For four out of the five days that we have been working I have been going to batey 106 and doing mostly day camp with a little bit of construction. From the moment I stepped off the bus at the batey I immediately fell in love with the kids, so of course I was not wanting to say goodbye today.
One of the kids I became close with was a 2 year old little girl named Maria, who is one of the sassiest kids I’ve met. Monday she refused to come near me since I had other kids around me besides just her, and day by day she’d come closer and closer to me up until Wednesday I was able to hold her and she fell asleep in my arms while I rocked her. Today she hardly left my side and would yell “No!” every time I tried to put her down, and I did not mind at all having to carry her around.
After lunch the day camp and construction groups from the barrio came and met the other groups at batey 106 to have a dedication for the family that would be moving into the house that we helped build this week. It was an incredible moment to be able to hear and see how grateful this family was and that had been chosen to move into the new house. After words of blessing and a time of prayer, our youth group recited our theme verse for this year: “ May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and bring you peace. Shalom.”
It was in that moment I finally felt like all the parts and pieces from this week were finally falling into place. It was in that moment I experienced Christ’s Shalom: seeing our entire mission team in the same place, playing and loving on the same kids, praying together over this family, encouraging each other, and ultimately being the hands of feet of Christ in batey 106.
This week has been powerful and one that no one will forget. I cannot wait for us to come home and share more with our church family.
-Hayley Jarnagin
