Today all started with the blaring sound of 7 alarms going off, all at different times.  All of us single ladies share a room connected together by bunk beds, laughter, and some snoring here and there. We all woke up in our own way and wandered down to breakfast with the team to hear about what project we would be working on today. So, my assignment was concrete work with Kayla and Ali. I had worked hand mixing the concrete the day before, but today was a new day with a new set of challenges. We all got dressed and headed down to the front to see what we needed to do.

First, we loaded re-bar onto the truck and headed down to the house we would be using it for. We spent the morning hand cutting re-bar, shoveling rocks into buckets, singing songs, laughing, and pouring concrete into a hole to build a lid for the septic tank for the house that a family that lives in JDV will be moving into. You might say being out in the sun all day shoveling concrete, rocks, etc. wouldn’t be fun, but I can tell you I had more fun building relationships with my teammates as well as with the other guys more than I noticed how hot it was or how long it took us to complete the project. It is an extraordinary thing to make something by hand, then see it come into form right in front of you,  look and say we all did that together! Never take power tools for granted!

Later in the day we piled in the van to head to the local infirmary to visit some of the patients there. Our main objective was to love on them. Working in the health care field I was most excited to see what the hospitals in another country would like. We arrived to the infirmary greeted by the resident’s bright faces as they saw us walk through the door. It was amazing to walk around and visit with the patients there and to hear their stories on how they got there and how they are doing now. After having this experience, I feel nothing more than extremely blessed for all the health care we have in the United States. Here it takes six hours or longer for a person to get into see the doctor when going to the Emergency Room. I have never felt so much joy in a room full of hardship. Each individual going through, what to many were the hardest time in their lives, found a way to still choose joy, and that is a quality we all should take to heart and apply to our lives daily.

This experience has truly opened my eyes to how truly blessed I am daily by little things I take for granted. I have never been surrounded by so many people who are so alive with happiness and joy even when they have to sacrifice the luxuries we each take for granted daily. Instead of complaining about traffic or how long the line is to get your coffee, be thankful God gave you air to breath this morning and choose to find the joy even in the trials, inconveniences, and sacrifices. Everyone’s struggle is their own, yet, those who choose to find the joy truly feel God’s blessings daily in their walk with him.

Jayde Rose