Aloha family and friends! (Oops, wrong country) ☺
Same team! Those are the couple of words that have been running through my head ever since we’ve been here. Even though there have been funny moments with the language barrier, being able to play soccer together and serve together has really shown us that we truly are one team: one family. In the words of Pastor Gomez, we want to not only know people’s names and faces, but know their homes, their lives, their stories.
On Wednesday, the Jovenes of Mount Olives took us out to explore the country a little more. We visited an active volcano (there was a lot of coughing at the top), went to another church for lunch, and visited a beautiful lake, where a couple of the students rode horses… and I was on a donkey. Before moving on, I just wanted to say how blessed I was by the other church that prepared lunch for us. They prepared lunch for 40 of us with one phone call and two days notice. They’ve never even met us! But they were so welcoming and loving: it truly shows that people here believe in the universal church, that we are all children of the same God, our Father.
As I mentioned before, this week is dedicated to VBS (Vacation Bible School). Everyday from 1400-1700, we meet with about 140-150 children from the ages of 3-13. We start out the days by singing songs and teaching motions. Then, we move on to stations (of which there are four). The VBS kids play games, eat snacks, learn dances to songs, and make crafts. After we wear them down a little, we meet back together to review the songs and motions before they go home. Although draining, it is very exciting to see changes in these kids in such short time. Oh, the power of beginning and ending our work in prayer.
What God has shown me these past few days has been amazing. I see that the team is faithfully enduring through physical tiredness – and even sickness (mild stomach problems) – working through language barriers, and really trying to build one another up. They are doing such a great job and I don’t think they will comprehend how proud of them I am. We’ve witnessed some of the kids returning from a day’s worth of VBS completely changed: no longer timid or withdrawn, but enthusiastic and excited to learn about God.
Tonight, we will be celebrating the women of Mount Olives (and our 3 JCA women) with a special service. They will be receiving manicures, massages, and eating a delicious dinner that the brothers will prepare. We expect about 40-50 women to be there with us.
Prayer Requests:
1. There haven’t been any major illnesses. Please continue to pray for physical protection.
2. Paul wrote to Timothy, “Be ready in and out of season.” P. Josh will be preaching his 2nd and 3rd unexpected sermon this weekend. Please pray for him to be used powerfully. I will also be preaching again this Sunday. Please pray for us.
3. Saturday night, our team will combine with the Jovenes to host an evangelistic event. Please pray that our love for each other will represent Christ’s love for us.
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