UMCOR Gumbo

A Poem About Volunteers in Mission

After 12 hours of the Interstate with lots of Mississippi pine trees,
We were happy to arrive at Sager-Brown with accommodations to please.

Air conditioned rooms with comfortable beds and good food-Ben liked it all.
We joined teams from Michigan and Washington to stay at Zook Hall.

Barges filled with sugar cane glided on the Teche Bayou
Along with critters and egrets, all out our back window view.

In the week, thousands of health kits were sorted by working an 8-hour day,
And on the short walk to the depot, we let the tiny fire ants have the right -of-way.

Our group adopted the two nice ladies from Michigan with ease,
And we've already put Della on two of our Centenary committees.

Age or physical condition is not a requirement to volunteer here.
With a small campus everything you need is really quite near.

Calling out "while you are up," would you please get me things on your way,
And wearing comfortable clothes made every day look like a casual Friday.

Terry was adept at vacuum sealing all the kits made for mission.
Jim was the l'box man 'I working from construction to demolition.

Doing K. P. was a breeze until Nancy found that the grits stick,
And the Cajun shuffle comes from sore muscles, not doing a high kick.

For the new chapel dedication, Brucie did much - more than her part
From sewing a cover for the organ to playing the music, Bless her heart.

As the supply person on the assembly line, Martha was first rate,
But all of us were slowed down by checking the toothpaste expiration date.

"Shelby, sit-down," was the saying often at the depot work site,
And then she wanted to play puzzler games through half of the night.

On our free afternoon everyone was delighted by the antics of Cajun Jack,
For in his swamp boat to find all the wildlife he had a real knack.

Seven of us came to Louisiana hoping to do something to show we care,
And we will go home with a feeling that what we did will count somewhere.