring of the historic area, went to the aquarium, took in a Riverdogs baseball game, and went to the "Angel Tree" which is a live oak tree that is estimated to be 300 to 1400 years old, depending on who you ask, either way it is HUGE!

All in all, our kids, and adults, got to experience sacrafice for the good of others, we all grew spiritually, and the kids made strong bonds with each other that they will be able to lean on when things get bumpy during the comming school year, and the rest of their life for that matter.

I will put up some pics as soon as I can.

C YENSEN · #5 08-12-2008, 09:16 AM

well sounds like a rough start. but overall a good week....

thanks for your volunteer mission work.

Blue_Runner · #6 08-12-2008, 11:55 AM

Thats a lot of ER trips for a day, however it sounds like ya'll got the
"Mission Accomplished"

Good for you being a role model for the kids. That is something alot of kids never have.

Pipe_Dream · #7 08-12-2008, 12:18 PM

That'll teach you to come to SC in August! No good deed goes unpunished . . . or something like that . . .

Good work, and glad you got to take in some sights.

randlemanboater · #8 08-12-2008, 12:18 PM

All we could do is laugh....once the bleeding stopped anyway.

It is amazing down in that area how on one stretch of street there are million dollar houses with yachts parked out back and the other side of the street there is poverty.

phatdaddy · #9 08-12-2008, 01:49 PM

4 ER trips in a weekend,
sounds like our house, but we usually have at least one call to poison control

sounds like you banked some good karma!

lumberslinger178 · #10 08-12-2008, 07:51 PM

nice work randle keep up the good work