It is now about 14 hours after the 10 of us intrepid RHINO-riders touched down safely on a Rochester tarmac near midnight last night (with only perhaps a few of us feeling tired and/or arthritic). We returned safely with all of our digits and humor intact, and undoubtedly strengthened a few muscle fibers while we were in NOLA.
Having been with nine other wonderful Christians from the PGV and 15 from Delaware, dedicated to loving service to those whom they will probably never meet, it is natural and easy to abide by Paul’s exhortation in Philippians to “consider [these] others better than” ourselves.
Speaking of our little troupe, Christ is clearly and beautifully visible in each—Allison (“Al”), Brian, Dave, Emerson, Ginger, Jake, Margaret, Patrick and Saara. And each gave more than 100% to the combined RHINO/Habitat for Humanity effort at Ferry Place. I could not help but smile and thank God for each one as we sat on the plane, preparing for take-off on Sunday evening. Dave and Patrick: we especially salute, honor and thank you for having the vans ready for boarding early every morning, for your successful driving efforts, for keeping us safe, and for getting us, always promptly, to the “there” we needed to reach every day.
We learned that age has nothing to do with service. If the heart is willing, and the body is still functioning, to whatever degree, much can be accomplished to nurture, support and sustain the lives of others. Emerson proved that the age of 70+ is the new 20+ (while Lisette felt in her joints, bones and sinews that 40-something is closer to 70-something). Emerson is her new role model.
We met many role models in NOLA, and we are indebted to all of them, including our hosts at SCAPC, especially Jim and Bonnie, and our Thursday-night dinner hosts, the Vorhoff family; our RHINO coordinator Kate; our terrific Habitat for Humanity supervisors, Adam and Jeremy; and our friends from First and Central Presbyterian Church in Wilmington, Delaware, for being such fine co-workers and laborers in the field, in which they truly were “out-standing.” Our Presbytery also continues to be indebted to Linda Badger-Becker, who evidently loves to handle the million details involved in scheduling these trips…thank you, Linda!
And so, the work goes on…