Wednesday we went into Leveque and the village champions brought us around to houses to speak with the families and pray with them. We asked questions like, ‘how many people live here, do your children attend school, do you go to church, do you believe in Jesus?” All but two of the families answered that they believed in Jesus and attended church. Many of the families were joyfully telling us how they have been blessed by God lately. They were thankful to Him for their houses, the trees we planted, and simply for waking up to a new day.
A lady at one of the houses had not been feeling well when we planted a tree the day before. When we returned, she told us with excitement how, after we had prayed over her the day before, she began to feel better. She was so happy to see us and to be able to tell us how well she felt. It was a reminder to all of us that prayer makes a difference.
After visiting and praying with many people we visited with the kids in the community center. We played soccer and other games and held numerous kids at once. They were very sweet.
Thursday we returned to Leveque to finish planting our 60 trees. We had to pick up our trees at the nursery on the way. Some were infested with ants—fast moving, biting ants!—but we were determined to get our job done. We planted all but 7 before we took our lunch break. We completed our task after lunch with time left to play with the kids again! Our MOH interns told is that they had never seen such a small group plant so many before and they had doubted that we would get it done. It was all through God giving us the strength—we were all hot, sore and exhausted before we even started out Thursday morning.
In the evening we received our greatest blessing. We were on the roof having our MOH debrief and a huge rainstorm came. It is not the season for rain and yet our new trees were being watered and the air was being cooled. What a beautiful demonstration of I Corinthians 3:6, “one planted, another watered, but it is God who causes the growth.” We slept so well last night. God is good ALL the time.
Today we have a much needed relaxation day at WaHoo Bay Beach resort before heading home. Thank you, Frazer family, for your prayers while we have been here and your continued prayers for a safe journey home. And don’t forget to pray in the days ahead that God will continue to water the trees we have planted—both physically, and spiritually!