We're building, Ya'll!

So here's the deal...

 

  At the moment our center is being run in a school's facilities. Therefore we follow the school's rules. All too often we have to take days off because the school took the day off (and I mean really often). Though the liberty to share the gospel is a little stronger here than in the U.S. we are limited on the activities we can do with the kids. We come when they open the doors for us and we put their lock on the door as we leave until they open it again. That is why... we're building!

 
  Every Wednesday and Friday, three other workers from the center and I spend our mornings working at the site of our new center. It is up in the mountains, about 5 minutes from the school we are stationed at now. The construction experience I am going through here is a tad different than anything I've ever experienced. With my American family owning a business in the trades I feel like I've experienced quite a lot but, wow. This was all very new to me. I am amazed by the hard work that has already been done. Those before me put in some serious time! When I got here it was well on it's way. But we have some tedious tasks as of right now...

 

 

   We have to cover the floors with medium sized rocks and then fill the spaces with smaller rocks before we put cement in. I spend most of my mornings collecting rocks in the hot sun, taking a pick to a dirt mound, looking for rocks, shoveling dirt loads from one pile only to wheelbarrow it to the next, and even watering the rocks already collected & placed (to help them settle into the right spots before the cement).
I have some serious mixed emotions about construction days here. I love the time of prayer and quietness/fellowship (if some one's working near you), the motivation of knowing why we are doing this, and the chance to stay quite physically fit without hitting a weight room. I'd like to say that's all my feelings towards construction but it is also easy to feel discouraged when we hardly see any progress after a days work. It is easy to feel frustrated when the blisters continue to grow and your body aches for days following. I have to keep reminding myself to do everything with my whole heart, not unto man but unto the Lord!!!

 

(<- The second story, roofless and ready.)
After lots of prayer and support, the money for the roof is on it's way! And though we may not enjoy the hot, rainless days; we can be thankful that God is holding off the rainy season as we prepare to roof the building. This was a concern to all of us and the Lord has answered our prayers, allowing us to start with roof this week or next week!

Once the roof is on there is still lots of work to do. The kids take a "summer break" over Christmas for about two months. When they return in early January we will no longer be able to use the school's facilities. Meaning this construction site will need to be usable by then. Wow!

Even when the kids return here in January we will still have lots of work. We will get some of the rooms working and slowly but steadily continue working on the others and the yard as we gain the time and money.



Keep this project in your prayer, please! Pray;
*That we would continue depending on God's provision in every step.
*That we would not lose heart in the long, tedious work.
*That God would use this center to reach the hearts of the children and their families this January.



(( P.s. I added Ya'll to the title because I miss some English words, like such, that don't have a translation in Spanish. I try & throw them into conversation whenever possible!))