The Last Work Day for Team One

The last work day of any mission project is always the best and saddest day of the trip. This day was no exception. Joyous satisfaction for a job well done. Great sadness at leaving the beautiful friends with whom we have shared work, worship, play, laughter, tears, baffled looks at words spoken in a different language, and looks of triumph when through hand and facial gestures, pointing, and lucky guesses at words and/or pronunciation we manage to break through the language barrier in the language of love. Here are the things we will remember: -- Tom and Keith on the roof - the rest of us were demasiado grande o demasiado gordo; Mike Greene reminded them that the pressure was on because no matter how beautifully and carefully the block is laid it is all for naught if the roof leaks. -- Joel, Dennis, and Mike pouring the floor - a stream of boys commanded by Renaildo carrying five gallon buckets full of concreto; the same boys laughing with pride and delight when they realized they could carry two buckets filled to the rim if two boys carried the buckets suspended between them on a big stick; having to tell the boys not to fill the buckets too full because Mike and Joel were killing themselves trying to pick them up and spread the concreto; Mike and Joel noticing Renaildo laying down pretending to be sleeping in the corner of the new house he had picked for his hammock. -- Kristen and Rachael playing, singing and coloring with the children in the church - a foretaste of heaven -- In the quiet and privacy of the old house with German, the family patriarch - Bob giving German Ed Vick's cowboy boots sent by Laura Ann; Steve and Egla witnessing to and reading scripture with German; watching the power, passion and love with beautiful young Honduran woman Egla layed open the scriptures and encouraged German to accept Jesus -- Washing the feet of the family - Egla reading to the family as the whole community watched and listened the scripture from John 13 where Christ commanded the disciples to wash each other's feet; the team members washing the feet of the four generations of the Flores family who will be living in the house we built with them through this glorious ministry of Baptist Men from great grandmother to two year old great grandaughter; giving thanks to God for Wiley Jones who suggested we do this after we left Colonia Unidas last year. -- Blessing the new house - All of the team members, workers and family members laying hands on the new house as we prayed, blessed and dedicated the new Flores home -- Granting the keys - Bob presenting German and Reina with the keys to their family's new home; the family opening the front door and entering the completed house; Dennis holding up Reinaldo so he could hang the beautiful new cross which was the team's housewarming gift to the family in the place Reinaldo had chosen. -- Handing out tennis balls, gum, and candy to the children and ladies - enough said. -- Dennis explaining to seventeen year old Fransisco through Egla how proud we all are of the leader and Christian example he has become in the church and community in the past three years since we first met him and promising him that we will return again to this special, special place to help him continue the work. -- Tearful goodbyes and hugs. -- Pastor G - listening to our teacher, mentor, job foreman, pastor, and beloved and respected friend speak with us in private on the van before we left El Carrizo, and praying for our safe return to our families, friend and church and thanking God for us, our families, our church and our work. -- One final, beautiful evening of sharing our experiences at devotional in the mission house in Choluteca. -- This was the day the Lord made for us --- we rejoiced and were glad in it! -- Till next year in Choluteca, Team One