Rejoice In The Lord...

Things continue to go well at the job site.  We had another great couple of weeks working...still amazed at how quickly the Lord is putting together this orphanage.  The next phase in the building project is the floor and roof.  We have been making, cutting and welding trusses for the roof.  29  (25 feel long) trusses are needed and we have finished 18.  A brother in the church, Javier designed the trusses for us and Lico has been our welder.  I've been on truss duty and enjoy cutting and laying out the metal to be welded.  Lico even gave me a shot at welding...which wasn't my best work.  I'll stick to cutting.  For those of you who know about welding...remember to NOT look at the pretty light!

We also started pouring the floor.  After days and days of shoveling and leveling, it was time to begin pouring the 26, 15 foot wide slabs.  Rather then using 400 small bags of cement, we ordered 6, 1 ton bags of cement...which fortunately we did not have to lift or move ourselves...

It takes all nine of us, to pour a slab.  Our best time has been 48 minutes.  I'm on cement duty..filling 2 buckets full of cement.  Pastor Luis and Jose are on shovel detail, 33 shovels of dirt for the mixer, apiece.  Lico is the cement mixer driver who then fills 3 wheel barrels that Pelon, Jorge and Chayo deliver.  Florentino and Eloy finish things by leveling the cement.  Finally, the 3 amigos come in to smooth things out and make the floor look great...

Here are are the first 2 slabs we poured...

We have 6 more slabs to pour...and then need to wait until the plumping is installed, then we can finish the floor.  Next week we will begin welding the trusses to the building...WOW...this is really coming together.  THANK YOU Jesus for all that you are doing.  Can't wait for you all to come down, see the finish project and rejoice with us in the Lord...for His goodness!

"Rejoice in the Lord ALWAYS...and again I will say rejoice! (Philippians 4:4)

Church Family...

"..continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart" (Acts 2:46). I love reading about the early church...how simplistic it was, how much joy and fellowship took place while talking about Jesus and loving each other.  I saw a wonderful glimpse of the early church this past weekend. We had a wonderful time of ministry and fellowship.  Saturday night, was our quarterly women's dinner.  This is a time where ladies come out for a special dinner, worship and guest speaker.  We were anticipating maybe 25 gals...Praise the Lord, we had 39 ladies show up, and lots of new people!  6 brothers helped cook dinner and serve the ladies while a group of youth took care of the 21 kids.

Jackie sharing on the "Sufficiency of God"

All of the ladies...

We had a baptism planned for a month or so, but were worried we would have to cancel because of the rain.  Praise the Lord He gave us a gorgeous sunny day on Sunday and we were rejoicing that He made it.  Over 60 people traveled up to the lake to watch 5 ladies get baptized.  It was truly a most wonderful time.  I've been to a number of baptism' at our home church, but this was my first in a foreign country.  I must say there was something extra special about it.  We spent 3 hours fellowshipping, playing basketball, soccer, eating, and enjoying our church family.

"My chains are gone, I've been set free, my God my Savior has ransomed me.  And like a flood His mercy reigns, unending love, amazing grace!"

Childlike Faith...

"The Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them and said, assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:2-4). For those of you who are parents, has the Lord ever taught you a lesson or revealed things to you through your kids?  That seems to happen more and more for me...the Lord revealing spiritual truths through my precious Ayantu Faith.  One of those times happened the other day as Ayantu accompanied me on some errands.  She loves going places with me when she can, and this time it was to the hardware store and then to pick up the workers.  It had been a bit of a stressful week.  I was sick for 3 days with the chills and fever and had to stay in bed for a few days, which drove me crazy...ha!  I had also been feeling discouraged and overwhelmed with the building project, and needed some time to clear my head.  So, as we were driving, I began talking to my daughter, who was sitting in the passenger seat (only in Mexico), as if she was my age.  "Antu, daddy's stressed and overwhelmed"...she responded, "how come daddy?" and then I began to pour my heart out to her on the road.  There we were, the two of us, a 32 year old dad laying it out there for his 2 year old daughter.  When I got to the part about money, and stressing out over how much this project is costing, how are we going to get the money, etc....she responded, "Jesus."  I  asked her again what she said and she said "Jesus, daddy"  

That's when it hit me and the lesson came...as I'm looking at my 2 year old sitting next to me.  I saw that "childlike faith" that the bible speaks about and that I desire so badly.  Antu doesn't have a care in the world other then a few basics, her blankie, buzz and woody figurines, packa (Dora backpack), and Jack (her cousin). She feels loved, nurtured, protected and provided for by her mommy and daddy.

Saints, isn't it the same for us with our Heavenly Father?  The one who wants to love, nurture, protect and provide for us every single day?

"Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns;  yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not of more value than they? (Matt 6:26).

I am praying all the more for that kind of faith I saw that day in Antu...I want to be able to sit, be still, and know that He is God.  I want to remember that He has all things in control and all He asks is for us to simply NOT WORRY and to seek Him first!

I stumbled upon this picture of the first time I ever met and held my daughter.  That was almost 2 years ago (O gracious she's growing up fast).  The same God who orchestrated that special night, her adoption and EVERY detail that came with it, is the same "yesterday, today and forever.". There is not one aspect of this building project, orphanage or us living down here, that He has not thought of NOR is unaware of.  It all rests in His wonderful, perfect plan! Thank you Lord and Ayantu for this wonderful lesson!

"SHOW me Your ways, O Lord; TEACH me Your paths, LEAD me in Your truth and teach me" (Psalm 25:4-5).