In Abaco, the story of Martha and Mary taught the Third Church IMPACT Team a profound truth: every offering, from painting a house to sharing joy with a child like Nini, is equally vital to God’s beautiful work. These powerful takeaways from team members Adoniah and Taityn are an expression of how God is moving on the island.
When we arrived in Abaco, we saw the beauty of the island wrapped around crystal clear water. The swaying of the palm trees in the mild breeze brought a sort of comfort we didn’t even know we needed. Not long after we began to drive to the campsite, we saw the broken buildings, boarded up windows, and abandoned homes that lingered of pain and suffering. As if the brokenness of the buildings represented the brokenness that is still in their hearts and their minds from this catastrophic disaster.
When we went out into the community, we painted a house for a family. A little girl who called herself Nini was filled with joy. She wanted to help us make her house a home. Some of the girls in the group spent time with her and made her smile and laugh. Her hugs were the kind that bring you back to every beautiful memory you have ever experienced.
Some people would see the people painting and look at the girls playing with Nini and would think that they are not working or doing anything to help. But as we think about the story of Martha and Mary in the Bible, Jesus teaches us that both Martha, who was making the food, and Mary, who was enjoying the presence of Jesus, were doing the right thing. Understanding this passage, we can see that both the people painting and the girls playing with Nini were doing God’s work. How amazing it is to have a God who uses everything we have to offer to make it something beautiful.
– Adoniah and Taityn
