Deve

There has been soooo much happening it has been difficult to gather my thoughts (or even one of them) to add to this blog. I may add the details of some of these later. Like being invited to meet the mayor of this area and the president of El Salvador. Or the privilege (and surprise) of preaching on two occasions at our host church. Or the intrigue of finding a new friendship bond with someone I'm only beginning to know.

Tonight, I thought I needed to talk about corn. Yes, corn. When we first arrived we noticed that there was corn stalks on the mountainsides, in the valleys and even on the tiny plots of land where the villagers live. However this corn was different. To us, it looked dry and useless. Perhaps they were stalks that were just left to whither because the locals lacked the time, money, or equipment to take it off the land. But that isn't true at all.

We also noticed that each morning on our drive to the village where we are building that there are men who put out various types of grain, including the dried corn, along the paved shoulders of the highway. It's part of the drying process, allowing the corn to be pounded by the heat. The workers spread the corn out loosely and make their way along almost a football field in length along the highway, spreading it out. Once they get to the end, they retrace their path while turning the corn over. When we return home after our day, we often see them gathering the dried and now wind-filtered corn into burlap bags. And they do it all with the most primitive looking tools. That corn is then sold to families in great abundance and is a major staple of the El Salvadorian diet. And to think I thought it was old and useless. That isn't true at all. In fact it's just the opposite...it is vital, it is life-giving and life-sustaining.

It is true that we came here to build houses, and we rejoicingly say that we have. We also came to conduct eye tests and give out glasses, and we have done that as well. Tomorrow (Friday) we will have the opportunity to play soccer with the children that we've come to love this week and to hand out food to nearly 200 families. What a unique privilege. But it does come with a cost.

None of this has been easy. The physical, mental and spiritual battles have been consistent. Many of us have at one time or another expressed their feelings of being spent, used, ineffective and unproductive. Some of us, including me, have felt as though the heat of these battles have left us being turned aimlessly on a hot tarmac with the sun dialed up to "really hot". Living and working together on this mission has required exposing the vulnerable areas of our life. My prayer for our team (including the part of the team in Sarnia) is that God will gather us, and use us as vital, life-giving and life-sustaining agents of His love and mercy for these people.

Dried corn has sooo much more value than I ever thought it could, and so does this team ... I am being blessed as a part of it and may God be glorified through it.

Good night,