First day of Work

Day 3 – The work begins

Today was the first day of real work. After a delicious breakfast and amazing coffee at 7:15, we had the pleasure of welcoming Sara to speak with us a bit. Sara has been here at the JHC since the beginning. The staff of the JHC is amazing in many ways. But, they each have their own specific foci. For that reason, in the past, volunteers spend more time with some than with others. When I first started coming here in March of 1999, Sara was the one who was the go-to person for all things construction and labor related. So, she was the one I spent the most time around. I was sad last year when our group arrived to find that Sara was doing a speaking tour in the states. So, when I saw her today, it was the first time I had seen her since January of 2002. I was so happy to see her and despite 15 years having passed, she hasn't changed a bit. She talked with the group a bit about the history of the JHC, how they came to be here in the first place and the work they continue to do to this day.

After hearing from her, we were taken to the work site to briefly tour the two operating clinics and see where we were going to be working and what we would be doing. We were then put to work. There were a couple of tasks that needed to be done. Sharon and Ken and Kim immediately and happily took to shoveling a gravel/sand mixture into a sieve to filter out the gravel. The sand was then placed in a wheelbarrow to be taken closer to where it was needed. It was decided, then that we needed to go and get the concrete blocks we would be using. Mike, Scott, Katrina and myself were chosen to go with Rogelio, the construction supervisor, to get the blocks. Much to our dismay when we arrived at the brick factory, they didn't have what we needed and we were told we would have to come back at 1:30 to get something that would work, though it wasn't exactly what we needed. We drove back to the work-site just in time for lunch. After lunch, Scott and I went back with Rogelio to pick up the cement blocks we needed. We loaded 100 on to the truck which sounds a lot easier than it was and drove back to the work-site. While we were gone, everyone else had been busy. We arrived to find them covered in sweat, dirt, and soaked to the bone from the rain. Saying that they were successful would be an understatement. The amount of work they had gotten done during the two hours it took to get the concrete block was amazing. They had been mixing concrete and using it to fill in the wooden frame towards the top of the first floor of the walls that have been constructed. It is backbreaking work, and they definitely rose to the occasion. After unloading the 100 cement blocks, we left to come back to the dorm. Since it was still light outside and dinner was not quite ready, we left the compound to take a short hike through downtown Ciudad Sandino, which is the neighborhood next to Nueva Vida, and where we are staying this week. We were able to see some of the differences between what home is like when compared to this bustling town of 200,000 people. We walked back to the dorm and had dinner, followed by a time of reflection and debriefing that we do every night. We are looking forward to tomorrow when we can continue to work on the clinic and we hope that it will be even more productive than today.

Before ending this post, though, I feel it is necessary to say something in particular about this group. This is my fifth trip here to Nicaragua, and each group has been amazing in many ways. I have learned a lot from each person I have spent time with here and they all have been blessings. That said, I want, for a minute, to get theological. You can't blame me, I am a pastor, it is what I do. At the end of the second chapter of Acts, the author writes these sage words:

“Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (Acts 2:43-47; NRSV)

When I first started in ministry and was taking classes for my license to practice pastoral ministry in the United Methodist Church (this was before seminary for those who are unfamiliar with the process), I had one class on church administration. The first meeting of this class started with this verse. The instructor said that this one verse alone is the perfect example of what a church looks like. It includes all the important parts. It has worship, it has fellowship, it has the sharing of joys and difficulties, it has the sharing of resources to strengthen the body. Church is not the place we go on Sunday morning, rather, church is what we do with ourselves when we recognize the God-created bonds that unite us. I write this because I recognize today that I am blessed. I have a great job, doing great things, and I am thankful for that. But, today, is special. Today, I got a crystal clear glimpse of what this verse in Acts truly looks like in our world. My team is small. However, they are mighty. They have a strength that shines through all they do. They have a sense of humor about themselves and others that helps to lighten the emotional load. They have a good time with each other and they all feel the depth of the problems here and I believe they see themselves as part of the solution. This happens in ministry less often than it should. So today I thank each of them. Scott, the only other veteran on this trip has been outgoing, wanting to make sure that everyone else has a chance to see and feel and experience what he did last time. Always ready to lend a hand and because he has been here before, has been so very helpful in explaining his take on a number of things that we've seen which, in my perspective, has been crucial. Mike is hard-working but fun-loving and really has a desire to understand how things work here and why, and is always thinking of ways that might improve the process. Ken is a go-getter. He wants to make an impact, he wants to live his faith in a way that touches those around him, and is committed to make that happen. Kim is a hoot, always has a smile, and has no qualms about getting dirty and soaked in sweat, and is a joy to be around. Katrina is new to us as she comes from a different church back home, but that doesn't seem to matter. She is ready and willing to do what is needed, always has great stories to tell, and has shown in her various travels that even though there is much work in the world to be done, the only way it will happen is by going and doing it. Sharon keeps me on my toes and has thrown things at me when I talk too long. She gives 110% and then gives more, and has been amazing at coming up with creative ideas about how we may be able to continue to participate in this work even when we return home.

I can't imagine having the pleasure to bring a better group. I thank each of them from the bottom of my heart. I know how hard this experience can be and they each have risen to the occasion and have already gone above and beyond my expectations. I thank God for them.

That said, until tomorrow (provided there's electricity),

goodnight!