Take a breath--Bridget

Everything is going by so fast. I turn around and a whole room is painted or another stair is made. It seems like life is just rushing by. All we need is more time. More time to help. More time to build. More time to create. More time to laugh. More time to breathe. More time to smile. More time to talk with the people here. The people are the sweetest. They build relationships because family is their life. They do their best in the work to honor their family and God. The Dominicans care for all of us despite the fact that we are strangers. Our host, Anna, said "strangers are the friends you haven't met yet." That quote reigns true throughout these people's daily lives. They all truly treat us as their brothers and sisters in Christ. Like every other mission trip that I've been on, the people always bless me more than I can ever dream of blessing them. They are beautiful children of God and glorify Him through each thing that they do.

A servant's heart begins at home. Doulos literally translates "servant". Through everything that each of us do, we learn the importance of being a servant. We came here to serve. We came here to provide. We came here to learn. We each have been given the opportunity to learn about ourselves through service. Service has been the gift that we can give. Whenever a task is on hand we get the opportunity to volunteer. We volunteered to come here and we continue to volunteer to do the difficult tasks even if it means that we will have a sore back or farmer's tan by the end of the day. We have been given so many gifts to serve these people that we may not have known why we had them; the talents to mix concrete or steadily paint the creases in the ceiling. Each is difficult if you aren't ready for God to use you. God has shown Himself to be so good. When things have gone wrong, He has been there to pick us up and help us complete the seemingly impossible. He has made this trip all that it is. Wonderful.

-Bridget

P.S. I love you Mommy, Daddy, and Meghie Jean