Tuesday

Tuesday

We arrived at Iglesia de la Ascension bright and early, ready to work.   The worksite did not disappoint us!  Some of our crew mixed cement, wheeled it through the sanctuary, and poured the kitchen slab out back.  Others moved the ladies' sewing ministry from upstairs to downstairs in the rickety front building, which will eventually be demolished so that a new sanctuary can be built.  The rest of us?  Well, do any of you remember two years ago when Kenny and Chris had to dig out the sewer line, literally knee deep in it?  Today we dug the line back out so that a new pipe can be laid.  It turns out St Timothy's has an incredible cement chopping, rock excavating, ditch digging team!

The slab and sewing room were completed by lunch, which we were quite ready to eat.  Fr. Eduardo brought us burritos, salsa, salad - muy delicioso!  After lunch part of our crew moved huge piles of rock and gravel from one place to another, and the others continued digging ditches.  One thing I didn't know before today - Chiquita and I make a great ditch digging team.  We have the technique and the tempo down pat, and had no problem making it through the afternoon.   I must say, however, that we were all relieved to hear the call of "quitting time!". Covered in dirt, exhausted, we put away our tools and grabbed a cold beverage for the bus ride back.

It's great to be back at Diocesan House, clean, relaxed, and reflecting on the day. I must admit, when Chris told us we would be building a kitchen this week from the ground up, and may be digging footings I thought "No! Not digging ditches!"  When we arrived at the worksite and saw the footings were laid, I thought "Yes!  No ditch digging!"  But tonight I am thankful for the day, the ditch, the people, and the work.

Christ's hands are in action at Ascension, providing HIV+ women pastoral care, a livelihood, and community when others turned their backs on them; and preaching the love of Christ to a rapidly growing congregation.  Their facilities are surely lacking, but not their devotion to praising God and to transforming lives.

Remembering that cement slab out back drying in the sun, and that long stretch of ditch with the sewer pipe exposed is awesomely rewarding.  It is a tangible way to see how our hands are making a difference in the church.

I pray that every day my work makes a difference in the world, and even if I cannot see the progress clearly, that it is always pleasing in God's sight.