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During the Young Adult Celebration on April 17, people got to reconnect with old friends and share a delicious meal of pulled pork together. Following a time of worship in the EMM meetinghouse, six people shared their testimonies of God at work in their lives. Heidi Martin, an alumna of the 2002 Spain YES team, shared the following story of God’s transforming work. While in YES re-entry in April 2003, we were warned that people from home may not be interested in hearing about our entire YES experience. The leaders advised us to think of one or two sentences that we could share when someone asked how it went.
I could have said: “My trip was great. On New Year’s Eve, my team made a campfire on the beach and went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea under a cover of brilliant stars.”
Or: “It was kinda dangerous. Chad got bit by a wild dog while on a leisurely run and Bethany stepped on a rusty nail on her birthday. We were in a small car accident, and Laura was nearly swept away by swooning men asking for her hand in marriage on a regular basis.”  Photo by Mike Gingerich
To make things interesting, I tried to think of something short and dramatic. So this is how my conversation would usually go.
“Hi, Heidi. You’re back already? That was fast.”
“I was away for nearly a year!”
“So how was it?”
“It was awesome.”
“What did you learn?”
“I learned that I am ugly.”
To that response, I received raised eyebrows and a quizzical look. Really, this answer should not have been quite so surprising. Isn’t that what happens when you move away from home for the first time at age 19 and live in tight quarters with a team of people that you didn’t know three months ago? I found out very quickly just how ugly I am. I lack patience, generosity, kindness, humor, grace and the list goes on.
My awareness of this reached a pinnacle while I was in North Africa. But first, let me back up and describe our outreach.
My team of six traveled to Almeria, Spain, in December 2002 to spend four months at the ports. Twice a day, six days a week, my team loaded carts with packets that contained a New Testament, the Jesus video, a cassette, and even books for children. The packets were written in Spanish, Arabic, and Berber.
The ferry traveled between Spain and North Africa. As people – mostly North Africans – got on and off the boat, my team stood in strategic areas around the port telling individuals that we had a gift and it was free. We did this in limited Spanish, French, and the two words of Arabic that we learned in a crash course. Most people ignored us. Some grabbed packets as they trotted past. A few stopped to debate. One teenager dared to whisper, “I am a Christian” as he walked by.
Then we traveled to North Africa, which was quite different from Spain – much more rugged. We were not prepared for the cold, the type of work we were asked to do, or just how many men were named “Mohammed.” There was Teacher Mohammed who taught us Arabic, Mr. A. Mohammed who took us to town, Kitchen Mohammed who helped prepare lunch, and Worker Mohammed – or “Boss Mo” as we affectionately called him – who gave us our daily chores.
One morning, Boss Mo waltzed into the kitchen and announced, “Today you move earth.” I believe all six of us dropped our jaws and gawked. We didn’t know what exactly he meant, but “moving earth” did not sound easy. We spent most of that day with a pickax and shovels, moving a hill of dirt from one spot to another spot about sixty feet away. Oh, yes, and it was snowing.
 Photo by Greg Yoder
That storm raged inside me for a greater part of the day. Though I did not say one word, Bethany, the team leader, must have noticed my steaming ears. When she confronted me, I broke and guiltily confessed all.
My team leader and I are great friends and we often laugh about this story, which is why I can share it so openly now. The whole time my insides raged, I knew it was ridiculous. I was livid at my team leader over a jar of strawberry jelly. Now that’s ugly.
I value my time in YES. I loved training. I still have reunions with my team. My mind often returns to North Africa when I glance through photos, and I long for the day when I can physically return to that beautiful region.
Before I left HDC to attend college, I was given a verse which has played a significant role in my life ever since. It comes from Philippians: “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (emphasis added).
I believe the Lord is completing this good work in all of us – taking the ugly and making it lovely – even if he has to take a pickax and shovel and “move earth” to do so.
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