Repairs, Renewal, Rebuilding

"We all promise that we will take care of the Temple of our God." Nehemiah 10:39b

The building where the church in Remedios gathers is over 100 years old. They have been using the building for 75 years. A lot of blessings, prayers, hymns have taken place within their walls. Now the building itself needs some repairs.

After a weekend full of activities with the young people and in Buenavista, it is time to take out the tools of the trade and start working on the church building. This time it's the doors. Three large doors on the front of the building need to be stripped of the brown and bluish layers of paint to get to the wood. So heat guns on hand we start the day stripping paint to get to the old wood underneath.

While we stripped the doors, Pastor Alexis was using very large cement drill to go through a very thick wall. He made a hole to install a power outlet on the other side.

The amount of work that needs to be done is overwhelming. It takes resources, but mostly patience.

The whole time I was working on the doors I was thinking of all the talented people in construction that I know and wished they were here.

But they had provided the next best thing: tools and resources to do the work.

People at SVCC in California supplied the tools; and together with other believers throughout the U.S., supported in prayer a team to work shoulder to shoulder with our brothers and sisters in Cuba; to make a difference--not just in the church building, but in the lives of people in both countries.

So I think of the Israelites and Nehemiah, working together to rebuild the walls around Jerusalem. They overcome obstacles, draw closer to God, remember what God has done for them, re-awaken spiritually, and renew their commitment to God.

- Oscar

These men who are part of the church repaired the walls. They filled large plastic bags with debris then carted it off.

WALL REPAIRS

BEFORE

AFTER

ELECTRICAL BOX

BEFORE

AFTER