I'm sitting in the back of my truck on Friday morning watching the sun come up. This is the same place I was sitting Sunday night wondering how this week would go and how we would build this home. I had a strong sense that a lot of this week would be out of my control and I would simply be God's tool in whatever way He pleased; that I would need Him, and He would build this home rather than me. This is always how it goes, some weeks this is just far more obvious than others.
I sit here this morning knowing that the task that was set before us is done; it is finished. On the empty plot of land where I stood Sunday, there is now a home. A community came together, neighbors lent their hands, and a team of Americans made friendships and worked alongside a church and community that didn't share their culture or language.
God used all of us for the work He wanted to complete.
This week was hard; harder than many I can remember. There were moments when I exhausted every ounce of my being and lost the ability to think clearly. I wondered how I could continue to be used; I had
nothing left to give. It was in those moments that I was reminded of the amazing team of friends and family and supporters that surround me. They rose up and filled my mornings and my nights with scripture and strength and encouragement when I didn't have the strength to find it on my own.
At one point in the final stages of completing the home, the Mexican pastor that we were building with all week looked at me and said, "You are not alone. Alot of times you feel like you are alone, but you are not, and you need to know that." This came out of the blue and it stopped me in my tracks. The project I was working on fell to the back burner and my eyes welled up with tears when he told me he felt like God wanted to tell me that. I told him that especially this week, I knew that I was not alone. I explained how so many people had been lifting me up and encouraging me and maybe more than ever before, I was extremely aware of how much my friends and family support and surround me. Sometimes as a single girl working in a foreign country and living thousands of miles away from the family and friends that I love, it is hard to remember that I am not alone. Today I have no question.
This week was not about the house. It never is. I always tell my teams that but sometimes I have to catch myself up to really believing that.
This week was about God bringing together a community, a family and two churches from different countries to complete a task that none of us were capable of doing on our own. If we had been capable, God wouldn't receive near as much of the glory.
I had a feeling His hand would be far more obvious than mine on this project; I had no idea how much.
Thank you God for giving us exactly what we needed and who we needed to complete the work that you put before us. Thank you for blessing all of us in the process.
There were so many times this week where I saw God's direction when I had no control of my own. As the leader in charge of teaching others, the whole time I knew it was truly Him just leading me...
- A concrete truck that should have been hours away in Piedras Negras instead showed up exactly when I needed it.
- The rains that threatened every day held off until we had the house covered.
- A church and a Casas por Cristo leader needed to step away from their comforts and serve in a different country and in circumstances where we were completely out of our comfort zones.
- An entire church and community saw God's love cross borders and work for hours to build a home entirely because of Christ's love.
- We were welcomed and blessed by 2 different church congregations and had what we know of church challenged and strengthened.
- A young family that needed a home received one.
This week was about being reminded that we don't have all that we need to make it through, but that God, and God alone, will be faithful to bring us through any circumstance that He puts before us; If we are willing to follow Him there.
Thank you for this week Jesus. Thank you for the fact that I'm sitting in this truck now with the home complete. Thank you that now there is so much more of you and so much less of me. Despite the fact that you have called me to lead, thank you for always being the one that leads the way.
Some scenes and videos from our week: (click on the play button to see the quick videos)
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| Preparing the foundation |
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| Building up the entire foundation with rocks |
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| God's provision and blessing of a pump truck |
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| The foundation |
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| 5:30am Spanish lessons |
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| At the site by sunrise |
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| Team Building! Trying to get the roof up the side of the mountain. |
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| The daily rain which was completely out of our control |
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| Getting ready for stucco |
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| The church that hosted us |
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| Our mornings |
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| Our site, the community, and church up on the hill |
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| Through the dried up river bed to the church service on the hill |
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| The family we built for, Carina and Paulo |
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| The local church cooked for us daily |
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| So thankful to walk around the corner and see a home! |
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| This home stands on a hill as a testament for the community to see His glory |
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| Inside their new home |
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| David, Pastor Julio and Carlos who helped us all week |
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| Thank You Jesus |
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