Day 6 - Sara's Week

Sunday Oct. 20th

"Getting ready to head to Santa Ana, El Salvador to worship with the congregation we are helping this week. We have experienced some of the culture and food. Looking forward to a wonderful week. Thank you all for the prayers! God is so very good!!"

"Wonderful church service at Cristo Rey. Today was pastors 65th birthday. We were able to see the progress that has been made on the church and looking forward to some hard, hot work this week. Delicious lunch made by Anna Maria from Habitat. Settling in to our hotel and preparing for the work week ahead of us."

Monday Oct. 21st 

"Pick Axed, shoveled and moved lots and lots and lots of dirt today. Hot and humid day but cooled down after it rained. It doesn't just rain here...it downpours, then just stops. We are still in the rainy season so expect it to be this way everyday. Did I mention we moved a lot of dirt today. Going to feel it tomorrow but feels good to see the progress on the floor and changes being made!!! Gods work our hands!!!"

Tuesday Oct. 22nd

"The day started with some Aleve!Moved a lot more dirt out of the sanctuary today then started bringing in "road pack." Lots of tamping going on and using muscles I forgot I had! Building lots of relationships. Miriam, a sweet lady from the congregation was back to help and let me tell you...that lady can WORK! Met Ella and Gabriel. Gabriel was shy but liked seeing himself in my phone. More rain today but it held off until late in the afternoon!! Progress is being made! God's work, our hands!!"


Wednesday Oct. 23rd 

"The day started off with us needing to fix what the rain messed up last night. It was a little disheartening to see this morning but...it is the rainy season. We all jumped right in and began tackling our chores. Met Lenny from the Cristo Rey congregation and we became buddies. He always had to throw ONE more shovel full onto my pile. We did more filling of road pack, tamping and carrying out dirt. I wish we had a count of how many wheel barrows full we have moved. Carlos, the main man came to talk to us. He said the work we do this week makes up 15% of the project! We stopped early at 2pm, got cleaned up and went to the The Hogar Moraga Orphanage. Talk about heart strings being tugged. This is an all girls orphanage with ages ranging to 18 years. They sang us many songs, the youth...and Al, played basketball. The girls won!! They were sinking 3's like crazy!! Met so, so many sweet children and teenagers. The young ones sat on our laps, held our hands, hugged us often and tight and cried when we left. The teens sat close beside us, showed us pictures of famous actresses and singers that they liked and hugged tight when we left. They thanked us for coming and for all of the fun. They asked us to come back, so we could lose at basketball  and that they would keep us in their hearts and prayers. So, so sweet!! I fell in love with Flower, Daniella, Theresa, Josephine and Carolina. Will have to talk to Timmy about that when I get home! My eyes were certainly watering when we left. Thank you for everyone's prayers! God is so very Good!!


Thursday Oct. 24th

"Today we carried in many more loads of sand, built more re-bar, tamped and filled 6 of the columns with concrete...by hand!! This is my last day at the site. Heading home tomorrow for Olivia's confirmation on Sunday. Will be a bittersweet day. I miss my family, safe, cold drinking water, a warm shower and being able to understand the language, yet I want to stay and see the job finished...even though I haven't worked this hard for so many hours/days. The reward of the smiles, hugs, relationships built, within our own group as well as some of the members of Cristo Rey Church, the Habitat construction workers and our Habitat group leaders has been worth every sore muscle on my body!! And at this point...everything hurts! 😬 I feel blessed beyond measure to have been able to experience this with Luke and to watch him grow as well as to have been part of such an amazing, hard working, big hearted, go with the flow, fun group from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church. We had a wonderful leader in Jim Hack, who is certainly one of the kindest, big-hearted men I know. (He's also quite sly at Euker!) I look forward to everyone's posts the final two days. Finish strong my Brothers and Sisters!! Gods Blessings!!"

Sara Smith