The day I found out I was going to Puerto Rico was such an amazing day. I was excited about what God was going to do in and through our team there.
The first day of VBS was amazing; all of the kids are so unique and fascinating. Everyone was so sweet and kind. My heart broke when I learned that some of the kids don’t have parents who are saved – or any parents at all. Being able to speak and understand Spanish really made this trip easier, but it was awesome to watch the kids respond to my friends who didn’t speak it as well. It’s true that language really isn’t barrier; just an opportunity.
Every one of these students has a story that matters, whether it’s one of heartache, poverty, or joy. And it didn’t matter what was going on at home; all I saw on their faces were smiles.
I realized how much I take for granted.
So, while half of our team did VBS, the other half did manual labor around the property. On the first day we cleaned a trailer that had been destroyed by bees. They’d made a hive inside one of the walls, and it was covered in honey and dead bees- not to mention smelling like a million deaths. We ripped down one of the walls, cleaned off the mold and honey, and replaced the wall. Two days later, the smell was gone.
Our group also reinforced all the ramps leading up to the trailers to make them safer, reversed a door so that it opened from a different direction, and painted an entire outside of a trailer, 3 ramps, and the entire inside of a different trailer. Each day the trailers looked better. Then, on our last day, our ministry host had all of us and all of the children paint our handprints on the wall.
Leaving this church made my heart feel like it was breaking into a million pieces. I know there was a reason I was here and God placed these children in my life so I could share his love with them.
Puerto Rico will always hold a special spot in my heart. This has been the best week of my life and I cannot imagine how it could have gone better. I personally grew so much; and watching how my friends and teammates grew as well was amazing. I cannot wait to see how this church grows as well as the children in it.
Colossians 3:23: Whatever you do, whether word or deed, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord and not for men.
