Work Day #3

Weather today: Hot and dusty. Weather report for tomorrow: Hot and dusty. Today we poured the 11th channelled course across the front then added the twelth row. The back was finished at 14 rows and the the two outside walls have been finished and gabled. All that remains for tomorrow on the Sunday School building is to finish the gables on the two interior walls and it will be ready for the floor and roof. We began to move the equipment to the house site, the end posts are set up and the 13.5 inch blocks have been marked for cutting first thing in the morning. Our goal is to finish the house in one day and make Baldwin regret forever that he wussed out and chose Team Two. He is like a work horse hanging out with a group of circus horses! (Dr. Juan gets credit for that one!) We are not referring to you, Wiley and Eddie!

We are going to show the movie tomorrow night at the church in El Carrizo. You know the movie, Juan, which takes us through the whole Bible in about an hour and a half in Spanish. The unique feature is that when God or Jesus speak, they speak in English with Spanish subtitles. Who would have guessed that? We are looking forward to it as it will be our first chance to meet the broader congregation.

Cristina once again has done a remarkable job with the children. They follow her around like the Pied Piper; that is when they are not working. Kristen has a special gift when working and playing with the children. They feel Christ's love through her and they love her right back.

Some members on Team Two made a crack about the kids on the work site, but most of those kids are working: hauling block that weigh as much as they do, hauling 5 gallon buckets of mortar, little girls hauling large buckets of water from the well down the street and all of them smiling and eager to do any job you will let them do. Team Two could learn a valuable lesson from watching them work; we certainly have!

Tonight we went to the Maxi Bodega after dinner (where we discovered that Maxi Bodega is owned by Walmart), followed by ice cream at the ice cream parlor. Mike even handed out a pelota in Spanish (and not in his overalls) to a little boy who came into get ice cream with his mother.Tomorrow we start building the house for the Flores family. Senor Paulino Flores has worked with us on the Sunday School building for the past two days. The house is way off the beaten path. Even Gerardo remarked that these people seem even poorer than the folks in Altos de Santa Martha. You are going to have to see it to believe it! That being said I looked over today at the church site and saw Senor Flores talking to a man who was dressed in new, clean clothes and a hat who obviously had much greater wealth than the Flores family. Gerardo saw me watching him and softly said to me, "He's telling him about Jesus! I watched as he pointed toward heaven and then placed both hands over his heart. I was deeply moved as I watched this humble, grizzled man share his faith with a man whom the world would clearly judge as his superior, and am deeply honored that my Lord and we are going to help he and his family build their new house. How lovely this poor, dry, dusty land looks through the eyes of Jesus.

To be frank, we are all very tired tonight but had a great devotional time, and are eager to finish our work, worship with these beautiful children of God, and have some play time as well.

Until tomorrow, pray for us. We love you all and are grateful to each of you who have helped provide us this opportunity to serve and follow our Lord.

In His Name and for His Glory,

Team One