It's been quite a learning experience working with the people and the culture here. We have loved being with the people in the church, and they have been absolutely wonderful and giving toward us, but the culture is such that there is a lot of "hurry up and wait" and confusion about exactly what the plan for a day is. For example, today, we had planned to paint a good portion of the upstairs in the church, and had begun prepping it for painting. It is in desperate need, all unpainted rough concrete walls and floors. Yet, they were never able to coordinate getting the paint sprayer and the paint there, so we ended up just cleaning very thoroughly and painting more downstairs. This week, we've also had a lot of "we're going to leave at 2:00" turn into 3, 3:30, even 4:00. Again, it is just a cultural difference, and we've been able to be flexible and still get a lot accomplished. So even with the difficulty, we were able to get a lot done at the church today, and we have both been blessed by working with them and have also able to be a blessing to them.
Many of the students came to tell us goodbye, and there were quite a few tears. It's been amazing to have shared a common bond in Christ with people who we can barely communicate with. It's been a major part of our experience here.
Tonight we had a special team dinner at Chili's, sitting atop the hill and overlooking the city. As the trip draws to a close, you begin to think about all that we have been a part of this week, and the many opportunities that God has given us to participate in. We have truly been blessed, and I am praying that the students take these experiences and allow them to find a place in their hearts and affect their lives back in Duluth. After dinner, we had a special time of worship and communion together. We've had several chances to worship with the church, but it was special to have a time with just our group and songs in English. Everyone took an opportunity to share what God has been doing in them during the trip, and it was awesome to hear how God has been focusing individually on each of us. He always knows just what it is that we need to experience and learn.
One major achievement for many on this trip has been the amount of Spanish that they have either learned or improved on. It is not the easiest language, though some are able to navigate it easier than others. Nathan has been giving us some basic lessons...take a listen and see how everyone is doing so far.
Tomorrow we have our final day here and will be taking some time to sightsee and do a little shopping at the "Tianguis", an open-air street market. Then we will share a final meal with the missionary and his family It's hard to believe the trip is almost over. It's been an amazing experience...
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