Constructing a home for God’s children

The majority of our days in Thailand were spent doing construction. My mind reflects back to the article GROW published prior to us leaving for the trip about GROW being a construction site for God. It is a place where something is built for a specific purpose, but it is more than just physical – it is spiritual.

“GROW is a construction site for God. It is a place where the strongholds of Satan are torn down and new lives are being built. It is a place where children hear about the redeeming love of Jesus and new foundations of truth are constructed. It is a place where children can find hope in God’s power for a new home, an eternal one.”  — excerpt from GROW’s article

I felt every sentiment mentioned here while on GROW’s campus and working every day. The work was hard, and it was hot, but there was purpose behind our mission. With every brick we laid, we built a future home for children facing genocide, abuse, and abandonment. Behind every brick, there was love. Additionally, as we bonded the bricks together with mortar, the bonds of our team were established. First, through joy and determination. But moreover, we faced discomfort, frustration, and hardship together.

Constructing the new girls’ home was tough work. I’m no mason, nor am I used to being on site every day. I generally sit in an office on my computer all day, which still has its challenges, but is very different than working with your hands in 95-degree weather. I was a bit intimidated by the work prior to the trip and on the first day, I warmed up by sorting through piles of bricks to determine what was usable versus broken and carrying them to our team. The bricks were unlike those we have in the States. The corners were broken and there were varying sizes in the pile, but in Thailand they made use of the various parts. Actually, they had use for nearly everything in Thailand – very little was wasted. Leftover food was given to the animals, banana and fruit peels were composted, and more. Resources were precious.

After sorting and carrying bricks for an hour or two, I went to the hardware store with Faa and Jeana to buy tape measures and shovels for the team. Finally, upon coming back, I sat with my coworker Randy on the wall he was starting and asked him to teach me. Slowly, we worked together on the wall – him leading the charge and me on the opposite side removing the excess mortar. I watched him set his strings – 12 centimeters from the top of the brick – and made sure the wall was plumb. I noticed the consistency and thickness of the mortar he piled on top of his previous row. I saw him place the new brick down and tap it down until it was at the desired height. After a while, I was able to take over for him while he went on break. Yes, I was slow – after all, I’m a perfectionist – but I got the hang of it and eventually graduated to my own wall.

While building the walls in the new girls’ home, our team was in close in proximity. The eight small bathrooms in the back of the building meant many of us were just a few feet apart. As such, it allowed for further connection. The conversations we had while working were deep – faith, career goals, defeat, and more – but together, we built trust. We laughed. We challenged each other. On this trip, I built a foundation with my teammates that surpassed any level of relationship I had built with them as coworkers to date.

One day, while working in the heat, I felt a wave of lightheadedness come over me. It was getting close to lunch and I had thought I could make it, but my hypoglycemia got the best of me. I asked Randy to get me some water, then sat down in the shade of the bathroom wall I had spent a day and a half building and was two rows shy of finishing. As soon as Randy came back with the water and him and Johnny, our Superintendent, noticed I was sitting down, they hurried to me. I told them I was fine; I just needed some water and then I would go in the café and get my protein bar and be as good as new. They didn’t like that answer. Randy pulled my glasses right off of my face and told me I had the crazy eyes, much to my annoyance. Johnny said, “Nope, you’re done.” After drinking some water, they walked with me to the café and Johnny sat with me while I ate some snacks to get my sugar up. In reality, he more forced an apple and other snacks in my hand after I ate the protein bar. I once again assured him I was okay and feeling as good as new. Lunch was next and I am positive the whole team had heard what had happened by that point, but no one put the attention on me. They let me eat my food in peace and continued conversations as normal. I sat out an extra half hour after the team went back to work just to be cautious, but the reality is that time was for me mentally. I was physically fine, but I was embarrassed and angry and needed some time to calm down. I did not want to be the one who had to sit out or who could not do the work. See, my body had failed me a lot this year with a slew of medical issues. I had prayed they would not surface during the trip and was confident I could do the work. Having to sit out, even for a small amount of time, knocked me down a peg or two.

When I finally ventured back out to the site, Johnny wouldn’t let me back on the wall I had built from the ground up. There were only two rows left but he didn’t want me on the makeshift scaffold of bricks and concrete frame. “That wall over there is your new spot now, kid,” he stated as he pointed to the scantily-built half wall next to it and continued laying the final rows of my wall. It infuriated me to watch him finish what I put so much time into; however, I know he did it out of love and protection to keep me off the scaffold until he felt I was stable. Similarly, a coworker came around with Twizzlers an hour later and another with water. My team took care of me, even when I didn’t want it and knew I was okay. And they didn’t do it in a way that made me feel lesser, they acted like it was just part of the day – but I noticed the drinks and extra snacks and taking care. And when I had five water bottles at my station from numerous people bringing one by, I finally told my coworkers not to come back until at least four of them were empty.

Camaraderie was built on site by our team. Love was built between us, relationships I pray we carry home with us. I had the incredible joy of watching our team grow this trip. I felt Nate’s agony when learning of the hardships these children faced and the determination in his eyes to do what he could to right the wrongs. I saw his frustration on site at the beginning of the week turn to confidence by the end. I watched William knock down his wall on the first day, only to compete with Luis for who was faster on the last two. I watched Randy’s calm demeanor daily as he initiated conversations and led our team by boosting morale and confidence. I saw Rob determined to fix what was broken. I saw Johnny and Luis shine in their element on the job site. I watched Quinton steadily put in effort and slowly break out of his shell with the team. I saw Sabrina build our team up with energy and truly be a team player. And I saw Alex shine as he took care of us all; I saw purpose in his eyes and watched him fall in love with his little helpers. I gained respect for every member of the team and formed bonds that will carry far beyond the construction.

Prior to the trip, I was the most nervous about the construction and physical labor. I didn’t think my body would allow me to perform at the level I desired. Yes, there were moments of hesitation and others where I had to pause, but I was able to physically do the work. While the heat and labor drained my energy, it was replaced with hope. Hope that my physical ailments would go away, hope that our team would go deeper in conversation and faith, and hope that the devil would not win. That God would reveal my purpose over time. I cannot say I saw all that in the moment or even in the course of time while we were in Thailand, but as I reflect, I realize how much God restored and built in me there. The children changed me. My leadership skills were tested, and I was asked to be vulnerable and challenged emotionally. And yet, I felt more like me than I had in a long while. As GROW said in their article, the strongholds of the devil were broken, and healing happened on that construction site. That’s more than I could have ever asked for this trip to accomplish. What a blessing.