Time is flying by way too quickly!  The common theme each and every one of us is speaking is how we are so sad that this trip is almost over.  As stated before, we love learning new skills, meeting new people, and giving our time to others.  Our beliefs and opinions have been challenged and influenced by the things we have seen and experienced.  

Instead of expounding upon the physical labor that we are doing, I want to try to explain the dynamics of our small, 13-member community.  At the end of each day, we have a time of reflection.  Bryton prepared some extraordinary exercises that made us reflect upon what social justice is and how we, as individuals, can make a difference.  We end it with each person reflecting upon three things about that day--our highest moment, our lowest moment, and when we felt closest to God.  That simple exercise completely transformed our group.  The expression of personal thoughts created an atmosphere of love and harmony.

The immediate bonding that was created by our time of reflection began on Sunday.  Sharing the high moments of the day often meant the group erupting into peals of laughter that made our stomachs hurt or we would have tears in our eyes because our hearts were overflowing with love.  During the low moments our true selves were revealed to others.  We were able to share some of the deepest pains and moments of hurts or sorrow and, in response, the whole group saw pieces of each other that we never knew existed.  The moments closest to God was sobering and inspiring as we got to see how God moved and dealt with us in distinct, personal ways.  

As time progressed throughout the week, each night got better and was the highlight of our day.  We became more and more comfortable about sharing our feelings, and with that came the ability for us as a whole group to cry together.  Thursday night had the most impact on each of us, and it was during that time that we realized we weren't just a group of Habitat volunteers from Gannon University, but we are a family that has grown to love each other deeply in only five days of time.  The depth of emotion we have experienced has transformed our hearts and will have life-long effects.