Day Two: The New Guy Shines on a Glorious Day

Dudley rocks! When we got to the job site this morning, Bob asked Dudley Neal, our only rookie team member and a retired Army chaplain, to pray over the cornerstone for the new Sunday School building. As is our team custom, Dudley, as the prayer leader, put his hand on the cornerstone and everyone else put their hands on each other - team members, staff workers, the Greenes, and the Pastor and workers from the church, Iglesia Bautista Huerto Getsemany - so that we were joined together as one. As we all bowed our heads and closed our eyes, Dudley's deep baritone voice began to ring out over the surrounding hills as he praised the Almighty God and asked for blessing for our work.

Tonight, Dudley blessed us again as he led the evening devotional. After all but Dudley had shared our reactions to the day, Dudley read the scripture with that majestic, commanding voice, and then talked with us about God as refuge, the need to pray for our troops and their families and for war to end and peace to reign in God's kingdom, and shared his first experiences with the Honduran children. He shared how he was overwhelmed at the thought that we were building these Sunday School rooms for these children to learn of the love of their God. He made us laugh when he told us: "Saying 'Amen' to a Baptist preacher is like saying 'Sic 'em!' to an angry dog." He shared how one of the little girls brought her dad at the end of the day to show her what we had done. When the dad was asked if he attended the church, he replied, "No, but she does," pointing to his young, beautiful daughter. Dudley marveled that perhaps these children will one day share with their parents the love of God that they will learn about in the rooms we are building, and that someday we might all sit and worship together before the throne of that same God for eternity. Bob began to play his guitar and we worshiped as we sang "We Are One in the Bond of Love." Powerful, powerful stuff from a powerful, powerful God.

We hope the same God will bless all of you and grant you a peaceful night. Continue to pray for us, as we do for you.

Team One