The work begins

Good evening followers. Tonight our team is tired. It is a good tired because we worked hard today. Before getting into the what, I just want to tell you that you should be proud of this team because I am. Everyone did a great job of working together to make it a great day. So, here’s what we did:

This morning after a good breakfast, we loaded the bus and headed to Batey #106. Bateys are the sugar cane villages. The batey we were in has been adopted by the hospital who runs the projects. We helped begin the 25th house in the community. In the morning, half of the team worked twisting wire around rebar in order to build the forms for the foundation for the house. We did not know what we were doing but became experts quickly under the watchful eye of our construction supervisor. The other half of the team went into the school and taught some English lessons to the children. 

After the first few minutes of getting to know each other, the children of the batey and our group became great friends. Hands being held. Piggy-back rides being given. Smiles being exchanged. 

Lunch was a great respite from the heat and the sun and the children. We loved our lunch of empanadas and rice. 

After lunch we returned to work on the foundation with the other group of students tagging in to the work. The other half of the group did a VBS-style afternoon with the children. There were approximately 80 children. By the end of the day, the foundation forms were complete and the children (ours and theirs) were exhausted.   

Tonight has been lots of relaxing, card playing, and rehydrating. Here are the God sightings for the day:

Elyse saw God in the wind and the cloud cover that periodically graced us and in the immediate progress that we were able to make on the project.

Tim saw God at work in our host Emilio as he gave our leftover water to the children at the end of the day.

Georgia saw God at work in the kids of the batey readily interacting with our group.

Shelby saw God at work through interactions with children over music, another universal language.

Hayden saw God at work in the children being happy to learn what our group was attempting to teach.

Mary Helen saw God at work when she complimented a kid singing softly and that kid then began to sing louder.

Jenn saw God at work as one of the children became a helper to our group as they organized the group of children. This child also ran to get pants for a 2 yr old who came in without pants. He patiently helped the child to put the pants on and then put his shoes back on.

Stephanie saw God at work in the Joy of the little children who got so excited to be able to color.

Sami saw God at work in the kids who gifted her with their artwork and in the appreciation that the construction workers showed for our team.

Gretchen saw God at work in the VBS that came together quickly and those who worked together to make it happen.

Meara saw God at work in being able to appreciate the beauty of the surrounding nature, even in less than what we would see as ideal conditions.

Steve saw God at work in the contentment of the children and residents with their situations.

Annalise saw God at work in the simple pleasures that the children found in things such as throwing rocks.

Thank you for following along and for sharing your prayers and comments with us. 

From the land of humidity, good night followers.