Day 6 in Honduras: Bubbles and Love

Today we loaded up the truck headed for Santa Rosa to build another house for a family in need. Using the same system that we used for our first construction project, we began with a plot of dirt and finished with a house approximately six hours later.

This is a picture of Gloria (far left) with her family and friends. She and her four children (I am not sure which four are hers) will live in this house, warm and dry. With hugs and tears, we dedicated the house to this precious family, prayed with them, and gave them a Bible. I pray that the little house will be a place of warmth where God's love will be dsicovered, learned, taught, and shared.

The best part of my day was not building a house. Although I enjoy hard work, I actually spent a lot of time today on the sidelines. I met a precious boy named Nixon with whom I was able to communicate very well in spanish. We had a wonderful time talking, getting to know each other, asking other questions, and laughing at each other when we just couldn't quite understand one another. One of the first things he asked me was, "Is Jesus your king?" That's the kind of kid he was, and I loved every moment I got to spend with Him.

I also got to spend some time talking to Gloria, the mother of the home. I learned about her and her family, making sure she knew that she was valued and loved.

Perhaps the most fun part of the day was after we finished building the house because that is when we started pulling all the toys, candies, and games out of our backpacks. Unlike the States, you don't need a Wii to have fun; it only takes a couple of matchbox cars and a bottle of bubbles.

When it all comes down to it, loving on children could be my favorite thing to do while on mission trips. I could play with cars on a piece of scrap wood forever just in order to hear those little boys laugh. And I would buy a million bottles of bubble to keep that girl's smile shining. But really, it is not the toys and candy that make those kids happy - it is you giving your love generously and joyfully. Take away the materialism, the new house, the toys, the stuff...and you have the most beautiful gift to share - the gift of love. It makes the most difference in the world.