Well, it's 11:30pm Nica Time. Just finished our final porch time (the time of our day where we gather together and discuss our day). Everyone is feeling the tension of leaving tomorrow, being excited to get home but at the same time processing leaving the kids behind. This afternoon Peter Strickland (senior from Spring Branch) typed up some thoughts to share for you. Unfortunately, It's late and I still need to pack. So I'm not about to sit here for 15 minutes for pictures to upload...SORRY! So enjoy Peter's thoughts and check out your kids cameras OR Facebook (if your kids didn't take picutres) if you want to see pictures! Prayers for our trip tomorrow and by God's grace we will see you all at 11:55pm in Norfolk!
Today started with both groups leaving to attend church services at the churches they have been serving in Nuevo Vida. Spring Branch arrived at Guillermo’s (the pastor) church at around 9:15 for the service. The church is one building that is used as a kitchen and a small room connected to the outside where everyone can meet. With all of us there the room was filled to the point where it was standing room only for all of the guys, with Kurt Werth having to watch through the window.
Before Guillermo began to preach all of the children were taken outside for their own Sunday school. I wasn’t sure if we were supposed to join them, but a young boy named Mercelo ran up to me, grabbed my hand, and pulled me outside with them. The Sunday school was simply the reading of Psalm 42 with the kids. All of them were amazed by my English Bible and took turns flipping through it. Even though I was outside and surrounded by kids I could still hear Guillermo’s passionate preaching coming from out the church.
As the service ended we began to say our goodbyes to the kids. It was the last time we would be seeing the whole group or coming to their church and feeding center. What struck me about this was the way the kids handled it. Most of the Spring Branch team was crying because of how close we had grown to these kids in the past four days, saying goodbye to them seemed impossible. The kids on the other hand had the most hopeful outlook I have ever seen. They kept hugging us and simply telling us “hasta lluego” or see you later. Using the translators they told us how much they love us and how they would keep praying for us after we leave.
This group of kids has made a huge impact on my life. Here are some of the things that are going to stick with me after this week ends: First is the love and joy these kids displayed every time I saw them. Going into this I felt like I was supposed to be the one showing all the love I didn’t expect it to work the other way around. Next is their spirit. They are living in the worst conditions I’ve ever seen but it doesn’t phase them at all. They have constant hope despite their circumstances. Last is the heart they have for Christ. Each day of the VBS they couldn’t wait to learn more about Christ, they instantly memorized verses, could tell us the key phrase from every day, and constantly wore the crosses that we had helped them make.
We leave to come back to the states tomorrow. My biggest prayer coming home is that I will never grow complacent. I hope that the things I’ve seen this week will be on my mind 6 months from now as much as they will be tomorrow morning. I don’t want this to just be a trip to see the Third World, I want this to constantly effect me.
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