Team Time

Hello All, I hope you are well.

First, to clarify some terms... the Sip is derived from MissisSIPpi, CMs are corps members, TLs are team leaders, TLT is team leader training, CTI is corps training institute and POC is point of contact. I think that covers the main acronyms I use on a general basis.

I think I last left off right before the big Team Reveal.... Last Friday at 7pm we sent our CMs on a big scavenger hunt to find us (their permenant team leaders). They were each given a few pieces to a puzzle, they had to find the other 9 or 10 people with the same puzzle as them and assemble it. On the back of the puzzle was their first scavenger hunt clue. Then at each place they were sent they received a clue about their TL, when they completed the hunt they had to find a support TL and tell them who they thought their clues were leading them to. If they guessed right then they were given a clue to where we were waiting. My team found me in the staff lounge at a big round table with a cake I baked them and ice cream. We had a little kick off to the team party and we introduced ourselves to each other.

The next day, I took my team out to town and got everyone a sno cone and we did some team building at the park. Many team leaders told their teams their first spike, but I made mine wait for what seemed to them to be FOREVER! On Saturday night, I did a project reveal. I had them do an "easter egg hunt" for popsicle sticks all over the classroom building. Once they found them all, they had to assemble the roof on a popsicle stick house Sally (my fellow TL who is going to the same spike as me) and I had made. Once assembled they could read what our project was written on the roof- HABITAT FOR HUMANITY- GULF COAST in BILOXI MISSISSIPPI! I am sooooo excited for my first project- and especially excited to be stationed with Sally who is one of by very close friends here. Our teams will be living together at the H4H Camp Victor and working together on site. We leave at the beginning of September and will be on spike for 2 months.

Sunday was one of the best days I have had in a long time. We went to a lake about an hour away for the whole day. Wade, a staff member, invited us to come out on his boats for the day. His wife, nephew, brother and he brought three boats and spent the day pulling us around on tubes, knee boards and wake boards. The day was gorgeous- clear and sunny. It was a much needed break from campus and the corps. It was one of those days that you just really feel like you are 100% alive.

On Monday, we had an all corps work day in Rolling Fork, Mississippi- home of Muddy Waters and the setting of Teddy Roosevelt's teddy bear story. The corps was split up across five or six projects. My team helped repaint a hospital. The town's reception of us was completely moving. They welcomed us with open arms and bags of homemade goodies. They had signs all over town saying things like "God Bless Americorps" and "We Love Americorps". I have never felt so thanked for service in my life. It was an extremely uplifting day, and a great way to get started as a new team.

The remainder of the week consisted of training after training. We had a few team meetings, and I am getting to know my team pretty well. I REALLY lucked out with my team and I sometimes wonder how I happened to be so fortunate with them. I have an extremely bright and motivated group of young people who are making themselves very easy to lead. I am loving watching the team meld into a cohesive unit as their trust in each other continues to grow.

On Friday the corps did the "baseline" 1.5 mile run and minutes of sit-ups and push-ups, the TLs motivated the CMs by all dressing up in neon spandex for the morning...

I spent this weekend attepting to get organized, and made some progress. I was on duty Friday night so I couldn't leave campus. Saturday night we crossed the border into Louisianna and went to an extremely sketchy dive bar but ended up having a blast.

I'm trying to get mentally prepared for beginning a new week... We have two project days this week which could be fun or stressful depending on whether the site is prepared for us. Friday night I have CPR and First Aid training until 9pm, which will probably be a challenge in motivating my CMs. There are three team leader birthdays in the next week and a half so to celebrate we are going camping next Saturday- I can't wait!!

Miss and love you all! Write to me!