It was nearly 1:45 pm, work would be starting very soon, and as I hastily prepared to depart from the boys dorm I had no idea how drastically my afternoon was about to change. Thinking to begin the trek across the campus to resume yesterday's ended work at the communications office, I made my way to the door, but just then I was leisurely relayed the message that work had been postponed till 3:00 pm. It was going to be a very different type of work, as not more than four hours north trouble was brewing.
Not long before in Cherokee, Kansas the students, who but two weeks before had left on a trip were in more need of assistance than even they thought. For as the close of the trip was coming nigh, another more dreadful event was also drawing nigh, that would transform the entire sky. Rain was coming and it was coming that night to last for two days. This soon coming event was what prompted us to be called to help, for the job of dismantling the large structure called the sanctuary, about which they were presenting tours, usually consumed all of two days, but by the rain we would be forced to do so in only eight hours. As we would be staying the night we hastily compiled our luggage and departed. Now the rain was coming but so were we!
For the next four hours we drove until with joy we arrived and made haste to fill our bellies and set to work. So as soon as we were thoroughly stuffed we began! First with dismantling tents, then pulling up stakes, we all pitched in to help with the first basic necessities. Then usually when the set of the sun would prompt us to retreat to our beds we regrouped and finally began the long hall. Rain in five hours, rain in four hours, rain in three and a half hours. These foreboding updates were all that kept us going despite our fatigue. That was until we stepped up to the real challenge and began breaking down the main walls large and heavy as they were. Then larger motivators were brought into use as the not so Little Debbie's left their position in the kitchen and made their way toward the field and their devourers. From there for ten minutes, as it was already one o’clock, we ate… or some rather gorged themselves upon two, four, six, eight, ten plus Little Debbie's until they were sure to have Little Diabetes and Big Debbie's… bellies. With this new strength we pressed on until finally at 2:15 pm the last pillar, the last stake, the last pole, and the last piece of furniture was loaded. Without any injuries and without any rain we were done, and very thankful God had pushed back the rain, for when it came we wondered how we would have been able to work in such a ferocious torrent.