Hmmm

Once again I find myself a little pensive about my trip. I will try to share a few highlights though.

Building Hope:
The purpose of our trip was to build the second floor of a two story building that will serve as a church and a multi-purpose center for retreats/outreaches. With a handful of beastly men, a small group of volunteers from the church, and a mighty team of 4 girls (I count myself as one of the girls, even though you might have pegged me as a "beastly man"), we completed our goal. Framing in place, columns up, and second floor completed (they will complete the first floor with materials they are used to working with). Go team! A contractor stopped by one of the last days and said that it would have taken him two months to complete what we did in two weeks (with a largely untrained team). God is good!

Now, if you know me (and you probably do if you are reading this), I might forget to tell you that we built a building. Why? Because it was a detail. It was a fruit of greater things that God is doing.

So here comes the "good stuff" :)

This past New Year, Vanesa and Abigail (daughters of the pastoral family...and Vane was the one who God took home in February) did an activity where they made little signs with words like Strenght, Prayer, Faith, Friendship, Hope, Love, etc. And each member of the family had to pick one and give it to someone else in the family and explain why. Pastor Jorge was given two: Strength and Hope. You can imagine how significant these became at the loss of his daughter two months later.

After a series of God interventions, everything was underway with the purchasing of the property and the building. On the sixth month anniversary of Vane's passing, they signed the final papers to purchase the property. As they remembered her and reflected on past experiences, Pastor Jorge suggested that they name the building...Hope...after the sign he had been given at New Years. The next week our first builders from the team showed up to Argentina. Dennis (our head constructor), handed Pastor Jorge a newpaper article that had run in the Fountain Hills local paper. The title of it read, "Vice Mayor [Dennis] builds hope". The rest of the article does not mention hope in any way. It was just God's present and continued confirmation that He is all over everything that was transpiring (and has transpired).

I love when He does that. I love watching that He has been PERSISTANT and RELENTLESS in pouring out His grace, favor, and strength upon this family that is so dedicated to serving Him. He is just like that.

For me personally, it was wonderful. He was so near to me. He spoke constantly. Not about my future. Not about the plans. Just stuff that my heart needed to hear. I want more of Him. Always. There is nothing better.