Laying the Foundation

Today started off by waking up at about 7 a.m. to get ready for breakfast. Even though everyone was exhausted from the long day of hard work yesterday, we were excited to see what was in store for us. After eating a delicious breakfast at the beginning of the day, we headed over to the construction site to continue the work we had left behind yesterday. A few groups were formed to break into different jobs for the day so we would cycle tasks every hour. I started with a group of about five other kids to dig out more dirt in order to flatten the floor in the house in order to pour the concrete. The weather was hotter than yesterday, at least for me, so it drained out our energy faster but we found the strength to continue. A few hours into work, a group of girls from an orphanage came to play around with us and get to know everyone. Our girls at the work site headed back to the ranch with the kids while the men stayed at the site to finish off some work. With the kids, we handed out brand new shoes to each one and then sat down for a few minutes to introduce ourselves and get to know them. One thing that struck me about today was something I witnessed with an orphan and Sabrina. Sabrina wanted to know the girl's shoe size so she asked her if she could take her shoe to see the tag for the size. Once Sabrina asked, the little girl immediately shook her head and held onto her shoes because she thought  Sabrina would take them away from her. It definitely made me think about the scarring events the girl has probably been through and what little she has. Throughout the week, I have noticed how incredibly blessed I am to have the things I have. Some of us complain about the little things when we do not get them right away. I feel as if this trip is really going to help me realize how thankful I should be every single day I open my eyes. God continues to bless each of us and gives us plenty more than we need. It broke my heart to see the girls in the physical condition that they were in, but I had plenty of fun with them playing soccer and dancing. A while later, a group of orphan boys came to visit and we took our lunch break to enjoy conversation and interaction with the children. After, we headed out to a field on the camp to run around and kick around a ball with the kids. Some of the little girls made Alex Machado grass accessories, which actually impressed me because of how cool they came out. It was time to get back to work, so the kids left and we headed back to the site. Another four hours of mixing concrete was headed our way, but we kept reminding ourselves of the purpose we were called to in Nicaragua which gave us the will to continue. Along with the strenuous work, we had some good laughs with the Nicaraguan workers and each other. We headed back to our rooms at about 6 o'clock to shower and head to dinner (which was very delicious). Now, we are enjoying fellowship and worship along with devotion led by Alex Castellanos. Make sure to check out all the pictures!

~Sam Lola ; hey mommy (:
P.S. Thank you for your prayers about Michael! He is feeling a lot better today but continue to keep him in your prayers.