In Honduras it is very common for extended families to share
the same home. For the poor, this means
many people squeezing into a very small house.
A family of five may share one bedroom in a two bedroom house. Often there are multiple generations sharing
the small home.A sheet hung from the
ceiling provides the only privacy for intimacy for a married couple.There
is no room to move around or space to be alone for a few minutes each day.
Our collaboration with Torch Ministries has given Suzy and I the
opportunity to provide a home for some of the people we know and dearly
love. Suzy and I have a
mental list of people who need a house. Earlier
this summer, the Holy Cross team built a “house in a day” for Virgilio, who helps Suzy with
her yard. “Virgilio is a new man,” Suzy said recently.
Two weeks before Christ Church
Anglican in Overland Park Kansas was to arrive, Karen, the team leader said
they would like to build a house in a day if possible. “Great!”
I answered, “Ariel is next on the list.” (We had built a house in a day for his brother, Jose Luis. Ariel told me then, two years ago, he would like one too.) Christ Church knows
and loves Ariel so it was a done deal. When I told Ariel he smiled and
strode forward ahead of me. It seemed like a muted response but I could
tell his excitement was growing the closer we got to the day as he asked more
questions to verify we were actually going to do this, made sure the team had
arrived and even called in the morning before we left Casa LAMB to check once
again that this was happening.
Early Monday morning, we met the Torch team on the way to
Ariel’s lot. We drove as far as we could
and then walked down a dirt road, over a footbridge and up a hill to the site
of his future home. Of course, we had to
haul all the tools, wood, roofing material, lunch, and water with us. Each house is 16×16, wood with a raised wood
floor, tin roof, a door and one window. The
Torch team builds about 100 houses a year. They got right to it, digging the post holes and measuring out the dimensions off the house. They agreed upon the placement of the door and window with Ariel. The Christ Church team figured out quickly how they could help. Jose Luis and Angel both came to help, sacrificing a day’s work. Of course, Ariel grabbed a hammer right away! Soon the framing was done and the teams were hammering away at the floor and walls.
The building site
Meanwhile, his brother and co-worker, Jose Luis, took me on
a tour of the area. “Our family lives in
all these houses. That one is my sister’s. That one up there is my uncle’s.” He invited me to visit the house in a day
Torch built for him a couple of years ago, straight up the mountain. He proudly showed me the improvements he had
made and his plans for expansion one day.
I explained to him that in the US people pay big bucks to have a view
like he has! It was there he shared with
me how he became a Christian. (Read his story here.) When he was 19 a friend invited him to
church. The pastor was preaching and
suddenly he got chills and felt “filled.”
He came forward and said to the pastor, “I accept Jesus.” At that moment, Jose Luis, who never had a
relationship with his father, heard a voice, “I love you. I am your father.”
As we were walking back down to the build site, Jose Luis
asked me if I knew about Ariel’s situation.
I didn’t. Ariel has been living with his 2 sisters. The landlord is evicting them. They have until right before Christmas to
move out. The sisters have a place to go
but Ariel didn’t. Unbeknownst to me,
this has been weighing on him heavily.
Making $13 a day, 4 days a week only when we have teams does not allow for any
savings. “Amanda, for Ariel this is a
miracle.” I believe his initial muted
response was the reaction to the unexpected answer to his prayers. Two years after his initial request and just in the nick of time, he was going to get a house.
We spent the next couple of hours building the house
together. More and more family members
and neighbors arrived to watch, smiling and sharing Ariel’s blessing. When the last board was nailed, the roof on, and the new
floor swept, we all gathered inside to inaugurate his home with prayer and
love. “It is so big!” he exclaimed. Angel sang, we all prayed, and
hugged.
The extended family celebrating the new home
Ariel and the Christ Church team
Ariel’s response now?See for yourself.His smile went from ear to ear and his face
shone all day.The team retraced its
steps back to the van for the ride home, all filled with joy and walking lighter
knowing we had been part of Ariel’s miracle.
It has been a long day. Two phone meetings, two in-person meetings, and a session of fundraising class. This season of my life is sending letters, emails, messages, texts, meeting with people, spreading the word about what we do in Zambia, and asking people to partner with me by praying and giving financially. It is a huge task! My monthly budget is $2000 per month (including everything like insurance and social security and pay check) in order for me to be able to work as a relational mentor to these students in our gap year program. And I have over 45 people giving to make that happen.
I sit over a cup of strawberry kiwi tea with a wonderful lady from my mom’s small group from church. And I just shake my head. What has been running through my head all day comes out: “I don’t deserve this. I definitely believe in the work I do in Zambia and I truly think it is filling a huge need. But every time someone offers to commit to take time out of their busy lives to pray for me or when they commit to giving money every month out of their hard-earned paycheck, I just can’t believe it.”
She smiles and says, “Of course you don’t deserve it. None of us do.”
I stopped to sip my tea.
Okay let that sink in. We are not able to do what we do–working in Africa or not–because we deserve it. All of us have been given gifts. (Start with the gift of life and just continue on from there.) We are creatures that mess up and hurt each other but we still get showered with gifts from some unfathomable Love. Honestly it defies reason.
And I know I am not perfect. Yet through the generosity of other people, God is giving me all that I need to be able to live and work in Zambia.
