There I was standing on top of something so simple, a pile of dirt and sand, taking in a view of the mountains that surround the village of La Cama. The sun danced in and out of a thickening layer of clouds, with each movement it shed light on a new area giving it a glow no eye could ignore. Standing on this pile of dirt and sand, looking down onto people, brothers and sisters, busy shoveling, hoeing and towing away mound after mound with smiles and songs of worship. Standing on this pile of dirt and sand, looking down at my own hands, calloused, dirty and blistered, a physical reminder of throwing rocks, shoveling dirt, cutting wire, all so simple. What may have looked simple in truth was full of deep meaning and blessings. 
This dirt and sand that I stand upon is not just a pile of earth, but the foundation of a church. The foundation of something that is going to be so much bigger long after I have left it. I am merely planting seeds and watering them, waiting on the Lord to make them grow into amazing trees. This foundation we are building comes in two fold. Physically, we are building the structure of a church, a place where the members of this village will come to worship and glorify the Lord together. Spiritually, we are watering a community thirsty for the Lord. We have come to be Christ’s hands and feet for them. To be living examples of Christ’s love and how to live out that love. With these being our intentions as we enter this village it is no surprise that God would blow us away with everything that they have taught us.
Pastor Manuel and his family have blessed us far beyond what I could have ever imagined. Its crazy to think now that I am coming into this community with so much to give and totally forgetting that I am coming here also to receive. I am still moved to tears when I think that this man and his family cleared out their entire four room house, made of cinder blocks and a tin roof, so that our two teams could be comfortable. The community has brought us chickens, snacks while we work and just last night panchos so that we could stay warm(Its cold at night at 6,000 feet). You could see that walls were slowly coming down as the women who gave us the blankets hugged us all goodnight before leaving. Pastor Manuel’s wife has been so sweet in cooking our meals, helping with our laundry and taking care of me when I was sick (Parasites are no fun). Their five children are a blessing of joy and playfulness. The boys love to run around with us and play music and their daughter is helping her mother with dinner and chores always with a smile on her face. The children of the community keep us laughing as they spy on us while we work and mimic us from down the road. Their shyness is slowly fading as each day goes by and they actually come give us hugs now.
This community has taught me so much about prayer. Not only how important it is and how powerful it can be, but the emotional connection it has. There has not been a moment when praying with these people that I have not cried. The sheer emotion, the joy, sadness, fear, desperation, praise that they speak. Although their words are foreign to my ears, I can still hear the passion, the complete dependence that they have on the Lord. It is a beautiful thing that I pray for more and more, a complete reliance on the Lord as my provider. Just to be able to completely surrender yourself to the Lord. All your thoughts, wishes, dreams, fears, doubts. To shout those things out loud to Him, knowing that He hears them. Give me more of that!
