Our morning started just like every other; breakfast and devotions. Today, our devotion/discussion focused on God's provision and what it means to trust him. We centered around Matthew 14:13-21; sharing about times when God provided for us.
We then headed straight to Sunnyland. Sunnyland is a 4.5 acre acreage that in-time will be turned into a haven for people with down syndrome, autism, and cerebral palsy. Currently, there are 3 families that reside on the property. They tend to the land and the animals.
On our way to Sunnyland, one of the 2 vans with half the group started experiencing some issues and it had to limp along to the acreage.
Once we arrived, it was straight to work. Last week at Sunnyland, our half of the group saw that there was a lot of work cut out for us (literally). For those who haven't read the blog from our last time at Sunnyland, we were tasked with clearing an orchard of all the pruned and groomed trees. Although we worked hard, it seemed only a small dent was made in the piles of wood. Today, working with a full force, we were able to break down and pile all the wood. The families that live there plan to use this wood for their cooking and heating, and can now use the orchard more effectively.
For lunch, we were welcomed into the main building for some homemade chicken noodle soup and sausage. The soup happened to contain everything from the chicken except the feet. Some people had chicken hearts, some had ribs and necks, some people had unknown round/veiny parts... Organs aside, we were super blessed to have a tasty home-cooked meal provided for us.
During our work time, Pietro, Sasha, and Dasha would come out to help. These are a few of the residents who live on site, and helped stoke the inspiration for the dream of Sunnyland. It was really cool getting to work alongside them. It's amazing to see how God has provided such an incredible and unique facility. This enables them to be themselves, practice usable skills, and create a sense of purpose.
At the end of the day as we said our goodbyes, we discovered that the keys to the working van were locked in. This caused for a packed ride in the broken van to the restaurant where we'd have our supper. Someone from the church met us there with an extra key that was then delivered back to Sergei, who brought the van to the restaurant. The group was then able to split into both vans for our journey home. The one van limped back, and will be switched out for the remainder of our time here.
It's really heartening to hear about the vision that Sunnyland has for people with disabilities. It's awesome to see God's plan begin to unfold for the families there, and would like to invite you to pray for them as they continue on this journey.
God bless!
Dom + Zach
