Sheil Associates Return to Tutwiler, MS

After a 640 mile drive from Evanston our caravan has arrived in Tutwiler, MS.  This is the eleventh year that Sheil has sent a group of Associates (Adults who belong to the Sheil Catholic Center but are not students of Northwestern). This year there are 15 of us, many of whom have been making this trip for years. We are here on a pilgrimage of sorts a chance to briefly become a part of the Tutwiler community as we strengthen the spiritual community of our group.

While we're here we stay in a small building that we refer to as "the dorm".  There is one living space with a few old couches and some folding chairs. The kitchen is very simple but the meals are not! We have among us some amazing cooks who prepare incredible meals. After a few 8 hour days of working in the sun we eat as if we'd always lived on the farm! We start our day at 7:00 am with breakfast and a devotional prayer then it's off to the house.  Because Habitat has groups who come here year round we never know at what stage the current house is in until we get down here. Some years we've done framing or roofing.  This year it looks like we'll be hanging siding, painting, and staining trim.  But you never know exactly what will be needed, we'll find out more tomorrow! We work from 8-12 and then from 1-5. Before we come down we meet for a potluck and divy up the chores for the week.  Everyone signs up for 5 or 6 tasks which include meal preparation, dishwashing, bathroom cleaning, grocery shopping, laundry...we do it all! After dinner we hang out and talk and then slowly drift off to bed always with a few diehards who keep the conversation going and staying up later than they'd planned.


This year we've decided to blog about our experiences through words and pictures.  I expect you will find humor as well as reflection in these posts. We are in the Mississippi  Delta the birthplace of The Blues.  We hope you enjoy this blog as you travel with us for a week of Hammerin' in the Delta!

Casey Christensen