Bowdoin Crew

The salutation of the thank-you note read “Bowdoin Crew” and was signed by the eleven volunteers from Bowdoin College, Brunswick, Maine, who spent half of their Spring Break working on a new house for Pontotoc County Habitat for Humanity.

Penned by one of the leaders of the group, the note expressed their shared sentiments of appreciation for the role I played in working beside them and sharing something of my love of Pontotoc with them. Collectively, they resolved to “stay in touch” via The Bodock Post, the monthly newsletter that I co-edit and publish. Perhaps, they will.

This was the fourth group we’ve hosted from Bowdoin in the last five years. While each group has been unique in composition by sex and differing personalities, they’ve been alike in representing the best of the selfless spirit of many of today’s young people. It is one thing to spend a large sum of money for self-gratification, but it’s another thing to spend that same money to help others.

The Bowdoin Crew bore all the expenses of their journey: air travel, van rental, most of their meals, and made a generous donation to our local Habitat affiliate. For their investment they received free evening meals provided by local church groups, a church gym in which to sleep each night and the sense of satisfaction that comes in knowing one’s efforts to help others is worthwhile and appreciated.

On the work site, ours was a shared learning experience. My carpentry/ building skills are limited, though perhaps it’s accurate to say, “more advanced than theirs.” Each day there was something different to do, and each day both young men and young women gave their best efforts with the tasks at hand.

In time these eleven individuals will forget the names of the local volunteers they met while working and/or fellowshipping at mealtime, and they’re likely to forget most everything they learned of our local history, but I expect the Pontotoc Experience will last them a lifetime. I also expect some of them will be back next year or the next and bring others with them, as their friends will hardly believe what a great place Pontotoc is until they experience our land and people for themselves.

I am thankful for each of them, and my life is now richer in my having worked with them for a common good. Though my body begs otherwise, my mind tells me I’d stay young forever if I could be with a group such as these every week.

Thank you, one and all. May you remain faithful in well-doing throughout life, and may God bless everyone.