Mexico, Day 6
Friday was an incredible day for the Mexico team. With rain to start the day, it was cool in Guadalajara, allowing us to have a nice window to work in the morning.
We had a lot to accomplish and only a few hours in which to do it. The first step after breakfast was to break into small teams and divide the remaining construction work into manageable pieces. We decided to work in the area around the now-constructed frame of the playground fort in order to share tools and lumber among the teams. One team worked on cutting lumber for a picnic table (to be installed under the fort) while another began constructing a small rock wall. Yet another team worked on finishing up the fort by attaching decking while still another worked on the A-frame for the swing set. Once the decking was installed, the same group worked on installing rungs for safety rails while others built and mounted a ladder. Not everything went perfectly smoothly, and some mistakes had to be corrected while having just enough boards to complete the project resulted in some shortages as too many boards were cut to solve various problems while constructing every single part of the playground.
Work continued unabated on the playground, and eventually the constructed A-frame of the swing set was stood up and mounted to the mostly completed fort. After lunch, some team members along with members of Punta Vida worked together to move concrete benches into place. One bench was even moved into the back of a pickup truck to be delivered to a garden area a block away. After hours of work, a few rainstorms and some creative adjustments to stretch the remaining lumber and avoid another trip to the hardware store, the playground was almost finished. By that time, there were at least a dozen children hanging around waiting with glee to be the first to play on the playground. A gathering of adults, mostly parents, began gathering in the park as well.
The final step was to mount the tarp roof support and install the roof over the playground. As the adults working on the finishing touches of the playground wrapped up and climbed out of the fort, the go ahead was given and children quickly ascended the ladder and rock wall up to the fort. Others quickly hopped on the swing and climber while others began playing around the playground and picnic table. A fairly sizable crowd gathered around the playground to enjoy the moment. It probably goes without saying that everyone nearby was immediately struck by the sheer joy splashed across the faces of every single child. No small number of tears were shed as happy and grateful parents looked on while Mexico team members filmed and photographed the moment. Members of Punta Vida gathered and the entire park was abuzz with excitement, fellowship and camaraderie. It was incredible!
This continued for some time, but evening began to set in and it was time to start packing up the van in preparation for our final departure to the MTC. As children continued playing, we gathered together near the playground in a circle with members of Punta Vida and several neighbors to share a final time together. Pastor Israel delivered a short message of encouragement in Spanish which his wife Sandra translated into English for us. Pastor Jon also shared a few words which Melody translated into Spanish. Pastor Israel then played the song “10,000 Reasons” while we sang together in both English and Spanish, giving glory to God and celebrating His provision for the time we shared together. It was an emotional but incredibly satisfying way to wrap up our time together!
Perhaps more encouraging even than singing with our Spanish-speaking friends was the reactions of neighbors who were there. One family was present that to our knowledge had not had significant interaction with the church beforehand. This was the family that had prepared a shrimp dinner for us the night before, and we had invited them in as we prayed over the meal. The family was now fully present during the concluding service and the wife was moved to tears. It was clear that the love and openness being shared in that moment along with the music had moved her deeply. The husband and wife both participated as we hugged and said goodbyes all around. While we don’t know what will happen in the future, there seems to be a strong possibility that this family might form a lasting relationship with the church. Other such lines were potentially opened this week, and there are many more stories yet to be shared about how God had been at work in this community in every aspect of the week.
Our hope and prayer is that God continues to work in this community in ways that are beyond our imagining. Our role in installing a playground and some benches and a small amount of cleanup was only a small thing, and one that we take no credit or glory for or from. It is however incredibly exciting to think about the opportunities that such small acts of service can help foster. The real work is being done by God in conjunction with the people of the church He placed on the corner of that park in Guadalajara.
Please pray that God will be mightily at work as opportunities for the gospel and sharing the love of Jesus Christ open up in and around the park. Pray that it becomes a gathering place full of happiness, joy, love and transformation. Pray also that walls are torn down in the hearts and minds of families, teens and children in this community as ministry opportunities lead to discipleship and an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Pray that lives are impacted for the Kingdom of God and darkness and spiritual oppression is pushed back as God works through His saints both here and around the world.
Thank you for following our journey this week. I hope and pray that you are as blessed and encouraged as we have been by how God can take our willingness to serve in small ways and multiply it to produce abundant fruit in the Kingdom. To God be the glory for all He has done!