Saying Good-bye

I am sitting in a hotel room in La Paz reflecting on what an awesome week this was. My wake-up call is scheduled for 3:00 in order to catch a 6:30 flight to Miami. But, I have to put down my thoughts on our closing time in Uspa Uspa.

The water filter project was an amazing success. I talked to at least 20 women who thanked me (many in tears) for coming to their community and providing them with a tool to keep their families healthy. But, despite the success of this important project, none of the team members say that it was the most significant part of the trip. Instead, they insist that the trip was about a connection—a connection between two communities separated by thousands of miles that will make a difference in both.

When we were training before the trip, Anthony said that he would do anything except share a testimony. But when we were asked to share with the community during a parents’ workshop on the importance of the family, Anthony was the first to volunteer. He got up in front of 40 or so Bolivians and shared what his family has gone through in the last four years and how his parents have stuck with him. Laura followed him by sharing some of the pains of her family history. I followed them by preaching from Colossians 3 (the household codes). The point of the workshop was obvious—families are important. Whether you are Bolivian or American, families are important and God wants us to be faithful within them.

When we were done speaking, Marianne, the little girl Brooke and I sponsor, came up to the front to hug me and give me a gift (a beautiful alpaca scarf). Another woman approached Anthony in tears to thank him for sharing—I can only imagine what she must be going through with her own boys. As the community said “good-bye,” we couldn’t help but feel that we would be missed.

Throughout FH’s pre-trip training, they emphasize that it’s not about the project, it’s about the relationships. They couldn’t be more right. Water filters break, but a shared story can change a life. The filters are an inroad to a relationship, and a relationship is a vehicle for the Gospel.

I am returning to the States more excited than ever about the C2C. It is one of the best projects I have ever been involved with. I am already planning for 2012, and I can’t wait to see what God does as we continue to walk with Uspa Uspa.

See you on Wednesday!