Snapshots From San Gregorio

I just need about an hour to sit down and think. I experienced so much today that I feel like I need a little time to let it all sink in. After today, I know one thing for sure: God is present and powerful here. I want to share with everyone in the world what I saw and felt today, but instead of trying to explain it, I will let these snapshots and their stories speak "a thousand words."

 

You might think that digging a ditch is not a very spiritually significant job, but I learned otherwise. After several hours of labor with nothing but a shovel in the mud, an elderly women who had been watching us work finally came up to us. Through a translator, she basically told us, "What are you girls doing out here digging a ditch! This is men's work!" We embraced the opportunity to explain to her that we were working in her neighborhood because we loved the Lord and we wanted to serve His people in love. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity you gave us to mention your name - all because we dug a ditch. This is the love of Christ in action.

Pablo worked harder than any kid I have ever seen. From the moment we unloaded the shovels to the moment we put them away, he worked right beside us. And I'm not talking about picking up sticks; Pablo was digging a trench with a pick ax, and he can't be more than twelve years old. We told him to rest, but he would only sit down for about two mintues before getting back to work. I later learned that he does not have a family, and he does not go to school. He just lives with a godmother and works. My heart went out to this young man, and the group I was working with did everything they could to encourage him. At the end of the day, they rewarded him with a brand new soccer ball. To him, this was twenty times better than Christmas morning. The joy on his face as we played was indescribable. When I look at Pablo, I don't understand why a child has to grow up without a mom or a dad. I don't understand why he would choose to work every day over going to school. But I do understand that God loves him with a passionate love, and I have a piece of that love to share. This is the love of Christ in action.

To the far right of this picture, you see a young man named Norben. I am not sure of the medical term to describe his abnoramlity, but he is thirteen years old and his back is bent over into a hump. At first glance, Norben's posture would break your heart, but once you touch him and hug him, you fall in love. He, too, spent all day watching us work. Every time someone would pat his back, touch his arm, say "hola", or even look his way, Norben's big bright smile would beam. Just to give him a smile and a hug made him glow. At the end of the day, I was proud to give him a brand new backpack filled with school supplies and snacks, but my joy in giving cannot compare to his joy in receiving. Another boy gave him a soccer ball, and yet another person gave him a water bottle. Loaded down with his new goods, he started walking slowly back to his house. Since he lived about twenty minutes away, our translator, Eliud, quickly started the pick-up and drove Norben home. As I watched the truck drive down the dusty road, I thought to myself, this is the love of Christ in action. Reaching the "least of these", touching the "socially unaccpeted", and serving the "little ones" that Jesus loves so tenderly.

This beautiful little girl was the sunshine in my day. When we first arrived, she was shy and hesitant. We were, after all, strangers in her home. But as soon as she saw that we were there to help her, her joy spilled out. Our team bombarded her and her siblings with coloring books, candy, bubbles, and even these adorable sunglasses, but the thing that made her the most happy was not the gifts. It was not the stuff that money buys. She was the most joyful whenever we put down our tools to play. When we let her crawl into our laps or when we gave her attention and love - that is what made a difference. It is easy to give handouts, but this precious girl taught me is that stuff doesn't make you happy. Stuff doesn't meet the need. Love does. This is the love of Christ in action.

Every day last week, as our team drove to San Gregorio to build a school, they saw a little house on the way. Every morning, a little girl stood in the doorway. Every day, the face of this little girl and the condition of her house tugged at people's hearts as they drove by. One morning, they could not pass by on the other side any longer, so they stopped to talk to the family. One thing led to another, and to make a long story short, this week we built them a new house!

In the picture above, you can see the old house to the right. In the old house, you could not stand up in it. Five people slept in one bed, which also served as the storage place for all their clothes. The house was literally made of plastic bags, burlap sacks, and old t-shirts tied together around a few scraggly sticks. When it rained, they got soaked. When they cooked, the house filled with dense smoke. A water drainage ditch ran right through their home.

Also in the picture, you can see the new house, which is made of wood and has a tin roof. The drainage ditch has been moved so that the floor will stay dry. The roof is high enough for everyone to stand under it, and the square footage has proabably quadrupled in size.

As we presented this new home to the family today, they were so overwhelmed that they hardly knew what to do or say. They did not know how to accept such a gift. As I hugged each family member good-bye, my heart rejoiced as I saw the joy in their faces. This is the love of Christ in action: seeing a need and not passing by on the other side, but meeting it with generosity and care in the name of Jesus.