A Tangled Day!

Hello Torch fans! This is my first time to do the blog so please bear with me! This morning we had a power breakfast consisting of eggs, beans, sausage, and toast. Breakfast was from 7-8 and then devo was following. We had a VERY uplifting devotional from Luke. He arrived on the trip with a foot injury that enabled him from taking part in some of the activities that he had planned on doing. However, he still did whatever he could for the team. He talked about how God humbled him through the circumstances that wouldn't allow him to do what he wanted.

Our plans for the day wasn't a wide variety of work like the previous days. Our team of 24 who manned up to head to San Lorenzo to build as many houses as they could in two days left as soon as devo was finished. The medical team set up a clinic here at the mission house for the Villa Gracia workers and their families. We had a small number go back out to Didasko to finish up the paint job that was started yesterday. Mark Connell, Jenny Lovell, and Uncle Bill went to deliver housewarming kits to the families that we built houses for this week. The rest of the crew had a day of fun planned with the kids from the Didasko orphanage!

The crew that headed to San Lorenzo arrived safely this morning! God did answer our prayers for no rain so that the work could be done. However... plans did not go as hoped. When they got to the work sites, the concrete still was not completely dry and... the measurements for the house did not match up with the Torch construction plan. Our INCREDIBLE engineer Brian Steffy had to put his brain to work to devise a new layout for the houses. They did not get to build a single house today but our hardworking team has committed to start bright and early after their worship service. They are going to complete as much as possible until Nathan's reinforcements arrive tomorrow afternoon. Please keep them and the work being done there in your prayers please!!!!!!

The medical team had a successful day of seeing a total of about 45 patients today! All of the workers and their family were given hygiene kits, toys, clothes, and medicines! Great job to all of the medical staff! They have not only been working super hard during the clinics but also on our fellow sick team members!

Our painting team who went out to Didasko completed the painting of the bathroom! Brett Mitchell took over this work for the day! With his awesome color coordinating talent, the bathroom was completed!

Jenny Lovell and Uncle Bill's home congregation, Western Hills in Nashville, prepared the housewarming kits that were given to the families. Jenny shared her uplifting experience of getting to see the completed houses after the families have already moved in them and made it their home.

Now on to our major project from today! About 30 of the team left around 9 a.m. to ride out to the Didasko orphanage to pick up the children and the staff members to treat them with a day of fun! The first stop was at good ole KFC! The rest of the team members met them there to have lunch with them all. We treated the kids with fried chicken, french fries, and a biscuit. Those kids loved every bit of it! They shined the bones of the chicken! After they ate, they got to play on the AWESOME playground there. I don't think I have seen such an awesome playground in the US as this one was! The kids had such a blast! Even we were climbing around on the playground and having as much fun as they were! We left there around 1:30 and headed to the mission house with the kids! We set a mini theatre in the dining hall! We watched Tangled in Spanish and treated all the kids with fruit punch drink and popcorn! After the movie, we showered them with toys and our last goodbyes until next year that is...

We met for dinner around 7 tonight. The lovely cooks prepared a fancy and yummy last dinner for the team! They did an incredible job! I do not think we could ever thank them enough for all the food that they prepare for us! We had barbecue chicken, mixed vegetables, pasta, and homemade rolls! They spoiled us!

Right after dinner... we lost power again... We started devo with no lights. The singing was powerful! Tim delivered the devo in the dark. After sharing with us a few of the quotes from the Book of Awesome, he talked with us how our time here is running out, but our service to the Lord does not have to stop when we leave. We all then shared of ways that we or our home congregations reach out to the community! The lights decided to come back one during this time. We rushed to try to start the live stream of the devo so that ya'll could catch the end of it.

On another note, Brandy the blogger safely arrived to Nashville around 9:30 tonight and had someone arranged to take her home to Corinth, MS. Please keep her and her family in your prayers as they mourn the loss of her father. We love her and already miss her!

Also, please continue to pray for the group in San Lorenzo, our safety, and all the work that has been done this week! We love you guys and can't wait to come home to you and share our own personal stories!

In Him,

Paige