Home Built, Lives Changed!

I left home on Tuesday night at 7:15 with my babies tucked in bed to pick our next team up from the airport at 8:30.  It was a struggle to leave for just the 3 days to San Ramon knowing I was only going to be gone for a short time.  Don’t get me wrong a scene change was nice but by the ride home all I wanted was to hug my kids again but one was reunited with her family so my love is now even deeper with the 5 remaining kids.  Ruth went home to her mother on Wednesday but please be in prayer for her.  The Guatemalan foster/ childcare system is very good.  Her mother will get scheduled and random visits from the government and counseling to be sure she is well taken care of.  It was hard news to hear on Wednesday since I wasn’t even able to say goodbye or anything but I only trust in the Lord’s plan for my little Ruth’s life.  I loved her unconditionally and can only hope I was able to love enough.  I am learning that to love means always wearing your heart on your sleeve and becoming volnurable in order to truly experience what God has to offer.  I have to love thru the up’s and down’s; smiles and crys; good times and bad because then I truly learn the meaning of self less love.  It is so powerful and my Father in heaven inspires me more and more because that is how HE loves us, even me.  

Okay back to building!  It was so much different to be in charge of a group instead of being given instructions.  Since I have never been in charge before I was apart of Anya’s team and she instructed/ taught me while instructing our team.  The first day is key to get the walls up drywall up, cement board on the outside and first coat of mud on.  They also have a team that goes house to house and puts the porch on.  This group only has 28 people which meant 2 teams were going to have 5 instead of the normal 6 people.  Our team had 5 but 2 leaders.  I also am in charge of going house to house capturing moments in picture and in video.  I also need to add that we were building on a hillside so every time I made a round I had to go up down around and everywhere while trying not to slide down the hills.  The country side is absolutely beautiful.  A river runs thru the bottom so you always hear water moving swiftly over rocks; especially by the bathroom where the spring starts its beautiful.  Anya and myself struggle a bit the first day because our team wasn’t quite used to our pace and a little grumbly about the heat, which I burnt my shoulders to a nice beautiful red tomato color :)  But we make a great team and got our group caught right up again and we even finished an hour earlier than the last team.  I enjoyed getting to know our family and my build group.  The family was Enrique and Juana with their 2 beautiful teenage daughters Mirza and Brendis and twin 11 year old's Celso David and Celso Wilfredo.  Grandma Marta was also their just because they were getting a new house.  A new challenge is that most of the mothers and older women only know the Mum language.   Spanish is a second language to most of the villagers.  I was able to have a small conversation in Spanish with Juana but otherwise I made sure to smile a lot paint fingernails, and rub her back when I could.  They were a beautiful family and were so content with the simplicity of life and the joy the new home were we building them was overwhelming.

The second day was stucco and painting day!  I, of course, was decently covered in stucco simply because I was the scooper for everyone else.  I loved it because it gave me a chance to really get to know everyone and their name with a face.  There is 7 girls from 12-17 and wow was I blown away by all of them.  They truly connected especially on the second day.  What simply amazed me is how on day one we struggled to keep our team on task but when it came to painting and personalizing our walls our group was the first to start and the last to finish.  it was beautiful to watch the talent our team members have.  Grace, who is 12, sketched 2 awesome pictures which were put on 2 walls, picked out a verse for the other, and the Kris drew a beautiful scene of a path leading to the tomb, after telling me he only enjoyed drawing cars.  God has gifted both of them in incredible ways.  Our family was right in their helping, especially Enrique.  He traced part of John 3:16 on the wall as well as everyone’s name under their hand print we put on the wall.  I was so blow away by the gentleness and leadership he has in his family.  I was able to clearly see the love he possessed and the joy in his eyes.  The older men after the detail work was finished constructed a matchbox car track for the boys.  Wow!  It was so neat to see the young and old who couldn’t speak the same language laughing and playing together.  We all gathered at night after a delicious supper of tacos for our devotions.  My personal favorite time to praise the Lord and thank him for a great day.  My worship is thru the songs.  We were also preparing to go to battle the following day as we dedicated the houses where the gospel is presented to the families for the first time.  We needed to be ready to defend our houses and families against the devil’s attacks.  It is neat to prepare alongside others as we all wanted the same result, to see each family members name written in the Lamb’s book of life.  

Friday morning arrived.  Along with it came chaos of getting things ready for the next team reorganizing before we headed to battle at 8 AM.  Our house was going to go last.  I like that best so I can battle for every other house first and then when I am exhausted from praying for 4 hours I leave it all in the house and pray for the family that has stolen my heart.  It was incredible to watch others experience Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Just when we were getting a little warm the Holy Spirit came thru in a cool breeze and our strength was renewed.  Everyone of us felt it and during God sightings last night said wow what a mighty God we serve.  One of the most humbling experiences I can never have enough of is crying out to my Father on behalf of others, for them to come to know him as their own Savior and begin a personal relationship with HIM. Our whole family including Grandma dedicated or rededicated their lives to Christ! What a happy day it was! We returned to base exhausted but with hearts overflowing!!

Today was an awesome day! I was able to spend all day with my kids again, since I was in San Ramon I stay home from the medical clinics which is totally okay with me! They missed me and I missed them the nineras told me they asked where I was all week and last night when I walked in their faces lit up and they yelled, "I LOVE YOU RAQUEL!" They are simply the best! Here is a picture of tonight and how Rosa fell asleep! I was sweeping the floor and doing dishes to get her to fall asleep! So sweet!