Fried Chicken,Watermelon, but no Kool-Aid

Breakfast was as I would say on point… There was Corn Tortillas,Eggs from the farm, pico de gallo,watermelon, cantaloupe, and that Nicaraguan rice and beans. I’m getting ahead of myself let me back up. I woke up at 6 in an attempt to workout but after a day of doing kitchen duties, socializing with the kids, and toughing out the heat the snooze button did it’s job. I arose 20 minutes later and grabbed my indestructible cell phone,white skull candy headphones and book “When Helping Hurts-How to alleviate poverty without hurting the poor and yourself”.

Found my spot by the beautiful freshwater lake and with highlighter in hand started dissecting my book. Will Reagan is blasting in my ear and I subconsciously hum along and it’s so windy the cotton University of Georgia pullover is my best friend before the sun is fully out. 

Some of my team members are on the mainland working on a church so the rest of us have a lot of ground to cover by 12. As I finish my watermelon juice which I could have swore tasted like kool-aid I’m informed that I’ll be in construction for the day. We start busting tiles,bricks,and concrete me and another island brother sing everything from Bob Marley, Eddie James, R.Kelly, and ended up on Negro Spirituals. We have water bottles filled with electrolytes and this overpriced sun hat is the only thing that’s keeping me from becoming a silhouette.(Laugh Here)

We’ve been working since 8 and it’s lunch time. I make my way to the back door of the kitchen and greet the staff with a smile and tight hugs. I see one of the ladies frying chicken and I do my happy dance. They say they missed me obviously I do a good job or so I hope. Lunch was fried chicken and a bunch of other traditional Nicaraguan food. After lunch my muscles are sore and hands are swollen from gripping the sledgehammer. I make my way dirty dishes in hand and proceed to help with the cleanup process.

This was my job all summer so cleaning the kitchen is almost customary for me. In my head I’m pulling together words to start a conversation but my actions take over so I let my work ethic do the talking. All are meals and dishes are cooked/cleaned with mineral water. It takes roughly 30 min to clean all the lunch dishes sweep, mop, and wipe down. I ask the lady if I was good to go and she says yes. I do the routine of giving hugs and head out to the back door.

All summer I couldn’t understand why God wanted me in a fast food restaurant. The work environment wasn’t the best and I was trying to fundraise and make money to live on. My flesh screamed that I was better than this but I didn’t let it have control. My work ethic skyrocketed from April to October. Was it hard? Yes hard as hell Was it worth it? Of course now I’m reaping the reward Would you do it again? Better believe it 

Prayer 

(Hand over heart) 

Jesus thank you for teaching us that no matter how hard the path may seem you are with us. Thank you for reminding us that your body was beaten,broken, and humiliated for me. Thank you for reminding us your power is made perfect in all of our weaknesses. We speak to the lies that the enemy and this world have spoon fed us over the years. We command those things to leave our hearts, families, jobs,schools and communities. Now Yeshua bless all the work we put our hands too. May be glorified in all that we do..

Amen