Good morning everyone... thought i'd throw in a note for the morning since dishes are done, breakfast's cleaned up, Peter is in his playpen happily playing the piano and Angela and I have just cleaned up a bit and are airing the dorm room out since the weather is beautiful today! We have the windows open and it's supposed to be 15 degrees today - not too hard to take at all.
Last night was a wonderful time of devotions - we gathered in the church sanctuary - after finally figuring out how to turn the lights on - and had our devotion time there - we gather for devotions each night. We read a passage from Isaiah 6 about Isaiah's commission and boldness to speak for God. We all feel a little challenged, especially those on the job site - how to share our witness, how to speak for Christ, how to show our love and light in the place where we are working. A big part of our "highs" and "lows" for the day involved talking about the work that was done - and everyone worked so hard and well! No need to drive everyone back to work after breaks - they were eager to get their hands dirty and learn some new skills - better watch out when the young peoples get home - they'll be remodelling your houses for you! And get dirty they did too - coming home covered in dust and "spackle" and all other manner of things! We are thankful for showers - even if they are a 12 minute/2 minute car ride away in the basement of another church - it's all part of the adventure and everyone's taking it in stride - though we do have to laugh when articles of clothing get left behind for others to find!!!
But back to our highs and lows - we each share something that made us laugh or smile, something that lifted our spirits, an action that made us appreciate someone else more. And we share a low - something that might have shocked us, that made us feel sad or angry or confused. It doesn't always have to be totally serious - some of our funny highs have been: having a shower, seeing some funny pickup trucks along the way, laughing at jokes, teasing each other. Some of our funny lows have included no shower for two days, snoring people at night, people who make other noises at night (we will never quite have the same relationships again!) and fun snacks (I think Gerald is quite taken with the extra long licorice we found yesterday at Walmart). But some of the serious highs have included thanks to God for safety on our job sites, for great working together, for great meals, for good rest, for nice weather, for opportunities to share with others what we are doing and why we are here. Some serious lows have provoked the most discussions, how do we serve graciously when homeowners appear to have no pride or motivation to help themselves, how come poverty happens, how it is challenging to share our witness and how dirty and rundown some houses and areas are. We remember the examples our Lord set for us - about having the heart of a servant, about asking for His grace and about shining as stars in a place that seems dark and sad. We are thankful too for the support from home - the kids were pretty amazed and very much enjoyed the notes that were sent from the anonymous prayer partners in the church! Thank you very much! And it is a blessing to know that we are surrounded by the prayers of the congregation and our families!
I think i'll sign off for now - we're going to clean up a bit more and get ready to deliver some coffee and lunch to the hard working crew - hotdogs are on the menu and everyone's pretty happy about that! Til tonight!
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