Day 6: Bumblebees

This morning, we woke up to temperatures in the high teens and snow! As the rest of us were showering or sleeping, Diana was learning to make biscuits in the kitchen with Mr. Bowling. They were delicious with homemade apple butter.

After some initial delay and a lively game of Jenga, we were able to navigate the snowy roads and head out for the day.

We traveled to the Bland County Courthouse to meet with Drew Lumpkin from Senator Warner's office and Eric Workman, the County Administrator. The key point of our conversation was the emphasis on attachment to a sense of place for the people of Bland, Va. While we were introduced to familiar aspects of Bland, Virginia such as low income levels, it was surprising to learn that the unemployment level was low and that most citizens of Bland, VA prefer the lifestyle they already live. Since cost of living is low in this area, a low income earning isn't as bad as one would think. Still, the high unemployment rate complicates the availability of government assistance for those who actually need it.

We were also able to meet two representatives from the Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project (SRCAP), Melissa Stephens and Maxine Waller. Although much of our trip planning is done in conjunction with Audra Repass, the Bland County project manager, SRCAP acts as a volunteer placement liaison for UMD AB programs. Mrs. Waller told us a story about research scientists who proved that bumblebees cannot actually fly because it is aerodynamically impossible. "A bumblebee's little bitty wings can't carry his big ol' fat butt," she told us. Then, she told us that we were all bumblebees, since we prove wrong the stereotypes about disinterested and uninvolved young people.

Next, we visited the Kissito Healthcare facility, where we played games, talked, constructed bead jewelry with the patients there. We heard stories from different residents, including Miss Ruby, who was 102, and Mr. Bob, who showed us his Emory and Henry College football championship ring. Miss Vicky made necklaces with us and told us about her many nieces and nephews, and the patients seemed to enjoy us as much as we enjoyed them.

Back at the camp, minister and musician Alan Ashworth joined us for a lasagna dinner, and we were fortunate enough to have him play numerous requests on his guitar. We originally planned to light a bonfire afterwards, but it turned out to be too cold and wet for such an occasion. We instead went straight through to reflection time and made three column value-practice-goals charts that emphasized the importance of alignment of one's ideology with daily life and eventually one's goals in life. In addition, we split up into two groups and debated whether or not international aid should be drastically cut. While Kelsey gave numerous strong arguments that seemed to dominate the debate, the debate allowed all of us to consider the issue more carefully and be more comfortable with our own positions of the particular issue.

At the end of the day, as we head through the snow and 19 degree wind back to our cabins, we look forward to tomorrow and our last full day in Bland, VA.

--Thomas and Sarah