treasures

Friday. Our last day. Every day it has been difficult to put our experiences and emotions into words. This day is the hardest. The morning started just like every other morning: some of the group went to Pura's house to lay more block, some went to Marcos' and Luis' homes to touch up paint and to clean, and some helped with the children in the mission's physical therapy center. Later in the morning we threw a Christmas party for those children and their families with puppets, dance, music, and cake.

After lunch, we moved two very deserving families into their new homes. Tim Durkee said it best: the greatest among you is your servant, and Marcos and Luis are the greatest men he has ever known. They have faithfully served the communities of Cielo and Nazaret for ten years, building homes for many other families, never asking for anything for themselves. Today, they moved into their very own homes. Pictures do not do justice to the emotions of that moment. Marcos receiving the keys to his home. Luis describing his desire to provide a home for his family, never believing it would actually happen. Knowing the three babies and two small children that make up both families will sleep safely tonight. Seeing the overwhelming gratitude of these quiet, humble families.

We spent the rest of the afternoon in the community, playing with the children, visiting with people in their homes, prolonging the sad good-bye. It’s amazing how quickly our team became a family, and how quickly each person felt connected to the beautiful people of this country. Each one of us is coming home with memories we’re excited to share but, at the same time, we feel a little like Mary in the book of Luke, wanting to treasure up all these things in our hearts.

At our meeting in the evening, each person shared a favorite memory from the week:

“When I went to my sponsor child’s house, I didn’t know if she’d remember me. But when I walked up to her house, she called my name and ran out to meet me.”

“This was my first time here, so every memory was my favorite memory.”

“At the church service, I thought about how worship is a universal language. Even if we don’t understand the words, we can still worship together.”

“I can’t describe my feelings at the leprosarium. All I know is that I felt God for the first time in a long time.”

“At Quita Sueño, when all the children showed up and we didn’t think any would because they seemed so afraid of us at first. It was amazing to be a part of something those people had never seen before.”

“After five years of working alongside Marcos and Luis on other people’s homes, finally working alongside them on theirs. They never stopped smiling all week.”

 “Feeling like a family with our team. All the parents and students got along so well all week.”

“Experiencing love from the Dominicans. They love with outward affection, not afraid to show it.”

“Seeing Marcos hold the keys to his new home. His hands were still dusty and dirty from a hard day’s work.”

So many prayers were answered this week, and now it's over. But as someone reminded us at our meeting last night, "This isn't the end...it's the beginning of our continuing service to God when we return back home."