I don’t deserve it and neither do you. We don’t deserve any of this crazy amazing life God gives us. I just get a more tangible bottom line of knowing exactly what those gifts are that I am given. Two thousand dollars per month, lots of prayer, the opportunity to influence Zambian teenagers, and some amazing partnerships to be exact.
Louise and I will be flying up to Johannesburg and then driving to Maputo, Mozambique, next week, 24 to 29 October. From Maputo, we will be driving up to Maciene in the northern region of the Southern Diocese of Lebombo. Apparently, it takes several hours to get there.
We are asking for prayer on a number of levels.
1. That we will be a blessing to everyone we encounter, from the moment we enter then country the moment we leave.
2. That our disciple-making training will be understood. We are using an interpreter who is well versed in our training material, but we are still asking the Holy Spirit to prepare the hearts and minds of those who will be trained so that they might understand on a deeper level than merely the mind.
3. That we will be protected from all harm, whether physical or spiritual or emotional. The drive is long and the roads are not always the best. Also, Mozambique is just emerging from a long and bloody civil war. There are many who are not completely satisfied with the current situation. Also, on a spiritual level, apparently demonic possession has increased since the war…these spirits, called gamba, are identified by some as dead soldiers, and overwhelmingly possess women. Wherever we go, we plead the blood of Jesus over the area and those living there as so much blood has been spilled in southern Africa as a whole, but this is something different from what we have experienced up until now.
4. That we will not be harassed by people seeking bribes…either at the border or anywhere else. This often happens in places where “officials” are not paid well.
5. For health…against malaria (not really the time, but we pray against that odd mosquito), and any other illnesses. We are up to date on all our vaccines, but contaminated food and water can cause all sorts of problems.
Thank you for praying with and for us…thank you for holding the rope as we descend into this dark, but spiritual gem-filled mine.
One of my favourite stories of all time is Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. If you haven’t read it, you really should! This post is written with thankfulness to Judith Viorst, the author of Alexander’s bad day, who taught me many years ago that, “Some days are like that”.
The Very Bad Day
We lost power last night and it was so hot without the fan I couldn’t sleep. Then my neighbour’s rooster decided to take advantage of the fan-less quiet night and crow under my window till dawn. I definitely couldn’t sleep. This morning my clothes on the line still weren’t dry so I had to wear damp underwear and I could tell it was going to be, as Judith Viorst says, a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
At breakfast my husband ate weet-bix and my son ate coco puffs and I picked the cornflakes and there were ants in my cornflakes. My powdered milk was lumpy even though I used a whisk.
I think I’ll move back to Florida.
On the way to the market my son kicked off his flip flop and it fell into the ditch. I tried to be nice and get it out, but the ditch is a sewer and I couldn’t reach his shoe with a stick and it made me gag. I cried and yelled at him for kicking off his shoe and he cried and yelled at me for being a mean mom.
Before heading out to teach kindergarten co-op I forgot to make coffee and so forgot to bring craft supplies. Instead of an educational activity to finish off the lesson I sent the kids to the playground for 45 minutes because who can remember craft supplies with no coffee?
When I got home I checked e-mail and saw a message from another missionary mom. I’d told her I was tired and it’s hard to parent and home school my son overseas and she said she was pregnant and homeschooling three children when she was overseas. Yeah well that’s nice for you, I thought. And even though Jesus says to love your enemies I hated her for being able to do what I can’t. I’m pretty sure Jesus wasn’t talking about other missionary moms.
I think I’ll move back to Florida.
For lunch I ate tofu and rice for the 186th time in a row. My food was dry so I added hot sauce, but I added too much and it burned my mouth and made my eyes water.
It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
After lunch we called for an update on our visa renewals and after months of waiting and promises that today would be the day we were told to try again tomorrow.
Yeah well tomorrow I’ll be in Florida.
This afternoon the neighbours threw a party and parked motorcycles in front of our house and blocked the gate. I couldn’t open the gate. I hate the neighbours.
For dinner I ate tofu and rice for the 187th time in a row because the cargo planes are down for maintenance and the shops ran out of flour and chicken.
In the evening the power went out during my shower and I had to stand in the pitch black hoping there was still fuel in the generator so I didn’t have to go to sleep with shampoo in my hair. My husband said there was no fuel so I had to rinse as best I could with the water still in the pipes. I cried in the dark. I hate the dark.
When I went to bed the rooster crowed beneath my window. I really hate that rooster.
It’s been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
But Judith Viorst is right, “Some days are like that.”
Even in Florida.
*** On the very bad days, humour and writing keep me from packing my bags and moving back to Florida. Have you had a very bad day recently? Write your own in the comments and share it with us.
SAMS Missionary April Sylvester serves in Zambia with at-risk teens. Would you prayerfully consider partnering with her by becoming a Sender? Pray, encourage, and give today! From April:
Join me in helping at-risk youth in Zambia! It’s easy! CHOOSE ONE NUMBER FROM THE BOARD and begin donating that amount monthly (don’t worry it’s not forever. You can put in an automatic stopping date.). It makes a huge difference!
The background: I live in Zambia and mentor at-risk teens, giving them a solid foundation to thrive in university and beyond. Here I am about to head into year two and I need your help! I am looking for people to partner with me in prayer and giving! Giving is so easy and doesn’t have to be a huge thing. Just look at that $2 sign, people! Together we can make an impact on the youth of Zambia!
Bonus: when you donate, you will receive my monthly newsletter with updates and stories from the ground. I am so excited to share the journey with you!
