Written by: Ben Rivers, Orange Ride
The weekend in Indianapolis was fabulous—family reunion time! My wife, Kathy, traveled by way of her home state, Pennsylvania, to spend time with me. I am truly loved. We were able to spend time with our niece, Lori, and her husband, Josh, and participate in preparation for and celebration of their first child expected in September. They are ready and certainly will make wonderful parents.
This was our first visit to Indianapolis; so, we also did the touristy explorations. Indianapolis is a great city, and we were able to enjoy the local trail system, climb to the top of the war memorial, see the capitol, and walk the “canal walk.” We also managed to make it to Chick-fil-A. I was running a serious chicken sandwich deficit—I have now been restored.
Although I was away from my adventure group for the weekend, I thought of them often. Being with family and knowing that they were out in the community serving others really underscored the importance of family. The work may be physical, and the short-term results are material, but the reality is that, in the end, families and communities are strengthened and made durable.
Yesterday’s work included three projects: organizing and building shelves for a trailer to support a 2017 Blitz Build of twenty-one new homes, painting and repairing existing homes, and making improvements to the Big Car Community Center (Tube Factory) for “starving artists.”
At the end of the day, much work was completed—synergism at its best. It would be impossible to measure the impact of a day of service, but knowing that lives have been changed (theirs and ours) is a great and humbling feeling.
Today was a rest day for all—at least until after worship service. Competitive spirits were fired up, and the Indy Go-Kart race began. While I did not bear witness to the actual events, somewhat reliable sources have informed me that life, limb, and reputation were put at risk, friendships betrayed, and paint swapped—just how a close-knit family might behave!
I have been blessed to be in the presence of such wonderful, caring, and loving people, and I send much love to my wife for making a trip of more than 1,800 miles to see me.
