February 14, 2002

Your love is written on every leaf, on every blade of grass. Your love pours forth from the very creation, calling to us, come, work in my garden, the harvest will be great, and the labor will be sweet.

The morning promises to usher in a scorching hot day. The week is quickly coming to an end and we are working with a fury to complete our task. I don't know if Brian ate breakfast as I didn't see him and I know he was already at the site when Bill Foote spoke to me and was leaving early also.
At breakfast meeting Miles was given a hardy handclap of appreciation for his work keeping us supplied with bottled water. Susan Danahey has been very blessed by this trip and feels it has more than met any expectations she had. She is so impressed with the love and sweetness of the local people here.
Jim Lord and Eric will hang the swings today. Jim has been involved with the set up of the swings since they were drilled and loaded on the bus several months ago in the states.
Dena Wagner is so content here, with her hat turned backwards she works diligently to lay block. She will come home to the states with us, but her heart forever stays in the mission field.
Barbara Thompson works with Dave. She puts down mortar while he swings the block. They are such a great team, in work and in life.
We dread seeing the days come to a close so soon. We have had such great experiences and fun here. You have not lived until you have experienced the exhilaration of a cold water only shower, or the thrill that hits your heart when you first realize you are not alone in there. The beady eyes of a long green lizard watching as you bathe adds that little extra zip. The amazement of how fast you can actually step when a large spider races across the shower floor gives hope that you are not as out of shape as you thought you were. And we must not forget the gentle caress of the giant roach as he dances merrily down your arm waking you out of a sound sleep, or how happy you feel knowing that “thou shall not kill” does not apply to that roach. And last but not least is the emotion you feel as the earth quakes beneath your feet, no it is not your stomach rumbling this time, it is indeed a minor earthquake. Life at home will seem so lack luster now.

I feel as if I have been living with heroes the last 2-weeks. The outstanding work and devotion these people have put into this project makes the love for Christ and his children something tangible. Jerry Sullivan had an accident today. He backed into an electric saw with his leg. Our doctors closed it up with 5-stitches and Jerry was right back on the site laying block as if nothing ever happened! He wants his sister to know he is ok, not to worry. At our dinner meeting tonight applause went up for our kitchen crew. Long before we have woken they are in there making our breakfast meal, and after our work for the day is done they are making our dinner meal and then cleaning up. They have the hardest, most important and least glamorous job of all. Without their faithful work, none of the rest of this could go on. If they became careless in their duties 80 people would be sick and all work would stop. Always be kind to the kitchen workers, it all starts and stops there.
We also applauded all the support people at home that made it possible for us to be here. All those who have filled in for or taken over our jobs, for those watching our homes or our pets, to the wonderful giving spouse who stayed home alone while the other went. May you all hear the clapping that has gone up for you along with the prayers of thanks.
The children filled 158 buckets of sand today.
The swings are hung; the volleyball poles are in, as are the basketball post.
The medical team treated 302 people at Savannah Bight today.
The dental team was there also and did 2 exams, 15 cleanings, 22 extractions and 5 fillings. They also saw several cases of serious abscesses.
The construction team laid 962 blocks. I will fill you in on the last details tomorrow.
Jessica gave Kimberly her very first test of which she passed with flying colors. She has a regular sign book, points to the picture and Kimberly has to sign the correct word. Kimberly now knows over 1,000 words in sign!
The optical clinic was also in Savannah Bight today and fitted over 100 glasses.
There are 115 adults in the evangelistic meeting tonight and 102 children in VBS. All adults are listening intently as Pastor Wagner brings them the word of God. If we could see clearly we would see the angels surrounding the tent and sitting with the people. The cords of love are holding the children instinctively, as stories of Jesus are presented to them in ministry of song, felts and puppets. God is good to us my friends; continue your prayers in our behalf and for the souls in Guanaja.

But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. 2Corinthians 9:6

Because of Him, I send a smile from Guanaja,
Jennifer Young