We are halfway through the week and have had awesome serving experiences with the children's homes and impoverished areas of the Rios. Our team is bonding and forming relationships as the days together encourage us to be transparent and authentic with one another. Yesterday was spent serving in a children's home called "Bethany." There we played with the children and helped to paint several bunkbeds and walls. The children were so open and initiated interaction with warmth and curiousity. At one point in the day, I was playing Memory with 3 boys, while a 4 year old painted my face and another painted my fingernails. Talk about multi-tasking! It made me appreciate the daily work the directors of the home put into to trying to meet all the children's needs. Their ability to multi-task with love makes it so obvious that they accomplish relationship and not just tasks.
Today was a day that stretched so many of us outside of our comfort zones. We worked alongside a pastor to help with construction projects on his church, as well as play with many children all the while. This pastor makes a 30 minute commute everyday to the church to build relationship and make much needed improvements on the building. We were told that the involvement of Back2Back is very needed in this area, as they are working to prevent mothers from reaching a point in life where they feel that they have on choice but to drop off their children at a home because they can no longer meet their needs. Back2Back shared that many children in the homes come from neighborhoods very much like the one we were in today, so their presence offers encouragement to make it just one more day. I love this aspect of their ministry to partner with a local church to help keep families together. A few of us spent the day on the roof framing and installing a tin roof. I must say, it was the most challenging thing I have ever done. God is so amazing that he would lead me here and place me 30 feet in the air over a 30 foot drop off, laying across a piece of aluminum tarring the holes. He covered us all with his glory strength and made the impossible possible today.
Lives are changing based on the nightly debriefs of sharing! This week has confirmed for us that short-term missions is integral the individual change and growth of team members. You know, so much information is out there on the topic of short-term missions. This trip has confirmed that you can't put a price on encouragement!
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