Well, today went off as planned. I prepped our food for the day, made breakfast and extra foleri (a local red tea drink made from hibiscus leaves, similar to jamaica) because this afternoon we were going to a church work project! That’s right, just like on a short term mission trip, we were building a church. But, this time it is our church, and we were digging with our shovels and pick-axes along side our friends. We laughed, there was a bit of singing and joking and a ton of digging!
Our church has been saving and saving to buy a plot of land so they could build a covering to have church services under. We currently have services outside with little shelter and in a country that rains a lot! We are so excited to be a part of a body of believers. These people, even though they are very poor by American standards have come together and managed to buy a plot of land to build a church on. Everything where we live is on the side of a mountain, including this plot. It is so steep shallower paths have to be cut through or steps are carved out so people can cross it. So, today was our work project and the Spanglers arranged our day for Mark to get home in time for us all to go. So, with a backpack filled with cold foleri and water, two shovels and a pick-ax we all hiked, yes hiked our way down and around this small area of mountain we live, to our new church plot. We were the first to arrive (no surprise), so the pastor prayed and we started digging and carving out the side of the mountain. The area was marked for the building site and the youth group came last monday and had started the digging, so all we had to do was get to work. As we dug more and more and more people arrived. There was so much dirt and dust everywhere that not a person near was clean. With dirt flying and everyone working so hard we were so happy to be a part of this project. There is nothing quite like physically laying down dirt to level the slope and carving away dirt from the top area to make a flat surface large enough for our church. Anyways, I was reminded so much of all those trips I made to Mexico to help build churches in my high school and college years. But this time it is different because I am working along side of my friends and my church. We are so blessed that we can be a part of what God is doing in Cameroon. We are so blessed to be a part of things that seem so out of the ordinary. My world is constantly changing and I pray that it is changing because I see it a bit more through God’s eyes everyday.
We didn’t have our camera, although we both would have love pictures to show you all but today will remain in my memory.