Journal entry

Part of leading this trip is for my internship to graduate from KMBC this year - one of the requirements is a journal. Below is an entry from my journal.

Friday January 7-So much to say. Some things that Andy has said over the last couple of days have really struck me. He mentioned a note about the ministry of strangeness that we have as missionaries and as Christians. Also, I really thought about how Satan tries to use our own testimonies against us-If we are born in a Christian home, we feel that our testimonies are not that exciting; If we are born in non-Christian homes or go through many difficulties and struggles with sin, we feel that our testimonies are inferior or that we are. It was good to remember that we are saved by grace and any testimony is a story of who God is, how wonderful!

One of the men who has been coming to work with us is named Juan. I feel great victory in bonding with him enough to get him to laugh. As a team, We made a commitment to pray for Juan and his salvation, and Andy will tell us when he comes to salvation.

Today was a full work day down at the project. Breakfast at 7:30, Worksite at 8:00 (roughly), Work until noon (approximately, we were over enthusiastic about how much mortar would be used before lunch. Consequently, there was a lot of mortar left when we headed up to the meal that we put in buckets full of water), lunch at noon (closer to 1:00), break until 2:00, work at 2:00, back home at 4:30, supper at 7:00, team time at 8:00. Andy and Lizet shared during the team time and we gave them a card (really just a piece of paper with notes written on it) and some candy.

Mark fell in the hole at the worksite today, which made everyone laugh, including Juan. Some connections were made with the kids-at one point, Yolanda poured cold water down TJ’s back, who then made a sound like a startled chicken. We laughed and found a new meaning for PC-petrified chicken. Yolanda and I really have developed a special friendship, she even gave me a gift bracelet. Three walls were finished by the end of the work project today. Andy mentioned that our presence here and the project we are working on has made an impact on the community-people are talking. How thrilling to be the first work team that the Bowen’s have been able to host here in Escobar. On the way to the work project this morning we were privileged to meet the man that will be living in the house that we are building. We also met his sister Asuncion, who is his current caretaker, but due to failing health cannot continue to do so. So instead her daughter Dominga will be taking care of him down in the valley.

~Shushan (typed by John - oh the power that has gone to my head as team leader)