Testimonies

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The Flower Box


Our teen mission to Mexico proved to be a time of reflection and awe. Even though we were there to build a home for a family of four, the Lord used the experience to bring us closer to Him. From praying for safety on the planes to nightly devotions in Mexico, the Lord worked diligently to draw us to Himself. We all said that our lives would be forever changed.

We never realized the impact that a language barrier could have on our mission. On the job site, conversation with the family was almost non-existent. Hand motions and a Spanish dictionary helped us to communicate a few things like water, bathroom, and candy. (Mexican children love American candy.) However, trying to express God’s love and care for them proved to be difficult.

We continued daily to build the home, taking small breaks to play with the children and offer coloring books and candy. They yelled Spanish sentences that indicated they wanted something, but we just looked at each other in confusion. What were they saying? The worst part of all was that the children thought we understood them.

The mother was fascinating to watch. She could hardly contain her excitement. Her expressions painted a picture of hope and gratitude in her world of extreme poverty. Our hearts went out to her. We wanted to give her and her family all that we had. One of our staff members cried the moment she saw the small shack that the children slept in and the old car with a blanket over it that housed the parents at night. She said she knew what providing and nurturing a home meant to a wife and mother. This woman did not have a home. What seemed odd to us was – in their poverty, they were happier than most Americans.

When our day was completed, we enjoyed our dinner and then chapel. Worship and our nightly devotions brought many of us back into fellowship with the Lord. One teen re-committed her life to Christ and decided to go through her music and discard all that had worldly messages. Another teen cried nightly and revealed some painful emotions that plagued her. She left Mexico stronger and happier. It was a wonderful expression of the freedom the Lord provides when we give our time to Him.

But the best part was what the Lord did through the language barrier. After the home was completed, a lady staff member suggested that they build a flower box to place under the window. The teens were thrilled with the idea. The youth pastor said no, there was no time. The teens prevailed and the flower box was constructed. A quick trip to the garden center brought back a beautiful arrangement of greenery and flowers. It was a beautiful addition to the sacrificial gift of love already standing.

The family came home from work to see a completed home waiting for them. The wife immediately broke down in tears. A local contractor that spoke both languages asked her what was wrong. She described an American magazine that she saw once that had a picture of a home with a flower box under the window. She said she had prayed that day and asked the Lord if she could have a home with a flower box.

Needless to say, there was not a dry eye on the property. God showed His awesome grace, even in a place where we alone could not communicate His love. What we thought was a last minute idea was actually a fulfillment of a Mexican woman’s dream. Our God is an awesome God.

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