The true understanding and living out of what the church was intended for.
The past three days my team and I got the privilege to minister alongside Pastor Mark and his wife Bengky. They live in a small village called, Smile Village. The name suites it well, to say the least. The first day we got there we were greeted with big hugs from dozens of children, and warm handshakes and smiles from the pastor and his wife. Right away I knew it was going to be an unforgettable next three days.
The men were busy at work on the new church building/parsonage, and the women were looking after the children, cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and making sure the men had enough water to drink. Right away our guys were put to work with the construction, and the girls and I spent the whole day playing with the children. We took a walk to the sugar cane fields-I got to have my first taste of sugar cane…it was delicious. The children were our escorts all day taking us around the village, and showing us the different places they play and hang out.
The second day the guys were back to work on the church. The girls and I went with Bengky to make house visits to families in the congregation to pray for them and encourage them. Each house was just as run down as the last one, and the people inside just the same. All of the women had very similar stories. They had at least four children, and their husbands are carpenters-which means they have a very unstable income. Their family is dependent on what the husband can bring home, and it’s usually not much. But once again, just like in the other villages we have visited, their faith could stand the test of time. The church community leans on one another for strength, hope, prayer and encouragement. Their main source of strength comes through prayer-and they live this out more that any other people I know. Prayer is all they have most of the time, and they could tell you all day long of the amazing blessings the Lord has given them. They didn’t chose to live this way, but the Lord knew they were going to, and He is continually rewarding them and blessing them for their faith and obedience in Him. Their community is the church, and up until now they literally didn’t have a building.
The third day was a celebration time. My team and I got to put together a children’s program, and a program for the older church members. We had an amazing day, and at the end Pastor Mark honored us with plaques of appreciation for coming to visit them, and helping them build their church. It was an amazing and unexpected gift. I will never forget these people, and what they represent.
