Day 9 -A Time To Dig Up and a Time To Refill

It is our last day here is Quimistan and our hearts are even more full than when we first arrived. It has been an wonderful week of work, adventure, and mission and nothing could express or encompass all that we have experienced here. It has been truly extraordinary!

From the work at Tranquilidad, the adventure at Pulhapanzak Falls, distributing nearly 300 hygiene packages, to hosting a 3 day VBS with around 350 children, it's amazing to how God used our team during these 10 days! 

There is a time to redig and a time to refill and OTRA VEZ! Today, in particular, was focused on tying up loose ends and loose ends there were to be tied. I do not fully understand plumbing but the gist is... We re-dug two deep holes around the septic tank and began to chisel out what will be a tunnel into the tank under the large concrete cap in preparation to repipe and connect the septic tank to the drainage field. It was an all day job and not only did we accomplish digging two massive holes, we also managed to change "Rocky Top Tennessee" to "Rocky Top Quimistan" as each push of the shovel smacked a rock. I definitely believe this land is deserving of the title! It was no doubt hard work but we had a great time together in the thick of it. We have a great team willing to do whatever it takes to help make sure the job is done right and prayerfully we will see the fruit of thoroughness in the years to come.

The flowers and coconut trees that were planted were given one last drink of water... well, one last from us. Sam and Roxanne will continuing to water long after we are gone. I so look forward to seeing the growth here at Tranquilidad in the next six months between this trip and the next. From the fruit trees and flowers to the children's home and administration building, there is much uprooting, clearing, planting, watering, and building. God's hand is evident on this beautiful hilltop! 

This week has been a constant reminder of 1 Corinthians 3:5-7...

"What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." 

Our heart and our efforts are sincere but as sincere as they are, we are only here for 10 days. Ten days is hardly enough time to make an impact ourselves. It's a reminder that God was at work before we arrived and will continue to be at work after we leave. In a spiritual and physical sense, God has called our teams to plant seeds, the Turnipseeds are here planting as well as watering, but it is God and God alone who brings the growth. Please continue to pray for Sam and Roxanne along with praying for those who God's spirit spoke to and moved in this week.

The Tree Grove Planted in June of 2014

Coy Digging... Again

The Holes Around the Septic Tank

Sam and His Five Minutes of Fame

Construction on the Admin Buidling! Building # Dos

One Last Round with the Guys... Un Cafe That Is

Butch (or is it Bruce?) taking a needed break...ja, ja,ja!

Yes, Dave, This is Your Wife, Kari with a Shovel Helping George.

Another View from the Orchard.

Los Niños Enjoying Their Care Packages

Day 8 - Revenge of the Fillers

Day 8 started with a devotion based on Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is an appointed time for everything.  And there is a time for every event under heaven.” The devotion was based on a climatic event in my life that changed my whole perspective on what was really important and that led to a total change in how I lived and what I considered important.

This morning we turned on the water again to find no leaks thus we were allowed to begin filling the ditches we have been digging to bury fresh water, brown water and black water piping. So today was “the revenge of the fillers". We almost caught up, but still have a few rooms to finish burying the plumbing. We also quickly learned that filling is a lot easier than digging, thus our speedy catch-up.  

Other events of today include the electrician completing the installation of the electricity to the building; Butch and Roxanne began laying the drainage field for the septic system;  and Kari continued to water the new and old plants in the flower garden which line the fence.

 - George -

 

Up the pole for electricity!

The hole fillers at work!

More revengers!

Kari, enjoying her revenge!

Another of God's wondrous creations....a tremendous web.

Day 7 - Splish, Splash and Piñata Time!

     Hello to all who read this! I, along with many other team members, have never blogged until now. So bear with me! So day 7 began with devotion as always (not that it is a bad thing to do in the morning mind you) in Jeremiah 4:21. This verse is a reminder of why Jesus died on the cross, and that it all boils down to one single thing: love. The editor/publisher told me to put this quote from the morning in here.

     ”Love is the reason everything began, why it continued, and why it must end. But also, it is the reason it will never end.”

The whole team together before
the Oprea's departure.

