It is 6:49 on Sunday morning, and our journey on the mission field has ended, our journey home begins now. Bags are mostly packed, hearts turned toward home, thoughts are on clean clothes, Big Macs, families and friends. After breakfast we will attned church at San Jose, say goodbye to new friends, have lunch and go to the airport. Sometime late tonight, we will land in Charleston, greeted by our families, exhausted but happy.
So what was the point of all of this? What did we accomplish? Quite a lot, actually. We cleaned out Pablo's shed, removed a massive amount of trash, sorted what was left and finding many treasures in the process, built shelves to store things on and put things back in an organized manner. We sanded and painted 34 ugly, rusting folding chairs. We painted cabinets, closets and drawers in the Carruther's home. We cleaned up two playgrounds. We took a trash team into the community and picked up an insane amount of litter.
You might think that this is an insignificant list. You would be wrong.
After six years with no leadership, the Camp is in a bad place in a way. With no one to run things, to maintain it, to provide direction for work teams like ours, things are a mess. There is an unfinished building behind the dining hall filled with weeds and debris. Tools were gone and what was left was impossible to find. Terrible wiring jobs had left the mission house literally dangerous, lack of maintenance left it uncomfortable and shabby. Those chairs were in terrible shape and when you sat in them, you got rust spots on your clothes. When you only own 2 or 3 pairs of pants, it is no small thing to have a pair ruined. Sanded and painted, the chairs will no longer be a burden on the people who visit the Camp. There is litter all over the community. After seeing our team pick it up, hearing about what our youth groups accomplish at home, and seeing our kids for herself, Mary Craig was inspired to disciple and empower the youth in Pedergal to do the same. School starts in two weeks, they don't even have enough teachers, but the children have cleaned up playgrounds to enjoy, as well as the knowledge that the people who did it did so out of love. The houses in the village are in bad shape, and they are not always well taken care of, but when they are invited into the Caruther's home, they will see a modest (by our standards) house that is cared for and loved, making it a home.
Maybe this team didn't build a church, run a medical clinic or teach people to read. I am certain however, that the kids did the tasks that God set out for them. They are a small team, and a young one, and yet God allowed them to make some huge accomplishments. They have prepared the way for the teams that come behind us, the tools and equipment are in good repair and accessable. They helped the new permanent missionaries settle in and feel at home, during perhaps some of the most difficult days of their ministry here. They made a small accomplishment with paint that will help to save the dignity of hundreds of people. They have done many small works that will have big impact. They worked together, side by side, sharing the light of Christ.
It is no coincedence then that the team members were presented with crosses made out of rock before we left. As they received them I said to each person: "Jesus said to Peter, on this rock I will build my church. We are going to be a foundation too." ( A rock solid one at that!) The foundation of a building may not be the most visible or glamorous part, but it is necessary, and nothing else can be built without it.
In addition to the work with hands, they accomplished even more. On Wednesday night, they helped Mary-Craig with only the second Mass she has held at the Camp, and the first all child one. Mary-Craig was again moved by their willingness to help, how quick they were to act and the spirit in which they worshipped. A standard was set for the youth group there. Each day as the kids played with the local children, the message sent was "You are as important to us as our tasks are, we are making time for you!" This is an important message in an often difficult life. Perhaps we have also had an impact on the youth group here at San Jose, we may not ever know. That's not important though. We followed the path that God set out for us, we planted seeds and laid a foundation, with His help. Now we give it to Him, in His glory, He will make those seeds grow and build a church on that foundation. In His time, in His way.
I am so thankful to have been a part of His plan. I am so thankful to have been here with these kids. I am so thankful.
Yours in Christ,
Dorothy
"Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God as something to be expolited, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness."
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