by Josh Reed

Rugby, yet another amazing experience for me this summer.

I attended this camp on the week of July 4 - 9. Our tasks were to paint a house for a lady named Anna and to build a shed for Jody and Jerry’s generator [The generator is used during power outages keep a respirator, which aids Jerry’s breathing, operating].

My dad had signed me up for this camp and I wasn’t particularly happy about going on a retreat and working the whole week. But surprise, surprise, just like what happened to me at Happening, I had a blast.

I was the oldest kid there, but was treated as a friend by everyone there. I worked much of the week with Jim [the Rev. Jim Sharp] and John [Dobbins] building the shed for Jody and Jerry, a married couple who were two of the sweetest people that I have ever met.

Jerry is paralyzed and can only communicate by blinking his eyes, but he doesn’t even have to say a word, his smile says everything for him. The glow on their faces when we finished was the most glorious part of camp.

After finishing the work for Jody and Jerry, we helped with the work on Anna’s house. The first time that I met her, she began teasing me by pretending she was going to squirt me with a water hose. Like Jody and Jerry, she was also a very sweet person.

If all this wasn’t enough, the people that I worked with were absolutely awesome. Jim was so inspiring to me and taught me that no matter what happens there is someone who loves me.

Rachel, the youngest of all the campers, had the most impact on me during the week. When I was talking about some not very good decisions that I have made in the past, she asked a simple question—“why did you ever do those things?” That hit me very, very hard. Her simple question will remain with me for a long time.

So, to sum this experience up in one word, FANTASTIC!

Josh Reed, St. James, Greeneville, wrote about his experience at Happening #45 for the May issue of The East Tennessee Episcopalian.