Intentional Effort

Last week I returned from a service trip to rural Coast Rica. Together with 23 other people, my family spent a week working with a local community on a building project. Our group included people from age 9 to over 70, and many of us had never met before. Over the week when we worked on our project, we encountered construction challenges and torrential rains. As expected, we also experienced a language barrier and differing cultural norms.

This week was challenging physically and mentally, but was also exhilarating. It was amazing to see our group, who had been strangers, work alongside the local community with such focus and drive. As unlikely as it looked at the beginning, we were all determined to complete our project no matter what. All of us, as different as we were, shared a single goal and were willing to do whatever it took to achieve it.

With such teamwork and shared vision, it was no surprise that we completed our project. The pictures of the entire team and the local community members celebrating at the end captured our joy at reaching our goal. It was amazing!

Now that I am back home, I have been reflecting on this experience. What our group was able to accomplish by working together toward our shared goal was incredible. We had given it our all and succeeded. How can I replicate this here at home? How could our churches, schools, or communities benefit from such a focused and intentional effort?

Kelly