Day 6 - May 23, 2011 - Blessed to be a Blessing

Around thirty more children at the school were left to take the de-worming treatment, dental hygiene education, and fluoride treatment. Although we weren't brave enough to ingest the banana flavored treatment, many of us swished the bubble-gum flavored fluoride with the last class of kids and took a group photo.

After climbing the mountains to Nueva Esperanza, our tasks were to paint new chalkboards for the classrooms and put on a roof of the last classroom building.  When we arrived into the community, it was palpable that God had already prepared our way to work with ease to finish the projects.  Sanding the aged chalkboards brought a bounty of dust under our fingernails while some of the team put the hot tin roof on the last building. We were able to finish two coats of pea green paint on the two chalkboards.  Two of the school buildings we worked on previously in the week had not been used for 14 years and are now available for teaching to begin once again. Hopefully the space will allow the community to start a kindergarten classroom soon.

The community showed us gracious hospitality by providing our lunch of chicken and rice and delivered an afternoon snack of donuts and coffee.  Upon finishing the projects, the community gathered in one of the classrooms to read a Psalm of thanksgiving (Psalm 100), pray, and give thanks for how the Lord has done mighty works among us.  Folks who gathered for the meaningful closing celebration included a Pastor in the area, President of Nueva Esperanza, President of the Parent Teacher Association, Director of the School, President of the Water Board, and women and men of the community.  The community presented us with a plaque and the community will post the HAF logo on the school.  We closed our time together by playing Frisbee and soccer with the energetic school children. 

The team arrived back at the ranch in time for a bocce ball tournament and showers.  Martha and Gary Thompson joined us for evening meal. Martha shared her story with us and we were blessed by the ministry in this area and her words of counsel as we live out our Christian faith.  Surely, the presence of the Lord is in this place and we are blessed to be a blessing to this community.

We send our apologies to the next group using the eyeglass assortment. Part of the group spent two nights and four hours sorting the eyeglass project and doing the best we could to get them in order for whomever will be using the filing system in the future.

Allison Kelly