     After an astounding breakfast prepared by the three amazing ladies here, the Opreas departed from us to return to the homeland of S.C. Meanwhile, those of us remaining went to a kids program led by Martha (Owner of the compound) where we put on a VBS with the children there. If I remember correctly, there were around 185 kids. It started with the kids singing songs, and a scripture reading. Kari, with Daniel translating, began the program with the lesson on being the light of the world. The kids were then broken up into groups to go to stations. Once that was done, Jennifer sang “How He Loves” in Spanish. By the end of the song everyone was singing along! The kids then gave all of us gifts including Christmas ornaments and coconuts! I was given a book with scripture references and quotes. (I think Mrs. Roxanne is about to take it from me because if I’m not doing anything I start reading quotes. :) We then passed out food to all of them then came back to the compound to rest! Mrs. Roxanne, Daniel, Butch, and I took a detour to the TQ house where we tested the water system. We only had three problems, one of them being a insufficient gluing where the pipe comes out of the pressure tank! :0 Being the youngest, it was my job to hold it together while it built up pressure. Lets just say I had a cool pressure- washer like shower experience in the pump house.
     Once lunch was ready, we took it to a program run by the Honduras Agape Foundation to do a VBS with them. There were around 35 children and 20 youth. We ate lunch with them and then Kari did the lesson again. After the lesson we all sang songs together. Abner, who is 14 (One of Sandra’s children) and I took turns playing the drum Jennifer bought down here. The kids and youth were separated and they all made Salvation Bracelets! Then came the surprise…… PINATA TIME!!!! They had all helped make a piñata for us to try, and let me tell you, that thing was hard to break! Speaking of breaking things, Mrs. Roxanne almost broke her camera! Oh, and look out Jake! Jenn said she is bringing home the piñata stick that she broke! 

     Abuelito Frederico (Grandpa Frederick) finalized the death of the piñata! We found out while getting ready to leave, that Daniel had a flat tire! Luis (a motor-taxi driver) took it to be fixed. We then came back to the compound for dinner.  Afterwards we traversed (with Daniel and a fixed tire at this point) to a gym where we watched the Super Bowl! And all of us have agreed that there were many mistakes, however, we cannot agree on the biggest mistake of the whole game. If it were to go to majority vote the biggest mistake would be… THE WRONG TEAM WON!

     We then returned once more to the compound extremely tired. To give an example of how tired, I thought for a second that the Broncos were a college football team. Yeah. For those of you that are not into football, that pretty much means I couldn’t think at all. 
     Tomorrow we begin the day working at the TQ house. So hasta luego amigos!

~Coy~

Girls playing their recorders

The lesson at Martha's

George and an old friend

At Agape Promise

Pinata Time!

Kari going at it!

Jenn and her upper-cut

Even Sam tried a couple swings!

Abuelito Frederico and his little friend!

Kari and one of the youth at Agape Promise

We have water!!!

And to the toilets as well!

Day 6 Our God Goes Before Us

The team opened the day with a devotion from Judges 4: 1-15. The key takeaway is a reminder to each of us that our Heavenly Father “goes before us” daily and we have an action to “come down the mountain” of our comfort zone and be obedient to His instruction so He can bless us !

As day 6 came to a close the mission teams from Crossroads Church Aiken and Bible Community Church in Beaufort reflected what has been accomplished thus far. Working side by side with the TQ workers on the Children’s Home construction, approximately 450 feet X 1.5 feet of ditches were dug including 800 feet of piping for water to and from the Children’s Home.  Five bathrooms and showers were also replumbed. In addition 400 feet of the flower beds were weeded with 70 feet of new garden cleared.  Multiple loads of dirt and cow manure were hauled to fill holes for nine coconut trees planted between the Children’s Home and the Administration Building.   

In the afternoon the team took a trip to the mountains of Buenos Aires (not Argentina) to view the beautiful countryside.  Unfortunately we had to turn around within 10 minutes of our destination because the roads were impassable due to recent rainfall.  The luxury Expedition filled with nine team members fishtailed in the mud…we heard Daniel, our faithful driver say “uh oh…no mas!” 

We enjoyed having Daniel's and Stanley’s (construction foreman) families join us for dinner.  We were blessed by their children and enjoyed making a joyful noise with them…they cried when they had to leave us!

As I conclude Day 6, we are all listening to Butch, the snoring bear, serenade us.  We (the Opreas) are sad to be leaving Quimistan and our mission team on Sunday morning and have been blessed to be in community with such committed servants. 

Blessings, Ron

Piping for water to and from Children's Home

Jennifer showing husband Jake (back in the USA) great work ethic
as she hauled dirt for newly planted coconut trees

Stanley's family; wife Maritza and children
Escarleth (9), Allison (5), and Loendy (3)

Daniel and two children Isabella (6) and Ezra (3)

George, Vickie, Kari, and Jennifer play follow the
bouncing balloon with the children

Butch making the final connection to Kitchen sink . . water anyone.? 

Fred and La Jefa moving some soil to cover low spots.
The beautiful flower garden is in the background with no weeds. 

Jennifer with Isabella and Escarleth