Day 5 - God laughs at our plans

Our plans when we left the house this morning:

Go to House 1. One half of team would proceed to House 2 to begin laying block. The other half of team would stay at House 1 to put on roof and start on floor. That half of team would get as far as it could then join the other half at House 2. Saturday would follow the same pattern with the result being completion of House 1 and a significant portion of the walls of House 2.

God's plan:

When half of team arrived at House 2 they found the foundation poured, the block being delivered, and the Honduran workers and Pastor Ancelmo were there ready to begin mixing mezcla. As the members of the team and Gerardo approached the foundation we discovered that the foundation was not a square, was not a rectangle, but was a rhombus with no two sides equal or parallel and angles off by as much as 3.5 feet when extended to the far wall. In other words the foundation was not buildable. Further inquiry revealed that the Pastor had decided, against instructions from Baptist Men to alter the plan to parallel the four sides of the lot. In addition the footings had not been dug correctly and some of the necessary rebar was missing.

Our adjusted plan:

After a return to House 1 to explain the situation a discussion began about what to do now. By the end of lunch the adjusted plan was to return to House 1, where for various reasons including the problem with House 2, not much work had been accomplished. In addition, arrangements had been made to start on House 3, but because we did not know if the foundation problem on House 2 could be fixed in time for Team 2 to work on it, we decided not to start on House 3 for fear Team 2 would be left with little or no work to do. We also decided after much discussion not to assist in fixing the problems for House 2.

God's plan continues:

After returning to House 1, we were very surprised when Alexis from Altos de Santa Marta appeared at House 1 with some other men. He had been contacted by Pastor Eduardo, Felipe's pastor and friend of Pastor Ancelmo, to get his opinion on how to fix the foundation on House 2. After a joyous reunion with Alexis (with whom 4 of us and separately Mike and Ginger had worked two years ago), Alexis explained that his team could tear out the messed up foundation and replace it with the correct foundation by next Thursday for less than $150.00. After a brief team meeting we decided based on our complete trust in Alexis that we would pay to have the foundation replaced, so that Team Two could have the option of working on both houses if they so choose. We also decided to concentrate on finishing House 1. By the end of the day, half of the floor had been laid and almost half of the roof finished. As we drove home we looked over where House 2 is located and saw where Alexis and his crew had already torn out most of the mislaid foundation.

We pride ourselves on being the work team and we work hard. God laughs at our pride. Today He stopped our work and took us all out of our comfort zones in ways too many to explain here. But while He had us outside of our comfort zones, here is where he took us:

Ginger was startled from her sleep by Bob when he burst into her bedroom singing his flippin' new Honduras song which he composed in sudden inspiration yesterday.

Ginger and Rosa shared coffee together at the house and began to teach each other their native language.

Dennis in an intense moment of self realization walked outside of the house and stood beneath Rafael, the "Maestro" (the head Honduran mason), as he worked high up on the wall to be there to catch him in case he fell.

Some of us took a walk with our new friend Javier and discovered he had a beautiful house and even more amazingly a beautiful landscaped yard. In one of his rooms he had his Bible and all of the items we have given him this week laid out together. All of a sudden his choosing to sleep on the gravel floor of an unfinished, unroofed house for his blind friend, Felipe, rose to another dimension.

David's translation skills were as provident in dealing with the problems we encountered today as Dr. Juan's skills were in Tom's injury crisis last year.

A group of middle aged (well, old) men ran around like kids on a soccer field where one of them relived childhood glory with a midfield goal as a crowd looked on which no doubt will be long remembered in Limon de la Cerca soccer lore. Believe it or not, Hee Haw also scored a goal, although not in overalls.

Kristen was startled and frightened by a close encounter with a cow and was rescued when her errant knight Bob chased the cow away.

Bob broke out his guitar which led to an impromptu singalong in Spanish and English with the kids and Iris under the trees in front of the house next door.

David invented a new way to get the kids to stand quietly still in line while Bob broke all the rules and handed out Tootsie Roll Pops. With about six kids left in the line, and all the other kids waiting in line holding their Tootsie Roll Pops unopened waiting on David's permission to open and eat them, Bob realized that he did not have enough for all the kids. Bob panicked as he realized that not only were some of the kids in the line going to get left out, but that about thirty more kids were sprinting down the street to get in the line, Bob displayed real leadership by shouting for the rest of us to do something and find something to give to the other kids. Everyone sprinted for their backpacks to find anything they had to give the kids. We managed to scrape together enough Nekots, Nabs, gum and other goodies to avert a riot. Once again the day was saved by Bob's careful planning and quick thinking in a crisis.

A little boy about four showed up with his stark naked younger brother (about two). The two year old fell to the ground screaming with pain from a splinter in his foot. Joel and Kristen rushed over to him as he continued to cry uncontrollably. The minute Kristen touched him he ceased crying and laid his head against her. Later they found out the boys were two of six children whose mother is an addict and alcoholic who neglects and sometimes beat them. Neighbors take in the kids off the street to wash them.

An old friend appeared at an unexpected moment for a joyous reunion and turned out to be a solution for a problem we had considered unsolvable.

We watched a spectacular red sunset in the west from the bridge in Choluteca while the largest full moon of the year rose simultaneously and spectacularly over the mountains in the east wearing shorts, tea shirts, and flip flops as the snow began to fall back home.

Mike S., Bob, Dennis, David and Kristen went back to Deysi's house to visit some more.

Mike S. called Pastor Mejia and discovered they now have their service at 4:00 on Sunday afternoon. We plan to attend Felipe and Iris's church in the morning and worship with our brothers and sisters in El Carrizo Sunday afternoon.

We ate Rosa's steak in gravy with onions and peppers and praised God for Rosa's cooking.

We ended the day with a devotion filled with confession, a discussion of the power of touch, sharing, questions, tears, laughter, major doses of God's love and grace, and each of us singing together, "God is so good; He's so good to me."

So we close tonight humbled and blessed; our hearts broken by the things that break the heart of God, and made joyful by the things that bring Him joy!

May you find peace and beauty in the storm this weekend!

In His love,

Team 1