Done

It's hard to believe that the trip is over, the work is done, and that we will be coming home tomorrow. The past few days were a whirlwind as we jumped into building and fell into a routine. The first few days seemed to take three times as long whereas yesterday and today flew by. I can't believe that what was once a parcel of dry dirt is now a home, brick and mortar, two windows and two doors. It's an amazing feeling of accomplishment to look at the house and know that we built it, but even more joyful to see Cristina, who now has a home of her very own. 

This is a picture of the house in progress (yesterday). Today it has four walls and a roof. When we left the worksite, half of the concrete floor was left to be poured but it was otherwise complete, porch and all. 

It's amazing to see how God used the six of us in so many different ways. My team members are giving, selfless, encouraging and inspirational workers who labor after the Lord's purposes. Even when we were tired, dirty and drained of all we had to offer, there was hardly any complaining. God showed me His glory through these humble women and men, and I have been stretched and strengthened likewise. It is such an amazing answer to prayer.

Yesterday afternoon my teammates and I were praying for opportunities to share our faith with the people we were with. This was a huge request, given the massive language barriers between us. Yet in broken Spanish, we learned that Alberto met Jesus while imprisoned in America for a crime he didn't commit, Nubia and her family are Christ followers who wake up daily with a song on their lips, and we were able to share our love and joy with and without words. I also had the opportunity to talk with Benito about his spiritual life, which is pretty limited. Like me, He went to a Catholic church occasionally as a child but never learned anything worthwhile or felt connected. We both ultimately gave up on God after experiencing hard things in life, and struggled to reconcile painful circumstances with a supposedly all-loving God. I was then able to follow up somewhat by sharing how that perspective changed for me when I went to church with my sister as a teen, heard the gospel for the first time, and realized the true meaning of life. My prayer is that one day Benito will experience the same life change. 

Overall, I continue to be blown away by the similarities between myself and the people we are with. I am finding culture to be meaningless in a way, because we are all united in our humanity - both the good and bad aspects. This truth paints a picture of Christ as well, who experienced life as a human and knew all the temptations we face. Black, brown or white, old or young, irrespective of native language, we all are human. We are known and loved by the creator of the universe, and He is writing a story in which we all have a place. I am so thankful that Jesus knows me personally, and that I can lean into him for strength in situations he has already walked through. What a relief! 

Covered in dirt, but having fun!

I'm so excited to come home and continue to process what I've learned this past week. Before we do, though, we will have the opportunity to serve dinner tomorrow night to all the engineers and Fuller Center leaders who helped us, as well as the family we built for. Please pray for meaningful conversations, safety, and a fun night of fellowship!