Santo Domingo habitat build 2007

Sharing Spiritual Gifts in Ecuador

By Beth Rosenthal

1 Corinthians 12:4-6 says that every Christian is gifted, gifted with a variety of spiritual gifts. The Spirit will indicate what gift is given to whom. One way to really find out what one's gift is, is to start serving others and one's spiritual abilities will evidence themselves.

Eleven strangers, with an eclectic collection of gifts became a close-knit family as we shared those gifts with newfound friends in Santo Domingo, Ecuador in February 2007. Each of us had our own reasons for being there, but we had one common goal, working hard to build someone else's dream.

Each one of us on this Illinois South Conference partnership team had our own special gift. We all found we had some gifts we didn't know we had. We all worked well as a team. We each brought our own unique talents and personalities and God wove them into a Habitat for Humanity construction team.

It seems my nursing skills were appreciated by the team. Actually, all I had to do was clean a few scratches, ice an ankle or two, and watch for heat exhaustion. But, I am happy to say; I also found that I could help in more ways than one. I found I was able to tuck point concrete blocks and do more physical labor than I am used to. We can all learn something new if we put our mind to it and know we are serving others. When I was mortaring, I was compelled to keep going whether my hands were tired or not. It was satisfying work.

All of us became very connected to the house, which we were building for Nora and her son. It was a very moving experience. Some of us got quite emotional when it was time to leave the house and its family. I know we would all highly recommend such mission trips to all who want to learn more about themselves, about others, and about God and God's love. Experiencing it first-hand is so amazing and fulfilling that it's nearly impossible to convey it to anyone else. All of us who formed this mission team will always have a special bond and friendship. We are also now connected to some wonderful Christian people in Ecuador.

This mission trip was a reminder that God is everywhere and loves all his children, rich or poor, urban or rural, Spanish speaking or English speaking. We need to keep that in mind and spread the good news. Speaking only for myself, but probably for the rest of the team, I know I will return to share my gifts again. This was a truly special experience.

2007 Team members: