I've gotten a few days behind on posting what I've been up to. So I've got a lot to say and a heavy heart that just wants to talk. Sunday we worshiped with the church at Los Pinos. It is a great congregation that has been around for quite a few years. They have great leadership and it's always great to be able to worship with them. From there we went to the valley of angels so the group could do some shopping. One advantage of coming here every summer and making friends with the bus drivers is that once you are friends they start taking you to places that they wouldn't dare take most other people. So at the valley they said that they knew of a great restaurant just a few blocks away so a few of the interns and I went with them and boy was it great. I had half a chicken and I heard the ribs and pork chops were amazing. I love getting away from the restaurants that everyone eats at and the restaurants that cater to tourists and are "americanized". Give me an off the map restaurant and that's where you'll find some amazing food. After we spent a few hours at the valley we headed back into Teguc to go to the mall for a few hours. We could eat dinner, which I did at Fridays, or just walk around and hang out. I did see the corndog lady for the first time this year but I saw her after I left Fridays and didn't want a corndog, next week though I'll get one of those bad boys. After that we went up to the mission house and had devo and everyone started getting ready to leave on Monday.
Monday morning is another one of those days you dread. The second team was leaving and we had to say goodby here at the mission house. I know I said it with the last group but I'll say it again. The people that we are blessed to meet here are incredible. I absolutely love the chance to meet so many amazing people and to see so many amazing friends every year. Very rarely can we all get together and see each other but one day we will all be together and I can't wait for that day. The interns had to say bye at the mission house because we were heading out to do a little more work. We went to the Church of Christ school here in Teguc called Baxter where a few Americans were staying to pick the up. They were here on a mission trip but really didn't have anything to do for a few days. Terry met them at the Didasko Orphanage and invited them to work with us monday so they could see how Torch operates. First we went to Mololoa where some people worked in the Kitchen and some of us went up to the daycare to play with kids. It was a blast. After that we took the remaining 55 bags of food that we had and went to a part of the La Tigra rainforest that I hadn't been to and gave out our last bags. It was bittersweet because that was the last bit of work that we were going to do as a team. It was awesome to have completed what we set to do this summer but it left us wanting to continue to serve alongside each other. The Americans we picked up from Baxter really enjoyed the things we did and seemed to have had a great time. So after we dropped them off the retreat for the interns officially began.
There was a rumor, started by Terry, that our retreat was going to be quite interesting. So of you may have heard of his poverty simulation that he did a few years ago. He took all of his interns to a nice restaurant, took them to a really nice hotel, and then the next morning gave them 10 minutes to gather 3 items each. He then dropped them off at a work site where they had to build and live in their house. He didn't tell them how long they would be there but he only made them stay one night. He provided water and bug spray and gave them each 20 limps a day, 1 USD, and left them. Apparently they had too many chiefs trying to build the house and didn't get it finished before the rains soaked them all. I heard it was pretty miserable but that now they wouldn't trade that experience for the world. So as the rumor started spreading that we were going to do that, Minor and I started coming up with an attack plan. We had 9 girls, Minor and I. We strategically determined the items we wanted to take and how we were going to do things and what amount of food we wanted to take. Terry took us to a very nice restaurant for dinner and then took us to Janet Hines amazing house where we stayed for the retreat. Everything was going just as it did the first time and I won't lie, I was pretty pumped up and excited. Anyone that knows me knows that I love building houses here and this would have been the ultimate challenge. I've built more houses than everyone else that was going to be there all put together. It was going to be great. So the Tuesday morning Terry takes us to the Bodega where we think we are getting the tools to go build a house. He said to pack our backpacks wisely so I was ready with my knife and hammer and flashlight and jackets and extra socks and all kinds of stuff. More than items but he never specified three to us. So we get to the Bodega and he stops us and tells us that we aren't going to be doing the poverty simulation. Instead the ladies that work with Mi Esperanza needed to practice manicures and pedicures to fulfill their service hours before they can get an internship. For a minute I was bummed out but then the lady came out and was like, we really need all the guys to do this because they really need to practice on men.....so for the sake of serving these ladies by allowing them to practice on men I reluctantly, very reluctantly :) let them torture my hands and feet. It turned out to be a lot of fun and it wasn't that bad. We had a great time and all the girls enjoyed it. Afterwards we went to the mall and had lunch again at Fridays, the corndog lady wasn't there, and bought groceries so we could cook our meals for the rest of the week at Janets house. We then chilled back at the house the rest of the evening and cooked burgers. Sat by the fires, and just hung out.
Wednesday we got to sleep in. We were leaving the house by 10:15 to head to the water park for the day. There is a water park just outside the city with water slides and a wave pool and a lot of other cool things. Every time I've gone it's been overcast and like 80 which makes the water cold. This day was no exception but that never stops us. We had an absolute blast on the the slides and in the pools and when the rains came we didn't let up...well not immediately. It eventually got pretty chilly and I was starting to turn purple and we started one by one heading back to get changed into some warm dry clothes. I think we all had a great time, I know I did. Once we had all changed we headed back to the house about 4 and had another relaxing evening. We grilled chicken and had a great dinner and devo and it really set in for me that this was almost over. A few of us stayed up till about 2:30 or 3 just talking because we knew that the end was near and we weren't ready to face it yet. We just wanted to continue to be in each others presence and be with one another. I have another 11 days here but all the interns are in the air right now flying back. We dropped them off at the airport and after they had cleared the checkpoint and we couldn't see them anymore, I came back here to the mission house with Josue, Yoni and Cesar.
It is such a great feeling to come here and do so many great things for people, to know that you are changing someones life, that you are giving someone hope that they didn't have. But as great as that feeling is, when the team you are working with begins to break up after the mission is accomplished, the heart ache and sadness you feel as they leave equals the greatness of the things you've done and trust me we have done some great things. I've been sitting in my room here at the mission house for 3 hours not wanting to leave because I just don't want to move on. I feel like a teenage girl talking but it has been such an incredible 3 weeks with some of the most amazing people on the planet and I just don't want it to end. As we talked last night I said that it was hard when the first team left and the second team arrived. We had to say bye and then Hi within a matter of 30 minutes. We had to immediately be geared up for an energetic team coming in when we were sad to see people leave. That doesn't compare to having been with a small group for 3-4 weeks and having them all leave. Seeing people you care about go through the security gates and you know you can't follow. I am so thankful that I'm still here and able to continue serving but I'd give anything to have those that are in the air back here with me right now with more tasks to be accomplished but that just isn't going to happen. They are now gone and there's another group coming in tomorrow that will be energetic and ready to work and I've got to get ready for them physically and emotionally but emotionally is the tougher task. I've made friends that I hope and pray I have for years and years to come, people that I hope and pray that God will bring us back together. These are friends that don't just push and inspire me to be a better person, I have friends at home for that, but rather to be a better servant of God, people I don't completely lack at home but that I need more of. But it's times like these when you feel alone that God is there to comfort us. He is who we need to strengthen us and to guide us. So my journey continues with a heavy heart. For those that know me, you know I'm not a very emotional person. I don't cry much but if I do I do on my own. Today has already been a long day and I can't wait for it to end.
But tomorrow is a new day, a new trip for me in many ways. It's time to suck it up and lay everything out on the table again. I'll have my pity party today and be waiting at the airport tomorrow ready start over. My prayer today and I hope yours to is that the team makes it home safely. Two are going to the Florida Keys, one to Missouri, one to Oklahoma, one to Maryland and the rest to Nashville. Lets pray they all make it home safely.
Great blog Tyler! My blog is www.earringproject.blogspot.com if you want to check it out.
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