June 16-21 2013
The mission trip that I went on was at Staten Island New York. The group I was with worked on a homeowners deck and her name was Frances. She has a nephew that is currently 2 years old. Her nephew is so sweet and has a body built like a wrestler. When hurricane Sandy hit, her deck was hit with several waves of the salt water.
Our group's job was to take the ruined deck down and create a small deck with pavers going to it.
The first day our work team demolished the deck.
On the second day we took out the remaining posts in the ground.
Then on the third day we created a frame for a new deck and started putting down sand for pavers. Then on the final day we finished the pavers and built the small deck.
Now what I learned on the trip was much more important than the work we did. We learned one day as we were eating lunch that Frances' son was once in a really bad accident. When he was taken to the hospital, he was in critical condition. His face was torn up badly. His jaw was so bad that when he would try to talk the jaw would come out of ailment. The doctors at one point were unsure that her son would make it. Now her son is ok, but he still suffers from depression, anxiety, and short term memory loss.
Even though he survived and had his face repaired, he still has to deal with that horrible memory. Now what I learned was that EVERYONE has a story to tell. Some people had parents who gave them everything, some gave there kids nothing, and some didn't have parents who were there for them. No matter what condition you were born in or what you are now, God still has a plan for you. He sees you not for what you are but, what you can become.
He understands that we will make mistakes and even try to run away but, he will always welcome you home. I can't image what Frances' mind was thinking when she knew there was a chance that her son would not make it. To know that without her son no one else was with her, but she stayed strong through that struggle and had faith not only that her son was going to be ok, but if it was time for her son to leave it was up to God. We have a choice to follow God, but we have to make that choice to follow Him.
"Faith is taking the first step even through you don't see the whole staircase"-Martin Luther King Jr.
God bless, Joshua Geruntho
Frances, her sister, her nephew and the team.
