The first Orthodox Basic Training (OBT) has officially arrived and are safely settled in here at St. Innocent Orphanage. The boys and staff were very busy making pre-trip preparations over the last week to get ready for the 96 people to descend upon our little ranch. This week, these 96 peope will have a spiritually rich environment in which they will be living as well as building 4 houses for needy families in the poor communities of Mexico. Everyone arrived and were given a full tour of the facilities of St. Innocent Orphanage, which then was followed by the building of tent city! Shortly after constructing this metropolis, everyone was gathered to pray and have dinner. If there is one thing that everyone will be good at at the end of the week, it will be saying the Our Father in spanish. Padre nuestro...
Speaking of padres, Fr. Michael Nasser, the priest who lives with his family here at the orphanage, gave a very good evening discussion regarding God's will and what we are doing here. He made some very good points about not concentrating on what the end goal is and what it will mean once we reach it, but rather the daily journey throughout our lives that often gets forgotten. His discussion concluded by talking about our daily lives and how if we choose to, we can make that journey doing God's work - to love. "We get to do God's work this week while we are here. We get to love a family and give them a house. We don't have to, but we get to."
The evening concluded with the dividing up into small groups and a round of ice breakers as each home building crew came up with a team name and song/dance.
Thank God we are all here safe and sound, ready for the first work day -- concrete! Can't wait :)
That's a nice Information booth...
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