There are many analogies that we can draw when talking about foundations.  If a building doesn’t have good foundations, for example, a building won’t be safe or stand for very long.  The reverse is also true.  A building with strong foundations is a strong building. 

When 27 people left England to venture to Peru to work with a small charity to help with the building of a new school, we expected the foundations to be laid so that we could spend our time on the parts of the school which everyone can see.

When we got there to find that the foundations had only been partially laid, we knew that we were in for some hard work but we hadn’t fully appreciated the lessons that we would learn. 

Good strong foundations are essential for a strong building – that much is true.  But how much preparation goes into it?  How many times do you have to dig?  When the rains come and threaten your work and fill the foundation holes which you have dug, how much work will need to be done to remove the water?  More importantly, is it something that you can do alone or do you need the help of a team of others to get rid of the water and fill the foundations before the next tropical storm comes along?  Is it better to have many small teams working to complete the foundations or is it quicker, more fun and more productive to work as one large group?
What will be the impact on those 27 people if they do work as one large group?  Will the bond be stronger, the memories be dearer and the experiences sweeter?  

We found that answer to all these questions through trail and error.   We learned that even though God may have one task planned for you, plans could change and we have to love God enough and trust Him enough to change directions when He changes plans.  

We learned that often it is more important to spend time working on those things that no one will ever see and leave the obvious, external and frequently seen bits to God.

We learned that things will not always be easy, relationships may sometimes be forged through difficulties but through that strong friendships will inevitably be forged. 
We learned that a good foundation can’t be built by individuals and that even though they can be laid by small teams working toward the same goal, the best results will come by working together as a single team.

In the process we had fun, we got ill, we lost weight, we got sunburned, we lost possessions in a car jacking.  More importantly, God was with us all the way.  He protected us, guided us and taught us to trust Him more.

A three week journey became the journey of a lifetime forging friendships that will last a lifetime!