Over the past
week a handful of us have been working with a church to help provide them with
a building. I honestly don’t even
know the name of the church but ever since we walked up to the site where we
would be building, I felt an instant connection with that place. It was strange that such a small plot
of land could take up such a big portion of my thoughts and heart.
The first day we
were there we were asked to literally move a mountain. The plot of land we were digging in
lead up to a hill the reached about 8 feet high and we were asked to level it out
and make a square plot that could be the foundation for the church. With the heat at an all time high and
absolutely no cloud coverage, normally my immediate reaction would be to shut
down and question how on earth that could be done with 2 pick axes and 4
shovels.
Luckily on that day, that
thought never actually crossed my mind.
What started out
to be a one day project that we were asked to just help start has now turned
into 5 different trips of about 5-6 hours each time. We have dug into straight rock and then stepped back and
watched as the men of the church have just made the rock crumble. We have unloaded close to 500
wheelbarrows of dirt. We dug
postholes and then skinned the 12 foot logs that would be the posts for the
roof. We have cut, split, and will
soon tie together huge palm branches to complete the roof. We helped make a month long
construction project be completed in a week.
However, the most
touching thing that has happened at that plot is the fact that this church can’t
afford the Q360 (about $40) to have a concrete foundation layed, but they have cooked
feasts for us every day. They have
kept us constantly replenished with the most amazing fruit juices and popsicles
I have ever tasted and for lunch we have rarely been served less than 4
courses. They have never actually
eaten with us because we are the guests and they will simply eat what we leave
behind. They have been a beautiful
picture of what it looks like to be a servant.
Tomorrow we will
go and finish the church and will bless them with a roof that will allow them to have church and worship in a safe place. We will
have yet another feast with them and hopefully bless them with the rest of the
money they need to have a solid concrete foundation. They have considered us such a blessing and a help, but they
have shown me a picture of the Body of Christ that I cannot forget. We’re in this thing together and it’s
great to know that we have family all across the globe.
I am thankful for
Pastor Roberto, his wife, and the families in the church and even though they
may never read this, I can’t help but shout their praises and pray for their
blessings.
