Leaving for college

Willie went on the HPUMC mission trip to North Carolina as a junior counselor, or JC, in the summer of 2001.  The JCs’ responsibilities included leading middle school students on worksites, creating devotionals and leading small groups, and preparing and leading the large group in worship each evening. 

Willie’s group was putting the finishing touches on a hurricane-damaged home that an elderly woman was going to be able to move back into as soon as our group completed its work.  The weather was hot and the work was hard.  On the final day, just as the group finished painting, the woman came by to look.  You could tell she was disappointed in the sloppy paint job applied by the group. 

One of the kids asked her how she liked it and she started crying and explained that it was her home and she wanted it to look as good as possible.  A few of the others began to talk about it, not understanding how she could be so ungrateful for their work.  At that point Willie stood up and said, “You know, guys, she’s right.  This looks terrible.  We have time to do it over and do it well.  Let’s go.” 

They went back grudgingly at first, but by the time they finished they agreed it was the right thing to do and were glad to do it.  Willie was a handful growing up, but on this day we knew he was going to be OK.

Beginning in elementary school (when there was no longer child care for Willie!) our family always attended the 8:30 sanctuary service at church.  The boys would go to the altar for the children’s sermon.  One year Taylor decided that he was too old to go up but didn’t tell any of us.  When the time came for the children to come forward, Willie bounded up to the front, and was dismayed when he saw Taylor still sitting with us on the pew.  Willie stayed there, but when he returned to his seat he leaned over to Lisa and said, “Hasta la vista, children’s sermon!”