Last Tuesday, we had our first day of ministry. My team and I are doing manual labor at an orphanage about 30 minutes from where we are staying. Last week, we sanded down picnic tables that were covered with black mold. I am not a huge manual labor person, so it was really hard at first for me to see how working on some tables for 3 days was furthering the Kingdom of God. One of the leaders was talking to me and taught me something really valuable. This isn’t about the tables, it’s about the relationships we are building with each other and the people who work there, and us working on the tables actually frees up the maintenance guys to do other things that might need more attention. The majority of the kids that live at the orphanage have HIV/AIDS, so their immune systems are much weaker. The tables were actually a health risk to the kids, and it was super awesome to see how us doing something like that was affecting the kids in such a big, positive way.
We usually get to ministry around 10:00 am and stop working around 4:00 pm. Between 4:00 and 5:00 we get to hang out with the kids and show them the love of Jesus. The first day was probably not my favorite, since I got peed on and then had to soak in it as we walked around the mall and rode home lol. It was really funny, but man was it nice to get a shower. Usually by the point where we get to play with the kids, I am completely worn out, but seeing the smiles on their faces just brings me so much joy and gives me a renewed sense of energy.
Monday and Tuesday, we painted the legs of the tables that we sanded, and then today we sanded down the playground and got half of it painted. It has been super hard work, but my team has learned to make it fun and come closer together through this experience.
There is also a water tower on the property, so the past two days we have climbed that when we finish working. From up there you can see the mountains, rice fields, and beauty of God. It is awesome. I love this, because our Squad Mentor, Haley, has been telling us about how we (our squad) are “Rooftop Dwellers,” people who rise up, see above the fog, and see things and people for what/who they truly are. I really do believe this and something about being in a higher place just makes you feel closer to God.
Ways you can be praying for me are that I will continue to have good health, that I would find rest and energy in the Lord, that I would be courageous and not care what others think about me, and that our team will continue to grow closer to each other and closer to God.
Thank you so much to all of you who have supported me prayerfully and/or financially. May God bless you! I am still about $700 away from my final goal of $15,800, and I would love to get there soon, so that I can focus less on support raising and more on living in the moment. If you would like to help me reach that, you can donate by clicking the donate button towards the top of the page. Any amount helps! Thank you so much! Y’all are awesome!
Yours in Christ,
Landon Mullins
(Pictures coming soon…)
