What a fantastic opportunity we have to do good works in the name of Jesus and to learn and grow at the same time. We’re going to build a house…and so much more!
Here’s a simple statement of our expectations for this project to make sure we’re all working in sync so that we’ll get the most from our collective effort.
Our primary objective in organizing this Meal-a-Day field project is to give those who participate a tremendous growth experience. God has blessed us so richly over the years in letting us see a lot of the world and we want others to benefit from seeing it and learning the lessons of seeing it, too.
We want people who have not been exposed to life outside North America to have a chance to see firsthand that there IS life outside North America…life that is vibrant, valid, diverse, deserving of respect. This experience will make you more complete as you come to realize that everyone doesn’t have to be like North Americans…like you! It will make you more complete as you help someone with the basics of life so that they can spend more time on spiritual matters too.
Your primary objective is building a house for someone in need. That will provide the environment we all need to push ourselves. Two weeks away from your bed, your bathroom, your refrigerator, your comfort zone will be difficult. It will be harder for some than others but the discomfort we all will experience will be a pressure that all of us will bear together…a wonderful pressure! That pressure will create growth. You will learn that you can live without certain comforts, that you can adapt to unusual environments, that you are stronger than you think you are, but that you need God and Jesus. As the physical work progresses and we see the fruits of our labors develop in a poor Nicaraguan neighborhood, you will see the spiritual work progressing in you and those around you.
As we pick up trowels and shovels, make concrete and move cinder blocks, we’ll be helping some people create a home. Think about how central to your life a decent place to live is. It’s wonderful that you’re willing to give your time to help someone else like this. We’ll have the opportunity to think together about the issues of poverty, and specifically what our response as followers of Jesus should be. Of course, by being a part of this program you’ll be showing a bit of what you think the right response should be.
The Bible will be our guide in all our discussions. It’s full of information on the subject of helping the poor.
Come ready to work hard on a physical structure but be sure that you are coming to work on your spiritual self as well. I know that I am expecting to grow. With the blessing of God and the help of Jesus, I’m sure that each of us will.
Oh, yeah, we expect to have a lot of FUN, too!
“So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-22
