Wait a minute, didn't someone say something about a house?

Andrew working hard

starting to take shape

women and Joselito at work

getting there

Non stop Galen, Non stop

See?

Wow!

Big Mikey hard at 'er

U Da Best Big Mikey

We are Smitten

Nicky and Victor

Washing feet {Literally}

Yep, one of those days

Hey Dude

I wish I could take you home

Muchas agua

3 Amigas

All about relationships

Care with grumpy baby

Wendy and Julio

I thought you were afraid of Dogs???

I SEE you

Care, Denis and Mickleson

And we all work together

Greg and Nyjabell

Miguel and Agendi

Celebration with Compassion

Nuyerling and Adam

Trish and her boy

Becky and Winnifer

Jason, Michele and Mickleson

Trish and her other boy {Jose Gomez}

Friends

Wendy and Julio

Happy Birthday Galen

Michele and Bernabe

Hey team, how many times did you throw your toilet papaer in the garbage can this week?  Hahahaha
Here are some pics.  I'm going to send them in posts of about 10 at a time because last time I got a whole buch cued up and the computer froze-ahahah-that's why its taken me so long!  Anyway without further adieu:

Miguel

Miguel and me

Miguels family

After the flood

Ben the chef

Dedicating the house

quilt that Dale W made

Donna with Anjelina and Rosani

The old house-torn down

Hangin with Los Ninos

Donna and Yolanda

The hood

Finally home-posted by Michele

The Ottawa group of weary travellers arrived home last night at around 11:30.  Some of us are at work today, trying to work through the reverse culture shock, fatigue and make sense of everything we have done in the last 7-10 days.  People at work are asking me"So how was it?  Was it fun?"  I really don't know how to answer that question right now, but if I had to say something it would be this.  It was the hardest mission trip I have ever been on.  Between the rain and flooding, the difficulties with the build, the financial shortfall and the extreme poverty, we are all really stunned.  Please pray for us as we merge back into our lives.  If one of your family members was on this trip, please offer them extra TLC. 
I have to say thank you so much to this team.  I can't say enough about the grace and love with which you all served.  Just one foot infront of the other, washing feet all week.  I am praying for you all as you sort through your emotions and try to recoup energy.  I have a little story for you.  I think you will be able to relate:
Holding up the sky
One day an elephant saw a tiny hummingbird lying on its back with its tiny feet up in the air.  "What are you doing?"  asked the elephant?"  The Hummingbird replied,  "I heard that the sky might fall today, and so I'm ready to help hold it up, should it fall."
The elephant laughed cruelly.  "Do you really think that those tiny feet could help hold up the sky?"  he asked.  The Hummingbird kept his feet up in the air, intent on his purpose, as he replied, "Not alone, but each must do what he can.  And this is what I can do."  - A tale from China.
I know that there were many times last week where it felt like the sky was going to fall.  But each member of this team kept their feet up and did the very best they could with what God had given them.  For that I am exceedingly proud of you.  Thank you Hummingbirds.  And if there are any Elephants out there I hope that God will send his Holy Spirit to lovingly teach you, and that perhaps this the example that the Hummingbirds have set will minister to you in Jesus name.
Over the next few days I will be posting some of my favorite pics and I encourage the rest of the team to do the same.  It was really difficult to find time when we were there to properly post things but we will continue to try to share with you over the next week or two. 
I did not want to finish before I give an update that one of our team members Nicky, {Wendy's sister} was in a bad car accident on her way home last night.  She and her husband are both shaken up but by God's great mercy they are physically fine with just some minor injuries.  Please pray for them.  Pray that Satan would not be able to rob Nicky of the blessing she has just received this week.  TTYL, M

Michelle's post "the last full day"

Well.  I think we are all pretty whipped!  It was another great day of chaos, hard work and emotional wash boarding.  When the first crew left at 6 to cook dinner, the house was in good shape.  The exterior was done, most of the wiring was complete, the water pipes were in place, the inside walls were framed and beginning to be panelled.  Now it is 7:45 and the second crew is not back yet.  Since its pitch black out I guess the interior lights must be working.  Mike said he wasn’t leaving until he was done….

Well the ride home was fun.  We were riding in the back of the pick-up when a torrential down-pour started!  We were using umbrellas but when I started to Mary Poppins…just kidding it was pretty hilarious though-guess you had to be there. 

Good news.  I just found out that both Moses and Jason are up for sponsorship.  This is very unusual for brothers to be up together.  It is because of their dire situation.  Also, another little precioso named Mickelson who I love will also be entered into the program in the near future.  Praise God!  One more sleep, one more short day {it will be a long good-bye}, then head to the airport around 3. See you soon!

Day 9 "Surreal"

A short one tonight.  We pulled a 12+ hour straight work blitz to try and get everything done.  Close.

It was hard to build today.  Part of the problem is that we're finishing the walls inside, so there's limited space to work and move around.  Compound this with up to 30 people and kids constantly wandering in and looking around, and it's nearly impossible.  At times you just want to scream, but then we remember that we're here "washing feet"; serving them.

The rain has been nuts.  The locals say it has never rained like this before.  And we believe it.  And yet we managed to have a few hours of unexpected sun just at the time that we needed to get on the roof to work.

The surreal part occurred around lunchtime.  We're across the street from the local village square, where everyone seems to hang out and watch us.  Sometimes they bring out their 10000 watt stereo system and blast some unknown music.  We respond by running our generator.  We usually win :-)

Today the stereo started and we just blocked it out.  Then suddenly a song came on.  Some of us thought we were hearing things.  It was Willie Nelson's "Always On My Mind".  And the surreal part was everyone around was singing along; kids, moms, dads, grandparents.

Who would've known...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7f189Z0v0Y&ob=av2e

Yet another post from Michelle

Well its our first morning waking up at Makarios house.  As usual God has woken me up very early.  I think because once the house wakes up, it is so busy that there is little time to reflect.  Last night I was reading a chapter from Radical by David Platt.  It was all about how once you sign on with Jesus you can expect to suffer.  Wow sounds really enticing doesn’t it?  Thing is that the Christian life is really hard.  When you follow the path He lays out for you its going to be hard.  It will stretch you and bring you to the very end of yourself.

But that’s the point isn’t it?  Like John the Baptist said-I must get smaller and smaller so you can be bigger and bigger.”  More of you and less of me.  Sometimes that kind of growing isn’t much fun.  We all experienced a little of it yesterday.  But you know what?  We did it.  And He was with us.  And no one on this trip will be able to say that God did not do a work in them.  And our suffering is so minimal compared to the people in El Saman.  We were whisked away to luxury in a few hours.  They are still there in that wet cold stack of boards and scrap metal that is there home.  Like Greg said yesterday, it is very humbling.  Sometimes sickening.  But where there is Christ there is always hope and today we get to go back to that place, hug those kids.  Sing with them and play with them, and the building team gets to finish helping Jesus build a home for them.  There is no end to what God can do with a surrendered life.

Please pray for the weather today.  We need to work on the roof and if it is wet it could be "interesting".

Here are some pictures of Miguel and his family, and also what some of the houses looked like after the rain.  Hasta pronto