In my head I saw many different possibilities like how I speak, I will think about what to say and sometimes play out a person's response as well. In the same aspect I saw different ways October 27th from 9:00am to 4:00pm may have gone from the best result to the worst result.
The worst result was one I was familiar with from my experience in Cleveland, Ohio when I was put in charge of painting two homes for single mothers who were ill. I was given a due date of two weeks and no resources as the leader Pastor expected me to fail (a different story for another time). I called twelve Churches for helping me paint the second home and I had all the supplies and the paint. The first day no one showed up and I worked on the house myself scraping the exterior from top to bottom and sometimes on ladders as high as 75 feet. I finished the day and prayed for assistance to come and help me do this. The next day a co-workers friend showed up saw the project helped me move one ladder and told me he could sweep a broom and get paid the same amount from the city and walked away. I prayed again and an hour later a man past by and asked me if I was pastor he heard about trying to paint homes. I answered yes. He smiled and told me he is also a Pastor but Baptist and has many homeless around his Church. As we talked we created a homeless ministry, they were sent to me to work and what hours they did they got paid by him. I became the lead project manger and got the chance to know each of them well.
However, that Saturday of the 27th I arrived early and pulled the carpet from the section I designed to be the best area for the garden and got everything prepped. I waited...
Then the first vehicle showed up with some of my youth but no tools, then Dave pulled up in his van with tools and a mind to teach us what we need to do. As the hour passed we had eight vehicles and over 10 youth and four adults working on the site. I was happy not to the only one this time. But what really mattered was seeing the youth doing work that they were not getting anything for and the Pastor of the Church excited to see step one of the garden being done and realizing the potential. With Dave's help and teaching dialogue each of us learned from him and his years of experience. I was burned again over the course of time on my face, around my neck, and forearms. My mentor's wife saw me and told me I looked like a lobster and I am sure she was right. It has been three days and my face is still red in parts.
Praise God for the timing and the help of those who see the potential of what a community garden can do for Takanini. Step one complete.
No comments:
Post a Comment