Today was D-day…
The day Rosi´s house (and garden… and painting… and sidewalk outside!!!!) were all supposed to be completely finished…
Last week in a meeting for the “building program” there were quite a few people who hadn´t finished their houses yet who were pleading for an extension… They were given until the 20th of this month… 5 extra days… 5 extra days that are GOLD! …enough to finish off those many, many details that are left…
This week at El Jordan in devotions, the verse that we touched on was Romans 12:13 “Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” I thought it was quite fitting that we just “happened” to be at this verse!!! I read that when it talks about “practicing hospitality”, the word is actually “pursue” hospitality… (look at Abraham´s example in Genesis 18:1-6!!!) It’s not just inviting your friends over for lunch… it is running to help those strangers God brings across your path… “so (they) can be refreshed and then go on (their) way…” Isn´t that just wonderful?
This experience with Rosaly has been amazing… Amazing to see so many people who haven´t even met Rosaly and her 4 girls but who have been willing to come and give a hand… or help out with this or that… To see the body of Christ coming together is absolutely lovely… and what makes me tear up, is that this is exactly what El Jordán wants to BE… we want to be a PICTURE of who God is… so our girls can understand and SEE in an unperverted way what the words LOVE, FATHER, GOD and FAITH actually mean…
At El Jordán we have closed down the last 3 Wednesdays to all head out and help Rosaly – hauling dirt to fill her lot… digging holes… laying bricks… cooking… sharing burdens… We are coming into a really busy 10 days with the International Fair starting tomorrow!!!! but the decision was unanimous to stretch ourselves… and help Rosi…
There have been crazy moments for Rosaly… one brick layer getting sick… having to quit… the other brick layer being called back to a previous commitment… and being left with no workers… “The Inspector” saying that this wall needs to be changed… a column added here and there… the lid to the septic tank needs to be different… and plumbing not this way but that way (although in some of these cases he had actually approved the prior changes…)…
…but it all is working out so well… the one brick layer who had to go back to his old job was given this week before going back… so he showed up on our doorstep 7 a.m. on Tuesday, “Could I go back and help?” There are now two other bricklayers working as well plus one helper… and they are doing a great job of working together… People from all over have showed up to help… from churches, kids´ homes, families who have been helped through El Jordan at some time in the past… and tomorrow even a group from Keiden´s school (staff, parents and students) are going to help…
One comment from one neighbor, “I want to go to your church!”
Rosaly has been amazed again and again with answered prayers – just in the nick of time… Food showing up when there wasn´t any more… and so on… Today when I stopped by I asked her daughter Izamarra… “How are you guys doing for food?” She smiled a huge smile, “Good!!! We have rice… and onions!” She was completely serious… and completely happy…
On Wednesday, El Jordan volunteers helped take down their wooden house… the one Rosi and her girls had built… It was a nostalgic moment… but one that gave way to actually being able to see their new house behind it… Out of all the pieces of wood, tin etc. that their little house was made of, only 4 sheets of tin were Rosaly´s… everything else had to be returned to their owners…
God is good.
They are now going to have brick walls, doors that lock and a roof over their heads…
Rosaly has already showed her desire to honor God in her new house… when her brother showed up drunk. She asked him to please go home… that she didn´t want that for HER house…
There is still a lot of work to do in the next 5 days, but you can see that Rosaly has been able to relax a bit… she can see the end in sight… She and her girls are TIRED… but they will soon be able to rest.
Thank you to everyone who has prayed… given… encouraged in some way to help Rosaly and her girls in this journey…
We´ll send pictures when it is all done!
Corina for all of us!!!