Friday July 9th, 2010
A raindrop plopping in a pond causes ripples. Those ripples collide with lily pads, leaves, and twigs, each of which sends back other ripples. Soon there is an interconnected web of waves sending out bouncing and reverberating ripples which connect and intertwine because it has started to rain.
The Construction Team co-opted the Preparation Team and the Welsh volunteers today as we all worked together to finish the major projects at Capel Seion in Waurnaurloydd (or something sort of like that). Hamman’s heroes finished painting the Vestry a lovely light green, and its doors a subtle brick red; they replaced window sills, cabinets, and heaters. When we were finished for the day, we met in the completed Vestry, and held hands in a circle to pray and celebrate. What was black and moldy was now spring green, the symbol of life and rebirth. We applauded and took a bow. We took pictures of the group. We laughed. Then we boarded a sixteen seat taxi and headed back to Swansea.
It would seem that all we did was spruce up a room in a church. A big room, yes, and one that will be used to teach many children and youth for a long time to come. But not Earth-shaking in importance, you might think. But our efforts had a ripple effect. Agape begets agape. Inspired by our efforts, the church we were working at, Capel Seion, decided that they wanted to complement our efforts on their behalf with some efforts of their own. They decided to have new carpet laid in the Worship Area and the Vestry. Those just happened to be the only two rooms we were working in. Coincidence? The net effect is that the Church was a quantum leap ahead of where it was when we came to see it for the first time just three days ago.
But wait. There’s more. As we were leaving for the day, preparing to board the taxi, a man pulled his truck up behind us, hopped out and asked us if we were painting the church. When we replied affirmatively, he said that he was a paint salesman and he wanted to give us all the free paint that we could use. He plans to drop by first thing tomorrow with cans and cans of the stuff. We can’t use all of them tomorrow, of course, but we might be back. And there are many rooms in the church that could use a good coat of paint. But more important is the sweet, spontaneous, generous attitude of this good man who offered what he had to people he didn’t know for a cause he certainly must have understood. Whether he is a Christian (which is rare in this country) or not, the ripple he created is unmistakable.
Maybe he just happened by and saw the outside concrete of the entryway had been painted an eye-catching bright yellow. Or maybe he was motivated to drop by because his child (like all the children) was handed a leaflet in the nearby Welsh school proclaiming that Capel Seion will “have a team of friends from America . . . who have organized games, crafts, songs, and stories for the kids” and that this activity will perhaps serve as a springboard for “a regular kids club in September.”
Yesterday Allen, Deedee, Jennifer, and Shannon accompanied Derek to a nearby town called Pontlliw to a chapel called Carmel. We met Derek’s mentor, Vince, a gracious senior pastor who plied us with Bara Brith (much like American Pumpkin Bread), Welsh Cakes, and tea while we painted the wrought iron fence which ran along the road. At lunch time, Welsh Elder Alan Jones and his lovely wife Ceri came all the way from their home in northern Cardiff (Rhiwbina to be precise) to see Allen and Deedee. Among other things, Elder Alan brainstormed with Elder Allen over many future ministry possibilities in Wales for an infinite number of Henderson Hills teams.
Allen wants to do them all. The unity between the American team is sweet. The love between the Okies and the Welsh is communicable. The ground is sometimes rocky and the work is often hard, but many of the Okies are already planning to return or return again. The food is rich, fried, and fattening: Welsh Rarebit. Hot Tea. Welsh Cakes. Bara Brith. Hot Tea. Sticky Toffee Pudding with Custard. And Hot Tea. And then, of course, there is the main reason we came here In the first place: Plowing, Sowing, and Reaping the Harvest. Meeting people. Learning from them. Loving them. Letting them love us.
Wales is one of the wettest countries in Europe. The deep pools of water have been
stagnant for a long time. But it is beginning to rain. The silver surface is beginning to reverberate with splashes here and there. In December we seem to have made a bit of a splash in Capel Gomer. This trip, we are seeing some ripples in Llanelli, Pontlliw, and especially Waurnaurloydd. The Spirit is moving upon the face of the waters. What a thrill to be caught up in the rain!
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