Thursday, March 29th, 2018
A Day to Celebrate!
The day
began (after a yummy breakfast of course) back on the road to the Colonia. We rode with Bruce and watched as he figured
out how to obtain our last piece of furniture for the house. Jaime to the rescue! It struck me how Bruce and his team depend so
completely on God to provide everything we needed for our project. Matthew 6:25
says; “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or
drink; or about your body, what you will wear.”
Time and time again Bruce tells us stories about how God provided just
what he needed in every situation.
Once we
arrived at the work site, we began to fill the house with items collected by
Paula and things we bought on our Walmart trips. Quickly it transformed from a newly built
house into a home. How exciting it was
to make the beds, set the table, stock the shelves with food for the
family. The day before I had seen the
faces of Carla and Jose, 2 of the kids in the family, as they tried to peak
through the door. They seemed so excited
to see their new home, but Paula shooed them away, saying “Manana.” They had to wait until tomorrow. That day was now here and I could not wait to
see their reaction when they finally were allowed in. 
Dani began
to draw hearts on one of the beams so that each one of us could write our
names. It felt like such a privilege to
be part of the process and to leave our mark.
Soon the
extended family, Sunset people, and Bruce and Paula’s team began to gather
together. After introductions, Jaime
began with a word from 2Kings, sharing about how God uses miracles to help us
focus on Him and to show his strength and power so that we would believe. Later Lupita (sister to Liliana) would share
how God saved her daughter Carolina, also showing God’s power to perform
miracles. Abby and Caleb led us, singing
Te Doy Gloria and Jaime led us in a powerful song translated “His Glory is
falling Over Me.” Scott led us in a
prayer of dedication over the home and Colin gave Liliana the keys to the
house! Bruce needed to explain the
tradition to Jose Sr. about carrying his wife Liliana across the
threshold. So many smiles as the entire
family was there to witness their joy.
There were not many dry eyes as we watched the family enjoy this moment.
We have been
fed over and over again on this trip and today was no exception. The family slaughtered one of their goats
from their herd to serve at the meal along with fresh tortillas, soup,
coca-cola, and salad. Having never had
goat, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It
was savory and delicious, similar to pork.
After our
meal it was time to say our goodbyes to many of the people we met this
week. Braulia, Andrez, Luis, Jaime, the
family and so many more. Women who sewed
our quilts and taught us to quilt. Men
who worked alongside us, taking us through each step of the house-building
process with such patience!
Driving away
from the site Bruce and Janet made the decision to take us to Progresso, a
small border town filled with Mexican shops for us to experience. Don’t be surprised if you receive a little
something from Progreso from someone in the group!
Marlo
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