On Saturday night, six strangers met for the first time. The teens were shy, giving one-word answers to questions. Their eyes scanned the crowd for familiar faces.

These six teens formed Crew Two for the diocesan WorkCamp, held at Wetsel Middle School and Madison County High School in Madison, Va., from June 25-July 1. Sunday’s team building activities helped the group slowly get to know each other.

As the week of WorkCamp began, they set to work fixing the house. On Monday, they worked well in the morning, but as soon as the afternoon sun hit, their energy level dropped. Water breaks became frequent, and the group was more than ready to leave as the clock struck three.

But by Thursday, the last day of work, Crew Two had bonded on many levels. They were talkative with each other and eager to jump in and help with the work. The work day was littered with much laughter as the "Mighty Morphin’ WorkCamp Rangers" sprang into action.

And on Friday, an emptiness began to settle in their hearts, as they knew it was time to say goodbye. E-mail addresses were exchanged and T-shirts were signed so that they would never forget the amazing experience they had.

They were changed. And so was I.

As an adult leader, I was able to experience WorkCamp in all its ups and downs. I tossed and turned in restless sleep on the cold hard floor. I waited in line for my three-minute shower and praised God when the line was short. And I gratefully ate my peanut butter and jelly sandwich at lunch time — every day.

I spent the first day of work dreaming of my office in Arlington, vowing to never leave it again. Thoughts of my comfortable chair in front of the computer screen in an air-conditioned building seemed to plague my mind, and I was sure I would not survive until the end of the week.

But every day after that, it got better — easier. My crew was bonding and the work became routine. The physical strains were almost nothing since I knew the job needed to be done.

By Friday, I felt sad about returning to the office environment where I would be expected to be professional and not have the chance to participate in water fights or other teen-inspired goofiness. I, too, felt that emptiness in my heart as we had to say goodbye first to our contractors, who guided us through the work, and then my crew of teens.

Crew Two was blessed to experience two residents. Debra was a middle-aged woman with two grown sons and plenty of stories about her dogs. Much to our disappointment, the crew wasn’t able to meet her until the third day of work. But when she finally came to greet us, we had finished the work on her house.

Accompanied by a great population of bees and hornets and armed with several cans of Raid, Crew Two cleaned much of the area around Debra’s modest trailer home. After removing a damaged skirting around the edge of the house, we replaced it with new metal, bringing a crisp, clean look to the house. We repaired a broken back step and installed a new light fixture in the back. We replaced three windows and two doors. The new sink, counter and cabinets in the kitchen replaced rotten, white cupboards. When contractor Jim Dillon, a member of St. Michael Parish in Annandale, fell through the living room floor, we decided to fix that as well.

Through these little jobs, the property received a huge makeover. When Debra saw her home on Wednesday, she was overjoyed. Joe Nelson, from St. William of York Parish in Stafford, handed her the keys to her new doors. She cried. Debra had never been able to lock her house before.

Since Crew Two finished Debra’s house early, we joined forces with Crew Five at another location. This resident, Chris, was a man in his mid-20s who has cerebral palsy. He sat in a chair on the front porch watching the teens build a ramp. But this wasn’t just any ramp. This was a state-of-the-art ramp with a sharp turn as it moved up a muddy hill from the house to the street.

The teens from Crew Five befriended Chris, and he kept them safe by reminding them to wear their goggles and gloves. His mother said that for the past 20 years, it has been a burden for Chris to exercise his legs and walk. But after the ramp was completed, he nearly jumped out of his chair and wanted to walk.

Chris walked up and down the ramp with his two brothers, who also have cerebral palsy, following him excitedly. Their mother watched with tears as she thanked Crew Five for its work.

The week ended with a celebration on Friday where the residents were invited to the high school for lunch and a short program. During the program, we sang songs, watched a video compiled throughout the week and gave the residents a chance to reflect on the week.

Many of the residents referred to the WorkCampers as "God’s angels" and explained that they felt the teens were part of their families now.

"God knows what you need," said one resident.

Along with the actual work of WorkCamp, the teens experienced God during the evening programs.

Steve Angrisano, a nationally known youth minister from Highlands Ranch, Colo., led the teens in prayer through song.

"God wants us to proclaim with every fiber of our being that He is Lord," said Angrisano. "If we actually believe what we say we believe, then that requires a response."

Along with songs and talks, the teens attended daily Mass. On Tuesday, nearly 20 priests came to Madison to offer the sacrament of confession, accompanied by eucharistic adoration. On Thursday night, they had a eucharistic procession.

"It really is Jesus present in the Eucharist," said Father David Sharland, formation director for the Youth Apostles Institute. "Be still before the Lord and let Him transform you and love you."

Lauren from Holy Spirit Parish in Annandale said the eucharistic procession was the highlight of the week.

"I never thought anything could be so powerful," she said. "I’m so grateful to have that experience to take home with me."

"I’m very grateful you brought our faith to Madison County," said Connie Conlon, a member of Our Lady of the Blue Ridge Parish in Madison, adding that Catholics are the minority in the area.

"The work doesn’t end here," said Kevin Bohli, director of the Office of Youth Ministry and organizer of the annual event. "When you go out from here, you need to keep doing work."

"It begins here, and it is a lie if it ends here," Father Sharland agreed. "There’s something inside of you that says follow Jesus. Please follow Him."

WorkCamp was a week of transformation — for the residents, for the teens and for the adult volunteers, like myself. We found a new strength, identified our individual gifts and saw the face of Christ in those we met.

Registration for next year’s WorkCamp in Madison is due by October. For information call the Office of Youth Ministry at 703/841-2559.