Week One Progress

This will be a quick and unusual post - as I have never done one before preferring that the students convey their perceptions to you directly. However, most of the students tonight left the team meeting to continue their series of "one-on-one" discussions (I encourage each student to have at least one one-on-one with every other member of the team during the trip - discussions that build relationships and get past the usual superficial layers) including all of those who were up for blogging duties tonight. I could see that the one-on-one's were a bit more intense tonight, as they are getting to know one another fairly well, so I did not want to break any up around the hotel to do this. So, you are stuck with me for one night.
Today was a tough day as they are tired from the transition of time and culture, and from the work. We still are having some lingering stomach issues that we simply did not have the past several trips. Everyone is getting over it but it is causing some discomfort and distraction. Again, nothing serious and no one has stayed at "home" but please do pray that the rumblings and crampings stop and for good health to return for the duration of the trip.
Your children are simply amazing. In the morning hours, on an unusually warm day for here, three teams set up to make significant progress on the three houses we are building (one is an renovation and the other from scratch. For two houses it meant some very back breaking work hauling concrete mixing supplies uphill to the two sites for the new homes, and then mixing, carrying, and pouring it for two new floors now replacing the muddy and unhealthy dirt floors. A third team continued work on renovating a living shelter and some members spent the afternoon again with over 70 children from the dump community (some of them in the special school at the Potter's House). They are tireless and efficient workers - getting these heavy duty tasks done well ahead of schedule. There is still lot's of painting, stuccoing, and cleaning to do before the families can move back into their transformed homes. They now know the families they are serving and stop often to play with the smaller children (and some of the endless supply of packs of dogs and puppies). In the afternoon we all served lunch to the community children back at the Potter's House and then cleaned up a bit jn order to do prayer visits to 21 different families in the community (in teams of 5 each and one with 6). Each student had the opportunity to lead each home visit which meant asking questions about the usually large families living in these dark and dank shelters, most without a father present. Testimonies were given and translated - and they all did exceptionally well - as well as food baskets, Bible's and a promise to pray for each request. Tonight as we recapped the various experiences with each other during our team meeting after dinner, it was clear that we were the ones who were humbled by their simple but solid faith, and overwhelmed by the depths of the stories we heard - abandonment, violence, substance abuse, poverty, and betrayal. Most of the homes we visited were believers and it amazed us how they were so sure of their faith in Christ and that their requests would be answered positively (and many of them told stories where this has happened more than once). As they shared tonight it was equally clear that they are gaining some truly new perspectives about life, their priorities, pain, persistence, and God. Many former beliefs were shattered tonight as stark new realities confronted them with glaring urgency. They are now meeting people where daily survival is the goal and where hope is a precious commodity - but those who possess it are "rich" in just they way the Bible describes. Tomorrow will be another tough labor day so pray for their strength and stamina as well. I will try and have Clare Merenda or the Bowers boy's post more pictures tomorrow night. I am reading your comments to them by the way, so keep sending them!
Good night - up in five hours!

Mr B