Tuesday

One of the more fulfilling experiences in Honduras is being able to build a home for a family that didn't have one before. We loaded into our vehicles and rode into Santa Ana. The roads swiftly transitioned from smooth to disrepair tossing around us like unpopped kernels in popcorn popper. The drivers expertly navigate holes and trenches bringing the vehicles across terain that I would have thought only an off road vehicle could cross. The population in Santa Ana is sparse. The crowds of people do not gather around us as we work like they do in other areas. We pulled up to one of the two building sites and halved our group. Others went to a second site. With the exception of our chainsaw all of our tools are powered by the people using them. Long steel bars are used to break rock. Our girls relentlessly drive posthole diggers into the dirt. Dark sky threatened rain that never came. Everyone is excited to be a part of blessing the families.
Of the two houses we built, one was in memory of Ray Wood. The house was given to a woman who'd lost her husband and had two children. The second house was for a woman who worked as a nurse in a clinic attached to Marc's children's home. By the time we were finished several of us were unable to release our hammers. Our fingers curled on their own balling up into unintentioned fists. A short heavyset woman stood outside watching us build with bright eyes. None of us were aware that the house we were building was for her. As we gathered to pray and invited her into our circle she began to speak to us telling us how blessed she felt and and that heaven had opened for her. She hugged us all tightly. We cherished the moment.
The ride home was a gallery of bright smiles and sore bodies. Many of us experienced firsts. First house. First time with a chainsaw. First hug from a Honduran woman. First time feeling so badly felt so good.
We rested at our compound and had a wonderful bowl of soup and spaghetti and then loaded into vehicles to have devotional at the Jesus statue. The drivers were Marc, Billy, and myself. We knew it was going to be a wild ride.