Day 20 - Weed Eating and Homemade Southern Food

While walking to work yesterday morning, I was thinking how much fun it was going to be to play with the toddlers some more and then when I showed up . . . Wham! God said, show me you have a servants heart. Not really. Dwight met me early and asked if I could weed eat, I wanted to say sure, after baby time, but that wasn't what he asked so I decided to just say sure. I weed ate for almost 4 hours. It really isn't that bad because Casa just got this new weed eater that was much needed. It is super powerful and mounts no your side with straps. We put the metal blade on it so it could cut through almost anything. Even if it would have been hard though, I am here to serve in whatever way they need so I was happy to help. Afterwards, I was super sweaty, sticky and I had grass, mud, and cuts all over me but that just made lunch break that much more enjoyable when it came. 


I did learn something from the experience. Not the actual work but the buying of the tool. The team from Mississippi that is here saw that Casa needed one and went out and bought it for them while they were here. They have been a great team and so good for the organization. I asked Dwight a couple weeks ago if short term mission trips were actually good for the organization. He gave a great and honestly unexpected answer. He said that in some cases yes and some cases no but that isn't the point. The point is that it doesn't matter if they physically help or not because you can't limit God's power or work in the volunteers lives or the kids lives. I thought that was a great and wise answer.


With that being said, I do know that some groups are more beneficial to the company as others. This group is one of those that is a huge help. They have come not for themselves at all but only for Casa. They have diverse ages and still have fun like the other groups but their focus is to actually make this place better and not to mark a mission trip off their calendar. It has been awesome both getting to know them and seeing them work. There are so many experts in different areas that have come down here strictly to use their expertise for the Glory of God. I am very thankful for this group and think that all groups should take notes and follow in their footsteps as far as having servants hearts when they come down. 


PE was fun, I played kick ball with the older girls. They were a little more difficult today because one of the tias (who is like 40) told the girls that I was cute. Because of this, it is now the only things the girls can talk about. They never take a breath and are constantly saying how me and the tia will get married and fall in love and she thinks I am so cute. The tia is awesome and hilarious and in no way annoying but the girls are the opposite. None the less, we accomplished PE and got back just in time for school to end. 


I headed home briefly after and got to skype with the family for a good hour. It was good to see and talk to them. Once skype was over, a much needed shower followed and then the long walk to Gringo Land commenced. The Mississippi group invited me over to eat dinner with them which was a great idea and one I am very thankful for. I got there right around 6 and dinner started shortly after. I had peas, corn, fruit salad, potato salad, carrot salad, broccoli salad, meat loaf, cake, and homemade peach cobbler. YUMMMMYYYY! It was so good and they made so much so I ate a lot. It was equally awesome just sitting around getting to know all of them too. They were super welcoming and showed the true meaning of Southern Hospitality.


After dinner and about an hour of talking, we started playing games (which I haven't played in a month). We played banana grams where Sara spanked us all and then Spades. I played with the younger of the group and it was a lot of fun. By younger I mean like a 12 year old, 18, and 20 year old. It was nice playing with people closer to my age that also spoke English haha. We played for probably two hours before I left to walk home. And after my 20 minute walk home, I went right to bed thanking God for a wonderful day. It felt like home again where I had people to hang with later into the night. I didn't go to bed until about 1130 but that is okay because I was up hanging with people  until then. This was a much better alternative to going to bed at 830 and not hanging with anybody. I wasn't doing P90X in the morning which is why I could stay up later. 


It was a super fun day and I am very thankful for the Mississippi team for both being so nice to me but more for being the hands and feet of Christ to La Casa de Fe! Thanks guys.