Nick Larson

I feel like God showed me so many things, and is still showing me more things as I continue to process through the trip.  One thing that was really encouraging to see while we were there was the Men’s Bible study they have once a week.  Many of the same guys we worked with during the day were there that night.  It was really cool to see the men of the church give up their days to come help with the construction, then go home to clean up and come back to church to apply the word of God to their lives.  During that time, one of the men shared how he tries to show love to others.  He shared how he used to not be able to afford a car, and his neighbor who did have a car wouldn’t give him a ride.  He said that now he always tries to give people rides when they need them.  As he was sharing this, I was realizing how many things I take for granted here in the United States, and just how many things I count as necessities that really aren’t.  Later in the week, we also found out that an average salary for a plantation worker is around $250 a month, and $200 for a teacher.  That amount is less than a car payment for many people in the United States!  Being down there and seeing things like this really reminded me of the book “Radical” that we read in Sunday School earlier this year and just how easy it is for us to get ensnared in the American Dream.

Nick Larson