Together, but not Forever

Our building is finished. Today was a fun day, perhaps because we all feel finished and we are all tired. But we did have more fun today with our group and with the locals. Today was good.

The workers have gotten to know us and we them. So we are all more comfortable with one another - laughing and appreciating one another. Our work consisted with teasing one another and Andrew (one of our hosts) and I having a mud fight.

The one thing I have noticed since day one is a worker named Simon. Simon has been looking after me, making sure I'm not overly tired, nor hurting myself and that I'm completely safe. Today a few of us climbed into the back of a truck and went to get a load of bricks. Simon and I were part of this group. As we were on the road, Simon and I were comparing fruit and vegetables that we have in our countries. I had mentioned how we didn't have jack fruit. So at break time he walked down to his grandfather's home and got a jack fruit to share with me. The workers were so excited (clapping and yelling) the moment they saw him walking with this fruit upon his shoulder. Simon made sure I had the first bite. It tasted like a starburst or a combination of papaya and mango. It was sweet but very sticky - very sticky.

(We haven't had sweets here, except for Italian ice-cream. But dessert isn't part of the meals, or rather fruit (especially pineapple) is dessert. I haven't missed all the sweets either!)

As the day progressed Simon was asking me about if we have passion fruit and cocoa. So at lunch time he brought these things too. He wanted me to learn, and he wanted to share his country with me. I brought the passion fruit back to the house and ate it there...very good! The cocoa he cut open at the job site. It was amazing - again very sweet. It looked like a marshmallow inside. Funny thing, it wasn't until after I took a bite of the cocoa (including the seed without realizing it) and then after I ate it wrong, he told me how to properly eat it (sucking the white stuff off around the seed). I guess I gave him a laugh. Simon has shared so much with me and given me these gifts, I wish I had something to give him. But I think he just appreciates that I appreciate his culture.

I have noticed as we broke into teams, how each individual team has bonded. It is good. But then as I went over to help another team finish up their build I experienced a pride, possession and even some competition. And then I have realized just how much we have bonded with the locals at our individual job sites, and each other on our team. I have never expected to become attached to people the way I have become, or the emotions I could experience at a job site. The job was coming to an end today, and the job we were all anticipating and all looking forward to being part of is ending. I don't think anyone of us is ready for this part of our mission trip to be done. For the first time I realized that tomorrow we're going to have to say good-bye to the workers and how hard that will be.

As I walked from one job site to another, by myself I enjoyed the quiet. It was the sound of peace. I did hear different birds chattering and heard some movement in the "bush", but it was still full of peace. And then as I walked into the village I heard children singing - the sound of joy. It brought me pleasure, but oh how much more to God.