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