Generations

Generations

A large spectrum of ages is represented at base camp.  There are many young adults in the twenties who bring energy and a desire to give.  The thirty something group are a little more reserved but still have a remnant of vibrancy and excitement in their voice.  Forty has put more of a seriousness in life and seem to be purpose driven.  The fifty segment have honed skills and focus that brings a drive to accomplish as much as possible in the time given.  The sixty group is refined in work habits and is goal oriented. 

Timo and Michelle are excited about being a part of something big.  Timo has been here for a number of months and has been participating in the Lamb Center construction, an orphanage sponsored by SP.  He came with no particular skills but has learned how to work with people, work concrete, and organize projects.  He wants to learn and fill his young mind with knowledge, kind of like a lightly moist sponge wanting to soak up more water.  His accomplishments are worn with pride and are carried on to the next level knowing that he can do something new because he wants to learn.  Michelle also brings a youthful desire to participate.  She is a volunteer whose brother, Nate, is here long term.  She is studying outdoor leadership at school.  As someone who doesn’t have a particular ‘mission’ here she has taken upon herself to encourage the staff.  The other day she passed out notes to everyone with a small message designed to boost morale.  She and Nate also put together an informal praise and prayer session on the helipad the other night.  It has been delightful to see someone expend their energy on brightening the day of others.  I remember Mark Twain saying something along the lines that a criticism would ruin his day, but a compliment would carry him for a month.  Michelle knows that valuable life lesson.

Nathaniel and Lisa bring a professional skill set to the table at SP.  Nat is an architect and Lisa an environmental geologist.  Being thirty something has given them an early ability to look at life with the question of ‘why’.  Both are single and ‘unattached’ so it gave them the freedom to try something a little different, like the mission field.  Work in the States had become a drudgery with timetables and deadlines dictating their lives and schedules.  Self introspection asked the question ‘why’.  The resulting answer moved them to apply themselves in a different direction; Haiti.  With their age also comes more responsibility.  It has pulled back a little of their spontaneity that the twenty group exhibits, probably more in the sense of thinking of the consequences more than the desire to do such.  But dialogue still brings out that earlier excitement of doing something bigger than themselves and the sparkle in their eyes still shows that younger passion for adventure.  They seem to have discovered more of a balance between youthful ambition and a reality of the work that goes with accomplishing goals. 

The forty sect seems to be the least common here.  Blaine, one of our resident Canadians, is the only one I’ve found.  He is serious about his role here and puts his responsibilities, which are many, high on his importance list.  Paperwork is finished on time, the people on his team are efficient and work ‘for the man’ so the projects are completed.  On occasion he finds time for Yoga, which we have renamed, SAE; stretch and exercise.  When he chooses to do something it is focused and a little regimented so it can be done in the time allotted.  But he still has fun and enjoys his work.’

The fifty group appears the most common here.  They know what they come to do and they do it.  There is little question about the reason why things are done, just that they have to be.  Work is planned, scheduled and executed with skills acquired through repetitive experience that can only be learned through lengthy time on the job.  Very little corner cutting is accepted as history has proven that a job well done requires a level of quality time investment in preparation.   Reliance on the professionalism of others, like designing engineers and building codes, remove the question of why something is so, and help to shorten the time of accomplishment.  Projects are more streamlined and finished with quality.

The sixty group is few.  They are the ones who have earned the right to manage large scale things.  Ken is the impetus in the expansion project.  He works too hard, sweats too much and is in the middle of things to make final decisions.  He doesn’t talk much, but his word is final; his focus is like sunlight magnified to a point as in a magnifying glass. He pushes things to completion.  The responsibilities on his  shoulders is heavy, but he carries it well.  It is men like this who carry the vision of SP to completion.

I believe it takes generations of men and women to make a vision like SP come to pass.  One group cannot do it alone because different ages bring different perspectives to a goal.  Youthful energy is tempered by the wisdom of age; entrenched tradition is eroded by youthful newness and vitality; God does bring fresh air of newness to his people while the silver hair of age brings a foundation tempered with stability.  It is refreshing to see the generations work together as one.