Day 4: Building a Blessing in Disguise

Today I am thankful. Thankful for the opportunity to minister, thankful for the incredible people we have been honored to serve. It is incredibly challenging to fully comprehend the difficult situations people experience on a daily basis. Being able to witness the suffering and devastation these resilient people face has been an extremely eye opening experience. Today we had the honor of dedicating two houses to two different and extremely deserving families. These families were both essentially homeless with few possessions to their name. To be able to give them a home, give them comfort and safety, was a blessing beyond comprehension. Families that once lived in shacks with dirt floors and no beds to speak of, who are constantly under the strain of existence, now have homes with beds, tables and chairs, and solid sturdy walls. Over the course of building when I was wiping the sweat off my brow, aching from the work, I didn't quite yet understand that we were not building houses, we were building homes. A sanctuary for these families to be able to grow in their faith and spirit.Witnessing the dedication of the houses to the families, handing them the keys and seeing them as they stood in their new dwellings was an experience I wish to savor for the rest of my life. It was an incredible reminder of humans and their propensity for persistence and the grace of God who is the ultimate giver of strength and love. I feel so incredibly humbled and extremely thankful and blessed that I had the beautiful opportunity to be there helping these families in their struggle. They gave me far more than I could ever give them, for these families gave me the opportunity to serve not only them but also the Lord and his will and an incredible opportunity to be the difference. I didn't quite understand how truly rewarding and what an incredible blessing it would be to build and give these families a home, my soul feels so incredibly uplifted, and I am so extremely thankful. During the preparation for this trip, I heard our group leaders say on multiple occasions that the people that we would encounter and help over the course of this trip would bless us far more than we could ever bless them. They were right. -Erin