This month we worked a lot with the maintenance crew at Vida Joven. This was one of the most physically challenging months of my life. Every day we were given an assignment and worked 8 hours a day alongside the maintenance crew. Those were probably the hardest working men I have ever met. They give 200% every minute of every day. They meet an hour before work every morning and start their day with morning devotions. After lunch they play 30 minutes of hardcore soccer before returning to their work for the afternoon. I never saw these men without a smile, and they never complained about the work they were assigned to do, or about having to work with 7 gringos that had no clue what they were doing.
This month I found myself in knee deep compost, digging a hole for septic tank with only a shovel and a pair of gloves, mixing concrete by hand and making posts to go around the property line. Choosing joy wasn’t hard because the guys we worked with, Walter, Oscar, and Maximo chose it daily and it overflowed from them to us. At the end of the day we wearily walked away from the bodega with our backs hurting, and our blistered hands with a smile on our faces.
As I lay in bed one night, thanking God for these men and the contribution they make daily to Vida Joven and the lives of the children in Nicaragua I realized I’ve never truly appreciated the maintenance crews in my life. I’ve never stopped to notice the job they do. I’ve never thought about all the work they do behind the scenes that no one sees but without them a place would not be able to operate. I’ve never stopped to thank them or even acknowledge them.
Maintenance crew is not the job for someone who constantly needs to have a pat on the back and told they are doing a good job. It is not the job of someone who is afraid of getting dirty. It is not the job of someone who can not look at the job they are doing and see how it will bring kingdom to those around them.
So here is a long overdue THANK YOU to all the maintenance guys (and ladies) in my life. Thank you for your dedication. Thank you for all your hard work. Thank you for the smiles you wear daily. Thank you for your selfless dedication. Thank you for bringing kingdom.
