The new job...

So I just finished my first week at Habitat for Humanity, and I think I'm still partially in shock that such an amazing opportunity landed in my lap!! I had a whirlwind week of orientation...got to spend a day in each of the different areas of Habitat so I had a more well-rounded perspective on the whole organization, and it definitely WORKED! It didn't take long to catch the passion and the vision for what Habitat's doing in the city and around the world...yep!

Monday I basically spent the whole day meeting everyone and getting settled and reading through mounds of, um...interesting and informative paperwork (haha...yeah!) It was cool to read some of the family files, though, and realize what an international component there is to this job...so many families came from refugee camps in Africa, one was on the run from an extremist group in South America, etc....it'll be cool to get to know them and hear their stories!

Tuesday I was working in the ReStore, where they sell new and used donated construction and household supplies, which is then used to fund Habitat's entire administrative budget so that all money donated can go directly to building the houses. I was pretty impressed, I have to say....seeing how they take perfectly good stuff (lumber, windows, appliances, cupboards, whatever!!) that big corporations and individual families would otherwise just throw away...and turn it into something useful...over a million dollars in sales last year. That's a pretty creative way to be a good steward in our ridiculously affluent and wasteful society! I spent the morning tagging along with a charming old British man picking up donations from Home Depot and the afternoon cleaning and organizing and stocking shelves in the store. Good times...

Wednesday I was OFF (yep, I get Wednesdays off in this job too! Can't quite believe how amazingly God arranged that all!) And then Thursday the fun really began...I got to go on site and help out with the house construction. It was a bit intimidating at first, just me and 15 men...some of them staff, some of them volunteers...but all of them had such great attitudes and fantastic senses of humor that it didn't take long to get over the fact that I had no idea what I was doing. :-) I spent the day drilling holes in concrete to secure basement walls to their foundations, framing, measuring, hauling around tools, embarrassing myself with my hammering skills (or lack thereof!), and getting to know the guys. Probably the coolest thing about the day was getting past my "stereotypes" (I didn't realize how quickly I make judgments about people after meeting them!!) and being reminded AGAIN that people are not always what they seem on the outside! And everybody has a story. For example, one of the volunteers I was working with had been homeless just last year, living on the street in Edmonton, and he definitely looked the part. Long scraggly hair, a dirty messy beard, old baggy clothes.....and as much as I hate to admit it, I was surprised to see him there..."weird...I wonder what he has to offer?" I was thinking. But then I started talking to him, and I was blown away. He was hilarious, smart, well-spoken, obviously educated, totally aware of current events, and not afraid to show his heart and his passion for Habitat's mission. I was pretty much humbled after getting to know him...and the other guys were great too. Old and young and everything in between...we shared coffee breaks and lunches and they were infinitely patient with all my questions and insisted that I get to try everything...whether I had a clue what I was doing or not. It was strangely refreshing to spend the day with them, talking trucks and power tools and outdoor adventures and swapping building stories...I was definitely in my element. :-)

Friday I was back in the office, and the steep learning curve began...yikes, the non-profit world is completely different and it feels like I may never master it all...my poor brain is very tired! But who wants a job you can figure out in a week, right? :-) So even though it could be weeks or months before I feel totally comfortable and like I'm actually contributing (!!) I'm excited to grow and learn and be challenged, and blessed to be part of something that's way bigger than just me. And there ya have it! :-)