March 3rd Monday
6:30 Breakfast
7:30 Devotional (Linda – Your Best Day)
8:00 Work Site Casa de Oracion
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Work site
5:00 dinner and dishes
6:00 Pack for Sixaola
8:00 Snacks
9:00 Lights Out
This day started like all the others, with a calm but brief breakfast, looking forward to the devotional. “Devotional” seems like a cold religious word for something so refreshing, a simple time for someone to share what God is sharing with them, to “relay” the thoughts God stirred or poured into their heart, by passing the baton to friends.
After the debacle with the dogs the day before (or maybe because it was a little cooler), we decided to meet in the studio where Bill and Linda were staying in the original house at Villa Esperanza. With the sunlight shining into to the room, rich with tropical wood, we settled in with people we could now call close friends.
Linda, sat in the big chair, and faced her fear in sharing with a larger group. Public speaking wasn’t something she did as easily as Bill, her husband the consultant. Somehow that reserve made what she had to say simple and precious. Her thoughts were centered on how every day can be your best day. By the power of God’s Spirit, the ordinary things can become extraordinary. If we choose to bloom, respond to His touch, we can touch those around us in ways others can’t touch. Coming from Linda, this message was especially moving. Her life carries a personal story of overcoming great hardship…and producing an especially sweet and peaceful fragrance. Someone reminded us that morning while we were talking “Somewhere, somebody is praying….for you”. How ordinary and extraordinary is that?
On that note, I asked Scott how we could view the day ahead, we were scheduled to build a metal lattice for a foundation for the Casa de Oracion Church…important but impersonal compared to the rest of the weeks schedule. His words turned out to be foretelling: "Sometimes God speaks deep truths to us in simple things”. I thought back to Lisa’s words two days before “Expect God to show up”. Later that day as I watch each person take a unique role in the project I appreciated the way that each of the team brought something different to the project. Bill made sure the lattice was straight, DJ and Scott worked with the local carpenter and Rolando to bend the rebar, and I worked with Anita and Lisa to tie the rebar together. I realized that tying the rebar mesh together made it one piece, stronger and more useful, and beautiful.
We had a wonderful lunch prepared right there by some ladies of the Church, and a peaceful time afterward. Linda started work with Amanda and Katy that morning helping children, but came in after lunch to show what precious (and surprisingly strong!) helpmate she was to Bill. She helped us finish the job.
Later that day I saw the eyes of Jesus in our Costa Rican friends (the carpenter, our guide Rolando, Pastor Hernando), and we parted ways. Since my Spanish is not so good, all I could say was “Bendiciones” or blessings. It was all I needed to say.
That night we scrambled to repack our bags for the trip to the east side of Costa Rica, Limon. I went to bed thinking this day was our best day :).
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