Ephesians 2: 8-10
Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does both the making and saving. He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.
^From 'the message' translation
Today I woke up feeling energized after a good night of sleep and was headed back to Seville for more cement work. Jess & I were both at the site this morning and we've fallen into a routine of showing up, bringing tools up to the mixing area and around the time we're ready to get everyone working Marcus shows up. Marcus brings his phone which has about 4 or 5 full songs from Justin Beiber to Gyptian and we spend the morning singing the 4 or 5 songs... over and over and over. This morning we had 3 teams at the site and everybody fell right into their work! The cement guys went to the bottom of the hill and carried their 94 pound bags of cement up on their shoulders. 10 sounded pretty good after yesterday's 50 so as most of the girls were shoveling rocks/sand into wheel barrels, Jess & I cheered on the guys. They were hustlin, especially for 9am. I swear some of the guys weighed less than their cement bags...
The morning was spent, as usual, mixing, bucket lining and pouring. We have most of the trench filled for the foundation and move faster and faster every day. The community center's finally heading above ground!! At some point in the morning we heard an ear piercing scream coming from the woody area. There were houses back there and I wasn't as concerned about anyone's safety but it brought me back to a memory of somebodies child dying here and the same ear piercing scream. I walked towards the woods to see what was going on and Mikey/Uncle said she was taken over by the Holy Spirit. The way she was screaming uncontrollably, it sounded more like she was taken over by demons but whatever it was it was really unsettling and went on for over 40 minutes and we left before it was over. If anyone has any thoughts... let me know.
This afternoon I was 100% set on having a salad and my canned chicken Michelle picked up for me. Unfortunately it was patty day so those plans went out the window. Instead we stuffed our patties with salad and the best cheese you've ever had in your life. I don't know what's in those patties but I wouldn't be shocked if you told me the ingredient list included an addictive drug. Today I lost my mind by around 12:40 which was approximately 4 hours before it left us yesterday.
I decided at lunch that I needed to do something physical since I haven't even walked in the morning since Betty left. We went back to Seville with just 1 of the teams and got right to work. They needed 5 more cement bags so I decided I'd jump in, despite everybody's doubt that I could pick it up let alone carry it up the hill. I don't think that in any other situation I'd be able to look at the bag without getting tired but I did it! Jordan put the 94 pound bag on my shoulder and I hiked up that hill. There were a few steps that I could have sworn I wasn't going to make it and by the time you make it to the top you're sweating from pores that didn't previously exist but it felt good. My mind was back and the endorphins were flowing. By the end of the afternoon I carried 3 cement bags up that hill. God was for sure spotting me cause I can't bench 100 pounds... hiking up a 90 degree incline with it on my shoulder couldn't have been my own power. I spent part of the afternoon cheering on the bucket line standing/dancing on top of the cinder blocks. I also had 2 of the team members ask if they could find the girl we were playing with this morning because they brought her back a coloring book and crayons. Of course up for the adventure, I asked a 12 year old boy, "Tips," if he could take us to her house. Turns out, she's Cynthia's daughter! Not the principal Cynthia but the food basket we delivered yesterday. I love going into a community and getting to know the dynamics of it all. Seville Heights, JA and Anywhere in the valley, AZ aren't as different as I thought. Everybody's either related or they dated in high school.
Today was the first day I really realized how close I've gotten to the kids at Seville. There aren't very many of them but I think that makes it special. There's nothing like hearing a synchronized "KAAATTTIEEEEEE" followed by hugs and kisses from the kids. Today another little girl who I hadn't ever met came up to me and gave me a bouquet of flowers she'd picked. Just thinking about them makes my heart smile. My relationship with all of the older guys has become closer than it's ever been before too. I've really been blessed with time to sit and talk for hours with them and where before we'd always use the terms "broda and sista," I really feel like they're family now. Saturday at the tournament I was sitting on the sidelines and at separate times had Aaron, Gregory, Domain, Chey and Red give me their phones/clothes/ipod/money/anything else they had on them to hold while they played. Everyday throughout the day I hear "sista everyting good?" I have been blessed beyond words with these people in my life and I cannot imagine life without them.
