What a Summer!!!

Friday was a rough day.  I felt terrible all day long. It was like the sickness renewed it's attack overnight and gave me all it had on Friday.  To add to it we had a house build on rock mountain.  We built in Santa Ana and it was a tough one.  I literally built on a huge rock so digging the post was ridiculously difficult.  I sometimes think that God must have known when He created the world that we would be building a house in places like this and why couldn't He have made the ground a little softer in these places.  I wonder if He is having a good ole time watching us pound away at these rocks.  Either way, hard or soft ground, we had a mission and it was to build a family a house, and that's exactly what we did.  I personally didn't do a whole lot except direct people to do things bc I was really sick.  My 43rd overall housebuild and I barely lifted a hammer but the result was the same.  One more family in a house and that's what it's all about.

Saturday I felt much much better.  The doctor gave me some different meds that started working Friday evening and Saturday was better.  I wasn't 100% but anything was better than Friday.  We packed up the remaining load of food we had and went to Mololoa to distribute it.  We thankfully had a truck to haul the bags of food up the mountain but it's still difficult to get them to the houses.  It was another very productive day and it was also the last work day of the summer for this group and for me, which made it pretty bittersweet when we were finished.  We went to the peace monument for a little while afterwards and the back to the mission house.

Today we worshiped in Mololoa and I had a first.  I'm not a song leader, never have been.  Never done that before but since I've sorta given others my sickness the last few days, we were short on people to lead singing.  So I got to do that at church this morning and it was quite an experience.  After that we went straight to the Valley of Angels where about a dozen of us decided to go on the zip line.  It was 15 lines that took about 2 hours but it was a lot of fun.  We went to the top of one of the mountains that surround the valley and rode the lines all the way to the bottom.  It was soo much fun.  After that we went to Dr. Aguilera's house where his Nephew grilled steaks for us for dinner.  It was an amazing dinner.  Steak and beans and tortillas and pico and ice cream.  We had devo there and have just gotten back to the mission house to pack up for our trip home tomorrow.

I'll go ahead and say that tomorrow will be a bad day.  Any time you have to leave a place you love, it is a bad day.  This trip has been incredible.  I've worked with amazing friends and made incredible new friends along the way.  Everyone I've been blessed to work with has been amazing.  I couldn't have asked for a better team of interns to be a part of or better groups to work with.  People say a lot that their heart stays here when they fly home and I can honestly say that.  For the next 9 or 10 months my thoughts will be here, I will wish to be here, I will look forward to nothing more than the day I land at Toncontin airport again.  My heart stays here though, with the people I've met and the ones I know are still in need.  With the people at the dump who are hungry everyday and the kids who grow up knowing nothing but that atmosphere.  With the people who pray everyday for a house and will have to wait day after day for their prayers to be answered.  With the mothers who worry about whether or not they'll have food for their kids tonight.  With the parents who earn $2 a day and wonder how their families will continue to survive.  My heart is here with them.  There are billions around the world living on $2 a day.  No matter how much time you spend serving them, trying to ease their pain, we are never going to relieve all the pain and suffering.  But one thing is for sure, we are going to give it our best shot until Christ returns.  I hate saying bye to people here but the sadness is always lessened by the hope that I'll be back, that God has more plans for me here.  That hope will help me tomorrow and if God wants me back here again, I know I'll be coming back soon.  We try to reach people through service, by serving others you are showing them the love of Christ not by beating them over the head with a Bible.  First comes meeting their needs and they are open to hearing about the gospel, about the one who inspired you to help them.  These past few weeks we have been able to do that.  To meet the needs of others in hopes that they will be open to hearing the gospel from the missionaries and preachers we work with.  We may not see the results of our labors but we can trust that God is using the works of our hands to reach their hearts.  I hope you have enjoyed reading about my adventures this summer.  It's been a blast and Lord willing I'll be doing it again next year...or maybe sooner :)
Our flight leaves around noon tomorrow and we will be getting back home around midnight or just a little afterwards.  If you would please pray that we all have a safe trip back home tomorrow then that would be awesome.  I know we would all appreciate it. God Bless!