Can I just say, I love going back to the same place
twice? Today was wonderful as the group
was able to reconnect with the kids they saw yesterday. Let’s back up first…
We started the day with breakfast and devotions, finishing
chapter 1 in James. We had a great
conversation about hearing and doing, and what it means to have a true and genuine
religion.
Just like yesterday, we headed off to the childcare center
down the street and got ready to work with the kids. The older kids were there and we did our
“drama” with them, taking time to explain the reasons why God put the different
stories in the Bible. They were
interactive and involved. It was
refreshing to watch.
Then the team
shared a little about themselves and we opened it up for a little Q&A. They didn’t have a lot of questions, so we
asked them questions – what sports did they like to play, what did they want to
be when they grew up, how many siblings they had (one kid had 11 siblings AND
no one was an only child!), etc. One of
the questions they asked our team was, “what is your favorite meal?” to which Hayley replied, “Pasta con Pollo”,
which in Spanish means “cocaine and chicken”.
We all got a good laugh from that.
Afterwards we worked on their books and helped serve their lunch. As they finished eating, they said goodbye
and headed off for school.
We had lunch and then prepared for the little kids. As they showed up, we sat them down and
served them lunch. It is always fun
watching the team interact with the kids while they are eating. This group has been very interactive and
involved with the kids. The eventually
finished eating and we prepared for our Q&A time with them.
To make it more fun, we had the team introduce themselves
and we questioned them along the way to see if they could remember the kids
names and where they were from. Hillary
was called Noah, the kids thought Kyle was from India (and was an Indian), they
had the hardest time remembering Ohio, but they really enjoyed hearing from the
team. We took some time for questions, they
asked about our birthdates, favorite foods, etc. They seemed to really enjoy
it.
Then it was time to go outside and play – and play they did.
Simon says, partner tag, run around and join in groups of 3, 5, 6,7, 10 –
whatever number was called. The kids
were having a wonderful time – and so was the team. It is always fun to see kids laughing and
playing.
When it was time for the kids to go, we went upstairs, gave
them their books – challenged them to finish them in 3 weeks, and then sent
them on their way with a little candy.
The day went extremely well.
A little after 4 we returned to the hotel, cleaned up, many
of the team took time to journal, and then we played some games together. We were waiting for the 8 o’clock dinner with
Fausto and family, Andres and family, Solidad and her children, and Erick. This is a great time of blessing as we hear
their stories, and are challenged to pray for them. This was one of the most powerful evenings
last year, and I pray that it will have the same impact on the team this
year. Including Fausto and his family in
the dinner will really make things that much more exciting. He is a great example of Jesus.
We had a great dinner – Lomo Saltado – steak, onions,
peppers, fries and rice. But the best
part was when the pastors and Solidad shared.
They asked for prayer for the missions at their church, their
evangelistic outreaches, the children and their studies, and Erick asked for
prayer for his continued education.
Eventually we packed up all of our things, loaded the bus
and headed for Lima. Our time in Huaraz
was wonderful and we still have 2 more wonderful days of ministry ahead of
us. Tomorrow I get to see Norma!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY – while we were talking with the younger
kids, some of them went to the table where the puzzles were. They accidentally knocked them off the table,
but they put them all back on the table.
They were convinced they could solve the puzzles, but all of the puzzles
were very similar pictures, and the pieces were the same size (and many the
same shape). It was an effort in
futility – no matter how hard they tried, it would take a very long time to
complete one of the puzzles, nevertheless 4 of them.
How many of us mess up and make a mess of our lives and then
seek to solve the problems and put it all back together again. It is impossible! No matter how hard we try, we cannot fix what
we have broken.
However, our God is
great, and with Him nothing is impossible.
With just a spoken word, that which was unable to be repaired can be
made new.
How do I know this? He did it for me. He does it every day. He is a great and wonderful God.
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