“I set myself on fire…” (Day 2)

Today was our second full day of construction at the new site for the MTI. Many students worked side by side our American team, accomplishing much more then we expected for our first two days. The beginning was a little rough, the building had practically been stripped bare by bandits and local thieves. All the wiring had been taken out and not much was left of the building, except the walls. But just like how God sees our potential through all of our flaws and setbacks, the MTI leaders and students could see through the rubble of this building, and a vision of their future “home” couldn’t be discouraged by the looks of this place. Our whole team (nationals and Americans) has made a deep impact in the first couple of days. First, we cleaned up most of the mess, painted the dining room and three bedrooms, wired the buildings, started the plumbing and much more. In the midst of it all, we’ve even been able to minister to the children in the surrounding neighborhood through VBS. It’s amazing to see the MTI students build relationships with some of the American teammates, even through language barriers – sign language has come in handy when a translator is not around! The students’ passion for God and to spread His love around the world is the flame that is starting a fire in our hearts. To some people, we might just be finishing a building, but to these students, we are laying the foundations of their dreams and desires that God has put in their hearts. John Wesley once said, “I set myself on fire and people gather to watch me burn.” The fire that burns in the student’s hearts is definitely spreading to our hearts. As we work side by side and talk, pray and laugh, I pray that this fire in our hearts will burn in a way that reflects our passionate Father God and draws people to Him. Thank you so much for all of your prayer and support.