The Singing Painter

 While I was serving with The Grace Church Team in El Florido- a community of 300 or so people located near the TOP of a mountain above Tecate , Mexico

 You might call El Florido - The Barren and Rejected Land. They live there because it is the land that no one really is interested in- the land that SEEMINGLY no one else wants to live on, Although, As we discovered last week, There are argument as to who actually owns the land of El Florido !!!!!. Many of the people there have deeds for the extremely modest land they live on. Yet, There is now a debate whether whoever sold them the land had the right to do so. Thus, These people, in addition to being concerned vis- a-vis their many already rugged struggles must also if they will one day face a rapid and rude eviction.

  The land is extremely rocky, with crevasses and very broken up and and unfriendly to navigate terrain. Our van, on the first full day of our mission, stalled and began to slide DANGEROUSLY backwards at one point as we headed towards the work site. This humbled and shook up the 19 of us to the very core!

 The people of El Florido live in bare shacks that are made of any scraps that they are able to salvage. They lack any source of drinkable water and all of their drinkable water is trucked in. A few people, very few who live in that General Area have toilets but the plumbing is unable to handle the flushing of solid wastes or any other solid materials. Thus even relatively fancy bathrooms will have literal " WASTE PAPER" baskets right next to the commode. People place any paper they use into those wastebaskets- no matter how stained they are. Individuals, thus, have to throw that paper away separately. They also ,of course, need to thoroughly and most hygienically clean that same WASTE paper basket.

 Those who know me know that I  can be VERY MUCH of both a Lambert and An Eeyore. I can be easily intimidated and very moody and inclined to get down and stay that way for a good period of time.  All of the members of the team had been briefed as to how vital it was that we be upbeat and positive as we worked. I knew, well in advance, that my sub-team would be The Construction Team.

 We started , on Friday July 8th with a bare concrete slab. We would be using the design of a very simple home and doubling it. We'd be working under thirsty conditions- very dry and extremely windy. Most of what I did was paint!

  I decided that I would be a person of good morale and cheer as I worked. 3 years ago, I felt led to begin to pray and sing, boldly and out loud, when I first exited out to launch into my day. This was a hard discipline to maintain but I came across a verse that really told me that I really needed to stay with this- " If you are ashamed of Me before men, I will be ashamed of you before My Father.". That was very convicting.

 Before we began our work, A delightful and inspirational Mexican Pastor spoke to us and prayed for us! One thing he said further empowered me in what I KNEW!!! that I had to do, " God really celebrates when we enjoy our work and when we smile as we work!",- " Ok, Lord", I THEN thought, I can't avoid what You are expecting me to do!"

 So, I sang. I sang when I struggled not to trip over rocks as I painted. I sang when wind-blown. I am glad now that the discipline I first practiced in March of 2008 in Alexandria ,Virginia acted to bless me richly and, seemingly others as well as I sang while I worked as someone helping to build a cafeteria for elementary school children on top of a mountain looming over Tecate. Mexico!