BUILDING A DECENT HOUSE ON YOUR SUMMER VACATION

“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter— ? When you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away… Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; … Then you will find your joy in the LORD."  Isaiah    

“What’s so funny ‘bout peace, love, and understanding?”  Elvis Costello

It was one of those weekends you dream about and thank God for; one of those weekends where you “find your joy.”  The folks of the Mansion of Light Baptist Church had dreamed for a long time of building a decent house for Doña Blanca and her son Raúl, who had been living in a leaky shack made of tin and odd pieces of wood.   Those of you who have experienced tropical rain know what can happen to a leaky house with a dirt floor.   

So, the church started to raise 528,000 colones for the structure of the house and another 320,000 to do the roof.    Vivian from Hacienda Heights, CA asked me how much that was.  I told her that it totaled about $1600.   “That’s a pair of airline tickets,” she responded, dumbfounded.  She was struck by how little it would take to make such a big difference in the life of this poor family.  But for the people of La Guacima, it was a big effort.  The fundraising poster was broken down into blocks and the church people filled the poster with commitments of $5, $10, and $20, a considerable sacrifice for most of them.  Some friends from the U.S. quietly filled some blocks too, but mostly it was a church effort, a neighborhood project.

When we got there the holes had been dug, but there were a lot of concrete posts and panels to move around.  Most of the church folks were trying to make a living on Friday and couldn’t help with the project, so there was a shortage of bodies.  Coincidentally, the Hacienda Heights group had too many bodies for what they had planned for their day in another part of town.  So just at the right time about ten teens and a pair of leaders showed up to help, haul, and save some strain on my ancient back.  They did what their building supervisor and brother in Christ Johnny Naranjo asked them to do, and they did it with a great attitude.  We worked until it started to pour, then went inside and played silly games, sang praise songs in both languages, and danced.  When the rain died down we worked some more.  The work continued on Saturday with folks from the church and other churches from the Baptist Federation. 

On Sunday we went back, this time with our friend Caryn, and the place was hoppin’.

More of the structure was up and the church was out in force.  Their worship that day was to serve and build. They sold vigoron, a Central American delicacy of yucca, cabbage salad, and pork.  For the good of the cause I managed to down my share of food (I can fast next week).  There was music and face painting and we touched up the butterfly mural that had suffered some graffiti.  It was like Little Rascals meets Nehemiah.  It was what the church is supposed to be.

The activity drew the curiosity of the community and there was laughter and good conversation.  I caught up with Alvaro who hadn’t been to church in a long time.  It was good to get reacquainted and I invited him to a men’s event for August.  He hugged me and said he’d come. 

On Sunday the roof went on, and sometime this week the slab went in.  The whole house is about the size of some of our bedrooms, but for Raul and his mom it’s a mansion, a leak -proof, safe warm mansion, built by ordinary followers of Jesus. 

The whole thing was what we like to call a kingdom moment, or a God-sighting.  We didn’t make it happen, the group from the U.S. didn’t make it happen.  But we did get to go along for the ride.  It was a muddy, sweaty, loud ride, and it was more fun than a day at Disneyland. 

Please pray for

* Raul and his mother, Blanca, who is currently in the hospital

* The Butterfly Transformation Center and the Mansion of Light Church

* Gary’s leadership for a men’s retreat on August 1

*  Gary’s leadership of the seminar, “Racism and the Gospel” on August 7

* Mylinda and the women pastors’ conference in Nicaragua (July 18-21)

* Jamie and Micah at Redwood Glen Camp in Northern CA

Thanks to all of you who have contributed and continue to give to our support.  It allows us to be part of weekends like this.

And please, please, don’t forget about Haiti.  See the website for ways to help.

Gracias,

Gary