By Andrew Balbach
Summer of 2016 was just beginning . Twelve of us young people enthusiastically boarded our flight for the tropical country of Guatemala . We were on our way for two weeks of construction in the remote village of El Fiscal .
For years a rural congregation had been conducting their meetings in a narrow courtyard . The church members lived in poverty , without a way to obtain the funds for a building . But now help was finally on its way and our energy , determination , and generous donations were going to solve their problem .
As expected , the work turned out to be extremely tiring , but at the end of each day , all of us felt a deep sense of accomplishment . We moved blocks , mixed concrete ,
10 dug trenches , and bent rebar while immersed in debilitating humidity . One day , as we were pouring a large load of concrete , we suddenly noticed a tropical storm quickly advancing toward us . The concrete job had to be finished , so with a silent prayer we kept working . With grateful hearts we emptied the last hefty bucket just as the storm hit us . Moments like these often led to exhaustion , but we persevered and encouraged one another knowing that our efforts were benefitting those who are less privileged . In doing so , we hope that we were able to serve as an example to the local community . Friendships were made which served to open doors for health and spiritual outreach .
This mission had a huge impact on me . All around I saw the need