Second Day of Work

Our church looks like it’s building itself, it is getting done so fast! Pastor Gilbert Tan says that we are farther in completion than the other two. I love our location. The trees are so breathtaking and dense, the diversity of them intrigues me. On of my favorite things is the butterflies. All their vibrant colors keeps me yearning to see more. I love them, they seem almost fiber optic. My team is by far the most entertaining yet cooperative team, I’m sure. We are always cracking funnies or helping each other out. I feel like I could be working far harder than I have been but it is quite difficult under the scorching heat of the sun. We haven’t had many mishaps, just a minor cut here and there or someone needing to take a break for a few minutes.

What we have done is the stage, more than a quarter of the floor, all the brick walls up to the windows and the native men are working on the roof. The roof was supposed to be on before we even arrived but the area was flooded so much, thus postponing the importation of the lumber. Without the sheltering roof, we are forced to labor directly under the blistering sun. The shade is like drinking ice water in the scorching heat. I feel complete respect for the brick layers and the people mixing the mortar, they have to be under the sun the most.

Today at lunch the villagers had ice cold water and some sort of weak strawberry milk that was absolutely and amazingly cold as well. There is a river right behind the long house near our building site so a bunch of my group jumped in. The water is incredibly brown, murky and impenetrable by the eye. Even though it looks scary, I might go swimming in it tomorrow. During the part of the day when it was almost unbearable to be under the sun, B-dog bought us all sodas and later ice cream. I love that guy! Him and Pastor Fred buy us ice cream. : ) It is so much fun working with all the adults. Last year I wasn’t able to be in Mr. B and P. Freddy’s group so it is super amazing having them as my leaders this year. I can’t believe how much Vince, Russ, Dr. Carter, Pastor Ostin, B-dog and P. Freddy have done for our church! They work so hard, for so long in the extreme heat without quitting. I feel bad for taking breaks because I know that they rarely do. I really appreciate all they have done for our church and for this whole mission trip.

This evening, sitting out on the concrete benches of the veranda, the cool Borneo breeze sweeps over me. The scent of the colorful flora surrounds me, creating memories I will never forget. I thank the Lord for sending me back to this land of harsh but splendid beauty. No matter how painful the work becomes nor how blistering the sun gets I will always praise the Lord for creating this place, making it possible for me to come here. I believe God has me here for a reason, I don’t know if I will return or not but I do know that Borneo has left a mark on my heart.

After returning from our church, Brianna and I went down to the creek that is just down the road. It was great to submerge my tired and sweaty body in the cool clear water of the jungle. The creek was snuggled between two leafy arms, diverse with thousands of different trees. Chilling out with the McCann bros, Trevor, Alex, Alanna, Jenna, Brianna and Mr. B was a lot of fun. We chatted and laughed until we split up to go back to the long house.

At first I was uneasy about staying here for a week. The conditions of the long house, the bathrooms, and the culture were a little intimidating even though I’ve been to Borneo before. But, just like last year, I have become accustomed to it and I am enjoying myself immensely.

The people here are so nice and the children are the most adorable beings on the face of this earth. However, during worships, they enjoy trapping cicadas in their hands and rattling them around so they make the most irritable noise. The majority of the boys use the cicadas as their regular play toys. To ensure their “toys” do not fly off, they tear off the crisp wings of the insect two at a time. This process is pretty grotesque and makes us girls cringe. I hate to see it happen, even if they are just bugs.

Well, I am here in my mosquito net tent that I share with Caitlin. The cicadas compose songs of chirps and whistles outside the breezy long house. It is a simple song that relaxes me as I slip into sleep at the end of the day.

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