Many times we don’t realize what a huge impact a simple act has. While in Ica, Peru with a team from Edmonton, Canada we got to see a great example of this. One day we were building a house for a lady who had lost hers in an earthquake.
It was a fairly normal day building a house. We had done numerous others and our minds were focused on getting the job done, which included mixing cement and laying a foundation. After many hours we finished quite contented to be done. We took some pictures and then got on the bus like any other day. But to my surprise the lady came up to me and asked if she could address the group. (Usually the people are a little shy and just say a polite thank you).
She got on the bus and proceeded to tearfully share with us how thankful she was to us for building her a new house. She explained that she was a single mom trying to raise multiple children. She even held down a job but it was just enough to get by. She had nothing extra to build a permanent shelter for her family. She told us how she had prayed ever since the earthquake happened for someone to come and provide a house for her and that day she realized that our group was the answer to her prayer! Her emotional message of God’s faithfulness hit us all right in the heart. There was not a dry eye on that bus!
To top it off her sister asked if she could say something also, and she shared about how her sister was so deserving of a new house after all that she had gone through.
Not only was this a powerful experience for the lady, but our team got a glimpse of how God used their simple willingness to bring his kingdom to a little corner of Peru and change a life forever!