After an exhausting afternoon (my arms and legs were trembling from the cementing adventure) we came back to the villa to get ready for dinner. Chelle, Ralph, JC and our new friend Brittany were sitting chatting in the kitchen. Brittany came in town from New Kingston to talk to the team after mass tonight. She signed a 2 year contract with the Peace Corps and is currently on her 3rd year after extending the contract. I of course had 2 million questions for her because my heart is already moved here and she's been living here for over 2 years coming from Cincinnati, Ohio. After talking with her and eating curried goat, it started pouring. The plan for after dinner was to have mass on the beach. That was out of the question but Chelle and Ralph had to decide whether they'd still have mass in Ocho Rios and somehow fit in their small group meetings OR to cancel all plans and have a free night. Around the time Michelle and I were talking about options, Ralph came back and was talking about how much fun the kids were having. Today was the day where everybody from everywhere becomes friends. It's harder when you stay within your youth group but after 2 days of working with mixed teams, they were allll getting to know each other. Needless to say, we see how important the new friendships are and they got the night off. At first I was thinking "perfect, it's only 6:45. Time for a hot shower, a book and early to bed and I'll be fully refreshed!" Yea right.
Geri told me that one of our house keepers was stuck here in the flood. First of all, I didn't know it was flooded. Second of all, crap. I went outside to walk over to the villa where she is staying and stepped out in tennis shoes thinking it'd be a little wet. No, I was calf-high in water. I started walking and saw an umbrella float by me upside down. It might have been a little scary if I didn't hear Beyonce bumping in the villa next to me. By the time I made it down to the villa, she'd already left so I walked back to check on the Beyonce dance team. They were all standing in the villa because Ralph saw lighting and they weren't allowed in the pool. I paid attention for a little bit and there was no thunder or lightning for an extended period of time so I sent them back to the pool. My plan was to go back to the villa and continue with my hot shower/reading plan. Yea right. Gregory and Aaron think it's just as funny the 392038th time to pick me up, spin in circles, jump up and down and manhandle me into the pool. It may have been a little bit funnier today having the kids chanting my name... I haven't decided yet.
There wasn't a whole lot else to do at that point but accept my plan was out of the question. A free night with nothing but a pool and 40 teenagers lead to the most intense chicken-war tournament I've ever been a part of. I'm sure it looked hilarious because all of us were so sore from cementing. We were a force of people stacked up with no arm power and lots of splashing & screaming. This was followed by a violent game of marco polo. At that point the air was so much colder than the pool I was shivering! Eventually I stopped being a baby and left them to play games & headed back to the villa for a towel. I wrapped up and took a seat at the big kids table. It's amazing what happens when there's nothing to do. Nobody has anywhere to be so there's a genuine "wanting to get to know each other and talk about our lives being changed" atmosphere. For over 2 hours we sat and talked, laughed, got to know each other and snacked. Oat crackers, cheese & guava jelly was a hit- thanks Chelle! :-P It's becoming harder and harder to watch teams go! Every week I meet amazing people that could be life-long friends and then they up and leave! Not fair! I heard some amazing stories about the week that I usually don't hear until the last reflection night. Geri talked about Chris' house, the infirmary where she washed and rubbed people's feet and the possibility of sponsoring a girl she'd met to go to college. Some people were saying there should be a warning on the application for this trip that it will change your life forever. One of the things Geri said that really stuck out was that the thought of going back to the things in her own house was sickening after seeing what she's seen here. I hope she doesn't mind that I'm sharing but it was really powerful. Talking to the teams about post-missions depression makes me anticipate it for myself and I'm not ready for it.
Tonight was a night of getting to know people, laughing, dancing and fun that I'd been praying for and it was provided in a way I didn't think was possible. As I said in the beginning of this little novel for the evening, I didn't know how I could possibly "relax" having everything on my mind. God made it happen in a way that I was still with the team, truly enjoying myself and mentally relaxing. He has a heck of a sense of humor...
I just finally had my hot shower and my arms are feeling a little more sore by the minute. So excited to spend the day refreshed, full of new energy & working with the team who is now full of good friends. :-D
Good night!
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