TRANSFORMATION VACATION by Dina van Klaveren, Cathedral of the Incarnation in Baltimore I prayed for transformation before our week long work trip to Appalachia. Rachel Knecht, a Young Adults in the Church co-mentor, and I were scrambling with last minute travel arrangements and paperwork, and I just prayed to God that the week would have some transformative quality on the lives of our six young adult participants. I also prayed that the week would enrich my own experience as a child of God, and secretly I hoped that it would be worth using a week of vacation time! God graciously responded beyond my expectations. As structures in the hollers were transformed with wood, nails, saws, and brute force, so our lives were also transformed by a generous and welcoming people. We ate amazing meals together, we learned about our selves, and we made new friends at the Work Camp and in the hollers. We took walks and played football in the evenings. We learned about the economics of the region and developed a better understanding of those with whom we spent the week. We improved our hammering and sawing techniques. We remained "on the lookout" for ticks. We sang songs with Bude on the guitar. We learned how blessed our friends in Appalachia are with their great faith and love for family. We understood our blessings differently. There were smiles so big and lasting that they evidenced the joy of being truly in community. God had transformed each of us in different, important ways. What could be MORE worth a week of vacation time?
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