It was another day in the trenches. Some guys spent their day digging out trenches, others wheelbarrowing down a steep mountainside and back up (Shout out to Daniel – 72 times down and back with 40 lbs. – incredible). I spent my day, or most of it, sitting on a mountainside. Nathan asked me and Rrrebecca to make these cylindrical foundations. To be honest, at first I was a little insulted that he wanted me sitting instead of using my many talents wheelbarrowing. But I kept on. . .

The basic process was placing a circular PVC pipe on a board, filling it chock full of hand mixed cement and shoveling it down in. After placing a metal wire down inside the wet cement, you shimmied the PVC pipe off. 300 times, or 150 because there were two of us.

But this task got me thinking. It wasn’t something I necessarily wanted to do, mainly because I felt a little wimpy compared to everyone else. But this was something that needed to be done – these foundations have to be built before anything else could be done after the trenches were built.

God always has a plan and purpose for us. There are always things that need to be done. People may not want to do some of them, myself included, but they are things that must be done for God’s will and plan to be done. It turns out I was actually really good at this (not to brag) because it was like craft time. (Although I would recommend using gloves when grabbing concrete – it can really tear up your hands). Nathan knew to put me there because I would be of more help to him and his ministry by doing this work than shoveling or carting dirt up and back. God knows infinitely more than Nathan does, and will always be putting us in the right place to use the skills and talents he has given us. Just be open to the call God is giving you.

Last thought, a lyric from a song we’ve been singing in team-time:

“We must go live to feed the hungry / stand beside the broken / we must go / stepping forward keep us from just singing / move us into action / we must go”

- God of Justice

by Alana Byrnes

Posted in Guatemala Tags: Engadi Ministries, Guatemala, missions, Rolling Hills College Ministry | by Matt Robertson No Comments