A Change of Plans

October 2025 Mission Team

Posted March 6, 2026

This is an excerpt of a mission team journal entry written by Malcolm Stranathan. Used with permission.

“Our heart plans our way, but the Lord directs our steps.”
– Proverbs 16:9

“You’ve got to write something in the journal,” Jacki says.
My reply: “I’ve been trying to think of something to write.”

I reckon that, for me, this week could be titled after that old Yiddish saying: “Man plans, God laughs.”

It was challenging to get folks to commit to an October trip so close to WUMC’s mission trip in April, where we helped build a new home for Renata. That earlier trip came together slowly, with the last couple of folks signing up just a week or so before we left. In the end, we had a good-sized group. I had hoped that a few more people might sign up at the last minute for this trip, but it was not to be. My plan went by the wayside.

I had envisioned completing a lot more work on the ground floor of the Ministry Hub. I thought we’d be putting up walls and assumed the framing would be wood. Instead, it was metal tracks and studs. Thankfully, Jefry was our teacher, patiently explaining the process as we exploded nails into the metal tracks, set studs on 16-inch centers, measured each for plumb, and connected them to the cement walls with three individually handmade brackets.

We completed one interior wall—the entrance and common room—running the length of the building minus the kitchen. I had imagined all four walls up, with an interior wall and doorway between the entrance and common room. It couldn’t happen.

Wednesday morning we visited three bateys to deliver food. We stopped first at Estela’s church in Batey 2 to help distribute the food, then our team split into two groups. Jacki, Mike, and I went to Batey 9. I had hoped to see Renata, the homeowner from April’s mission trip. But with the weather turning, instead of staying to help, we unloaded the Manna Packs and beans and climbed back into the truck bed to return to the Ministry Hub to continue prepping the walls. I missed not seeing Renata.

The plan for that afternoon was to work on the exterior walls, sealing them with waterproof paint before erecting any more metal framing. But before painting, the walls had to be prepped—bleach-washed to remove any mold or mildew that had formed over the years—and then left to dry. We took care of washing the walls and headed back to camp.

By that time, I felt we weren’t getting much accomplished. Tropical Storm Melissa was causing trouble. Would the walls dry overnight? If not, no painting—and no more framing.

That evening, Ricardo laid out a new plan for Thursday: we’d remove a slab of tile and cement where the old office had been, prep the exterior walls if they were dry, and ready them for paint.

Thursday morning we arrived to find the walls dry despite the night’s rain. The jackhammer made quick work of removing the slab and tile, and I scraped and swept the residue away before we started painting. As the paint went up, the gaps and holes in the cement block became obvious. We needed to fill them with mortar—but none was available. The government had shut down businesses because of Melissa, so the hardware stores were closed. That task would have to wait for Friday.

Driving back to the Ministry Hub after lunch at Jacki’s apartment, we passed several hardware stores—all closed, like most of the town. We headed back to camp.

That afternoon and evening were full of changed plans. You can’t change the weather, and you can’t wish Tropical Storm Melissa away. We were at least dry (mostly), and still had Friday. But that evening the government declared the area a red zone, which meant stores would stay closed and no supplies would be available. Best-made plans, reworked or not, all came to nothing.

Friday we returned to the primary mission of the Least of These Ministries—delivering food to two of the furthest bateys, Isabela and San Rafael. The folks there had few resources and couldn’t get to town to buy food, so the Manna Packs and beans we brought were vital. The roads were open, and we made the trip.

We delivered and served the food in Isabela, and then the truck continued on to San Rafael. I didn’t get to visit that one this time, but I remembered being there years ago—it was dry, with limited water and a brackish source that made daily life hard. I remembered curbed streets and a few scattered homes. I had hoped to compare that memory with today’s visit, but that will have to wait for another trip.

Looking back, I reckon God knew that a large team this time would have been a challenge. As God precedes us in all things, I have to say a small team of mostly patient, go-with-the-flow people was exactly what was needed—with the changing projects, the storm, and our dashed plans.

The primary mission was accomplished: people received food to get them through the storm.

One afternoon, while I was lamenting the lack of progress, Marty put things in perspective. He said, “The things we did would have had to be done by someone at some point, so what we did was all helpful.”

Maybe that was what God had planned all along.

More photos from the event!

Click on any photo to enlarge & scroll.