Climb, Climb Up Orange Ladders

Our last evening in Florida, the front of the church was a beehive of activity. 

The men were weary, but the boys were eager to help get the final trim work done for the front of the church. What was wanted was an array of picture frame trim on the front wall. 

Forrest Wheeler drew up the plans for it and Jonathan measured and cut the trim.

 Jonathan showing Sam how to put up the trim.

 We got a crew picture by the ladders. 

Fain's family's sweet little dog Chulita (Spanish for little cutie) was in on it, too.

I do not mind dogs that are sweet, cute, obedient, small, and 

not yappy, huge, hyper, in your face, and always being yelled at.

 The boys helped Jonathan hang the doors on the high little rooms behind the sanctuary that were for air conditioning and sound system. Better pictures are on Jonathan's phone, but we haven't downloaded those yet.

 Forrest Wheeler had Jed help him a lot on the trim for around the windows above and around the back doors to the sanctuary.

 The boys helped carry doors and frames where they needed to go.

 After a while we ladies gave up trying to clean up the mess because it was useless.

 Candace and Natasha helped touch up paint once the doors were in.

 Tile layers spent a couple days haggling about how to lay the tile. Finally, one group went back home and the tile layers who attend this church group got the job. They decided to lay the tile in the vestibule diagonally rather than square--which was beautiful. 

 I told them it was "muy bonita," and that they were doing a good job, 

and they were very pleased! Most of the tile layers were very young, even teenagers, 

but they were doing a good job.

 Here the guys had piled tile in stacks that were easily grabbed up. Also in the middle, you can see the frame for the movable steps to the middle of the platform.

 Jonathan had to leave the boys and Forrest Wheeler working inside while he hustled off an invoice on his laptop outside for a job back home.

 Here's what it looked like when some of the tile had been laid inside.

 The boys were very brave to do the nailing up front.

 We're so proud of what the boys were able to accomplish under the supervision of skilled workers.

This team this time was novel in that there were so many teenagers. 

But it was a blessing and something we want to incorporate more and more into the teams--

young people willing to learn and help.

 Before we know it, Jonathan and I will be old and decrepit and someone will need to fill our shoes.

There will be no one to fill our shoes if we do not teach someone to fill them.

It is easier to do the work ourselves--till we get old and achy and stiff in our joints,

or till we get too busy with other things.

 And then when the sunset of our life is turning our sky to pink and gold, 

we will remember those days spent in a church by the palm trees, 

and we will wish we had taken the time to teach those following behind. 

We will wish we had been patient instead of perfectionistic,

and practical instead of performance-based.

We will wish we had been humble enough to let the youngsters try,

instead of hung up on our pride about a job we wanted to brag about.

 So we're choosing to allow some young people along to work with us--

to learn and to try and to be given opportunity to give themselves to the Lord in humble, practical ways.

The Spanish folk do not like a cross in the front of the church due to how they feel it is reminiscent of Catholicism. So this design was decided upon.

 

The young boys did almost all the work of nailing up that trim. 

It came out beautiful--just too much dust in the air and not very bright lights to do it justice.

Below we are preparing for a meal.

 That last day they served us a lunch of veges and shrimp with rice.

 This family from Honduras had just flown in to be evangelist for the Spanish church, with services starting that night. They were a really sweet family, and we decided to give them a couple packs of the Spanish bookmarks that my nephew Ezra had printed for the Spanish churches. They were very happy for them.

 Here is a cute little Spanish boy.

Here are some of the ladies who cooked for us. The pastor's wife is second from the right, a really sweet lady. Of course all of them were sweet people!

 And so the cross of Christ is lifted up in many practical and spiritual ways there in mid-Florida 

at Fort Myers. 

That last afternoon, a rainstorm passed through and I got this snap of the rescue mission chapel steeple against the dark clouds.

 I had spent part of the last two days we were there with some of the rescue mission staff, discussing and brainstorming about ideas for a book that they are wishing to publish about the mission.

I am helping them gather information and write up stories, and put it together and edit it. 

It's such a privilege to be part of God's work!

We can't help noticing many differences between people as we travel and help on different missions. 

One of the most important things, it seems to us, is to learn to keep our mouths shut--

and just be there to help people. 

We don't have to agree with every diddly thing to be a help to them.

We see some things that we think are too far right, and others that seem too far left. 

But wherever the gospel is going forth and the workers' hearts are pure,

do we really need to make excuses for sitting in rocking chairs when there are so many opportunities to help others in worthy causes?