We have just completed our second day of work on the house and the blisters on our hands would tell you that it was another day full of hard work. These kids are phenomenal…they are able to take any task and conquer it even if they can’t even understand the people who are teaching them how to do it. There hunger to serve is very evident and tremendously contagious.
We are very far ahead of schedule for finishing the house. The carpenters are always amazed at how much we seem to get done in a day! Today we almost completed pouring the cement flooring in the house. The carpenters who work with us picked Nathan to learn how to level the floors once the cement has been poured. It is an interesting and very unique process. Nathan was blessed to get to work with them. Jenna and Sarah got a chance to go up on the roof with the carpenters and learn how to do trowel work on the edges. The language barrier didn’t seem to be an issue when they were so excited to learn to do new things.
In the back yard we started to dig a 15 foot hole for a sewage system. Dan and April were go getters when they hopped to the challenge. I have never seen two people so dirty, and determined, to make a hole happen. Soon other team members joined in with pick axes and edgers to help the dirt removal along. Hector and his family are so excited to be receiving this awesome home.
The team has been doing an unreal job of soaking up every opportunity that they have. They have vocalized that they see every opportunity and chance that they get to serve as a once in a lifetime opportunity therefore it needs to be seized and excelled in. And this they have done well. Every time we need a volunteer for work there is never any hesitation. These kids want to truly be the hands and feet of Jesus in whatever way they can.
God has really been building us up individually. Corwin and I constantly get the chance to sit back and watch the kids takes steps of faith that they have never taken before. They are doing extremely well with the language…using every chance that they have to learn and speak and sometimes make a few mistakes. Today, for a short time, Corwin and our translator, Esteban, had to be away from the work site, and it was an awesome treat for me to sit back and watch the kids playfully communicate with our carpenters. They have also been so encouraging to watch as they lead each other. I spied on Nathan, today, as he taught Jenna how to bend thick wire into triangles for rebar structures. Denver, as always, headed up the concrete making time and time again. And Taylor seems to get the job of helping keep the community children distracted so they don’t distract us (and she’s really good at it!). Something has truly come alive within them. They have also, and especially, grown insight into their faith journey. Regan came to me last night to ask for prayer for his hives. He said that he looked up verses about healing in the Bible and it said to ask his elders to pray over him so he thought it would be a good idea to pray together. What a beautiful faith. And GLORIA A DIOS, today: no hives while he was at the worksite. Prayers answered. These young people have remarkable awareness and are putting their faith into practice.
Though we have been doing tons of physical labour and spending a lot of time in Veracruz, we also have spent a lot of time building a second kind of home; one for Wilber. For those who don’t know, Wilber is a 14 year old Nicaraguan orphan whom Corwin is adopting. We’ve had the distinct pleasure of adopting Wilber into our team. He has been staying with us at the Provadenic and has been working with us every day. The change in him through the last 4 days has been exceptional. He went from being shy and reserved to being so comfortable with us and even beginning to communicate with us in both English and Spanish. Sometimes you can’t even tell that we don’t speak the same language! We have fallen in love with him as a little brother and friend. It has been awesome to be here for Corwin and get to build him up as he goes through the adoption process and learns how to be a father. We feel like it is part of our mission here in Nicaragua and we are humbled to watch it all unfold firsthand.
Tomorrow we are back at the work site until 3 in the afternoon and then we get our first opportunity to head to the orphanage. The kids are excited and nervous, I think, to see what the orphanage is like and to have their heart continue in this process of getting broken to the needs of the people here. I look forward to recanting some of their reactions.
We feel like God has really been blessing our time. I remember this time last year when most of our kids where puking with high fevers (myself included). PRAISE GOD for the health and safety He has given us on this trip so far! He’s truly taking care of us.
You can continue to pray for that health and safety as well as for Corwin and Wilber as they will be making a few decisions in the next few days about things that will affect the adoption process. Pray that God’s will be working in the lives of our team members, of our new Nicaraguan friends, and in Wilber and Corwin.
We love and miss you all so much.
-The team
Way to go team!!! I will continue to pray for a "sick free" trip. God is truly amazing and He is definitely at work in all of you. Blessings
Rosemary (Corwin's mom)
WOOOOW!I'm so proud of you guys.. for real. Looking at the pictures.. and reading the blogs, i can't stop the tears from rolling down my cheeks. its so great. MIIIIISS you so much, but still super stoked about all you're doing. We're definately all praying for you guys! And regan.. i hope you're feeling better!:)
MISS YOU && LOOOVE YOU!
- Kali Starnes
We're very proud of all of you so excited to see how God is working in each one. Can't wait to here of your experiences first hand. Praying for continued health and safety for all
Tami (Denver's mom)
Big hugs D.J
Project Serve Nicaragua team....
Blessings on all of you, your ministry there is all about how God works through people to reach out to other people, Praise the Lord,.......good work,
only know one of you, but really proud of all of you, and this Blog thing is the best, Praying for you all, stay safe and well, Ken,Bev
Keep up the good work.