Genesis 1:3
Isn't that AWESOME!? When was the last time any of us said something and it just happened?! This was the very thing that was taught this past Saturday at VBS. It was a HUGE success! Everyone's prayers came to pass!! Thank you! It was beyond our expectations. God is SO good that way :)
We started out the morning by setting up at the community center and passing out flyers (yes, that very morning). Everyone had a part to play. I met up with some of the kids that play soccer with us and they started taking me to all of their friends houses. It is SOOO great how all you have to do is tell a kid about an event and they just show up. No waiting for lengthy decisions ... just, "This is what we're doing today, want to come? ... Yeah?!, Great! See you soon!" ... No permission slips needed ... hehehe ... it was so neat! They were all excited to have something to do too. We started out with about 10 kids. A lot of them were shy .. to shy to come in .. so we'd have to step outside and go get them. Once in, they just chatted away and waited for the morning to start. We began with some songs ... and a time of teaching. By the end of the first teaching, there were more kids! Leah did a great job in drawing illustrations for each of the "days" and all the activities/crafts/songs tied in really well with the teaching of creation. By the end of this whole thing, we had NO chairs left! The kids who had been wondering what was going on and slowly made their way in. By the end of the event we had 50 kids!! Our hopes was to have at least 10!! IF that!! :D They really enjoyed it ... older kids wanted to come in too! We reminded them that we would be doing this again the next Saturday and their faces were all aglow!Everyone was pooped by the end of the whole endeavor. The Lord REALLY brought the increase ... and we know that prayer can make anything happen. Thank you Lord for this "miracle" .. (http://www.calvarygreer.org/component/sermonspeaker/singlesermon/10313.html) Please continue to pray ... for this to have an effect on these kids' lives, for the Word to be sewn in their hearts permanently, and for this next week to bring as many kids as last week. It took some work .. but it was well worth it. So, in conclusion, doing this outreach was pure success! Thank you Jesus! Oh, and on another note ... one of the local Honduran women was SO excited because she was telling us that they never do outreaches for kids here! Isn't that incredible? She was so excited and even more so when the day was done!
Some other cool things that have been happening just started this week. Naomi has begun tutoring at the orphanage in the afternoons. She's tutoring the bilingual students (those learning english). Kyle has also begun tutoring another little boy. He is the son of the gentleman who owns the community center. The boy's name is Carlos too ... making it funny since Kyle is known as pCarlos here! (Yes, you read correctly ... "PCarlos", the P is silent! ... inside joke! :D )
You don't think of it when you're back home but there is some down time when on the mission field and .. I see it as almost necessary ... at least for this trip. It's been so good to have fellowship here. It reminds me of one of the verses that rings true in our family and I believe it should in all of our families: Hebrews 10:23-25 - Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
Please continue to pray for the afternoon "Futbol" games here. We're getting more kids and their beginning to get a little aggressive. We keep reminding them that "it's just a game and we're all here to have fun." On a couple of occasions, we've almost had to stop the game completely. Pray also for their attention spans ... it's kind of hard reading to them when one is distracting the whole bunch! I'll miss playing soccer with them very much! And my kids play with their younger siblings at our house ... We're ALL going to miss that.
Oh yeah, the missions field doesn't go without any adventure ... the other day, Naomi made pins for bowling out of boxes and used the soccer ball. It's what missionaries do when they're bored I guess! It was so much fun! It almost feels like we're in the reality of everyday there in the States ... but, maybe more so with a clear purpose and a focus. To bring the Lord to those who are lost. An encouragement to you missionaries who are coming in one week is this ... don't be like everyone else ... anyone can be like the world. Be like Jesus ... follow His lead and do it! He'll be with you!!
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This is so exciting! Thank you Jesus for your faithfulness. You DO provide the increase..we just need to be obedient and take the message. I am moved to tears and cannot wait until you guys are back in SC and can share in person all that the Lord has done! We love and miss you guys so much! Love and Prayers, Keli
ReplyDeleteGod really does work exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think! It's so awesome to see how God is using each of you. Thank you for letting us know the work that God is doing there. Praying for you!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Teresa