This is my second straight month of manual labor on the race. Transnistria was a month of clearing land of weeds and trash followed by hauling buckets of mud, sand and rock for construction purposes. All of this was of under gray skies and chilly temperatures. Guatemala has been a month of clearing a large field using rakes and hoes in humid air under the hot sun. The work in both months has been hard, exhausting and oftentimes monotonous. It becomes easy to wonder why we are going through all the work at all.
But God has made it clear in each month that he has a purpose for the work we are doing. And as always, his purpose is always greater than we could ever imagine.
In Transnistria, we were assisting in the construction of a Christian Family Life Center for the local church. Transnistria is a place suffering the after-effects of communism and a struggle for their own identity. Sin strongholds of alcohol and drug addiction, abandonment, unemployment and violence are evident. By building the Family Life Center, the local church can provide a place of refuge and hope for their community. The construction itself is evidence of God’s faithfulness as well. The four story structure is being built by men in the rehab program and World Racers alone. Money comes in by faith alone. God hand is in the construction and I have no doubts that the Christian Family Life Center will bring glory to His name in the future.
[Photo credit: Tiraspol Church]
This month in Guatemala we are clearing the bean field at Shadow of His Wings orphanage. Many of the children in the country live in poverty and many are orphaned, abandoned, neglected and abused. There is also a general lack of education in the country as a whole. Shadow of His Wings takes in children from rough situations and gives them not only homes but families. There is also a school onsite that gives children in the orphanage and the nearby village a solid education. The bean field is one of the ways the orphanage can be more self-sustaining. It is also a way for God’s faithfulness to shine through. Last year there was a drought that hurt most of the bean crops in the area. However, the bean crop at the orphanage was three times as large as many others. This allowed for the beans to provide for the orphanage and the excess was able to help the community. So by clearing the field we are opening up the door for God to do even greater things this year.
[Photo credit: Nate Deloof]
So even though the work is exhausting, God is using it and will continue to use it. I will continue to remember that my work is not for me. It is ultimately for Him.
“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.” [Colossians 3:23]
