Something Contagious

Something is going around at Faith Home and it's apparently contagious.   It was subtle at first, but now many appear to be infected with this mysterious disease.  It seems to be affecting the thinking of our children.  I first became suspicious last week when I noticed that some of them were working late without being told to.  A few even missed supper.  I checked for fever, but at the time they seemed okay...just a little sweaty.  Saturday, however, it was obvious that it had spread to almost all of the boys and was out of control.  

 

Saturday, I returned from San Pedro to find most of the boys and Hector near the bodega, working on our latest project at Faith Home.  Hector had hired a local masonry man to build a concrete block ramp to drive our vehicles up on for

maintenance.  Jose Pacheco and some of the others had worked several nights past dark and were very interested in learning how to build with the rebarb, blocks and concrete.  But this day, there were over 20 boys here --late in the afternoon--on a Saturday.   I asked Hector why he was making them work so late.  He said he wasn't making them - they wanted to and just showed up to help.  I watched in awe as they all worked in unison shoveling sand, mixing concrete, moving blocks and spreading the concrete, layer by layer.  Something must be wrong with them! 

Hector said that they would be finished soon and were all very proud that they were able to be part of building the ramp.  They had been talking about how they would be able to wash vehicles on the ramp and were very excited to see it in use.  That's when it hit me- the significance of this project.  This may be (I think) the first structure at Faith Home that is entirely designed and built by Hondurans and included Faith Home children.   They were empowered by "their project" and took ownership in what was done.  The smiles on their faces and confidence in their walks said it all.   One by one they had watched the others and then decided to join in...on their own...so that they could have what the others had - a sense of worth in this accomplishment.   In that moment I felt like a proud momma watching our boys become young men.  

 

God is good and I love those moments when He reveals Himself in the lives of our children.   May they continue to be infected with confidence and courage to become the adults God created them to be!