Day 4

Today started off quite fun. Karen, Tamara and I went to visit the local hospital. Karen and Tamara are nurses so they really enjoyed the experience. It was quite different from North American hospitals. After touring the hospital we walked over to a local school in progress and saw where the kids went to school. The classrooms were over crowded and the teachers had alot of work on their hands. The ratio was about 1 teacher to 40-50 students. It was alot of fun and a really cool experience.

After lunch half of our team started to experience what we think is food poisoning, but we are not sure. They are sick at the moment and we are praying for them to feel better so they can take part more tomorrow. Karen, Tamara, Sarah, Norine, Dave, and Chad are experiencing sickness right now so keep them in your prayers.

In the afternoon we had Day 1 of VBS. We had over 500 kids show up and we started with ball tag. The kids were squeling and having alot of fun. I saw big smiles on their faces as I chased them. Chad ran the game even though he was a little sick and did a wonderful job.

After the game, I gave them a short 5 minute testimony about my life. The story was about my friend and I who went canoeing one time. He is scared of water and didn't want to go unless I knew what I was doing. I told him I was good at it and we went out. When we were far away from the land and the waves were crashing against us He got scared and said "What do we do?" I said "I don't know this is my first time in a canoe!" So basically He trusted me when he should not have. So I challenged the kids to mke sure they trust in what is Faithful and True. If you believe lies it will just hurt you in the end, but if you believe the Truth it will be a blessing for you.

After the testimony, we sang songs. The kids love dancing and actions so we sang songs with both. One of the songs the children knew in their own language and sang along as well. Dave, Amos, and Elizabeth from Strathmore did a wonderful job planning the songs and the kids really took to it. It was too bad Dave was too sick sick to take part, but his planning allowed it to run smoothly.

I then taught the lesson for the day. The theme was redemption. I taught them about the 7 redemptive names of God and what each promises when we have been redeemed. I explained that redemption means to be bought back and we did a skit to help the children visualize it. I taught them that they can receive these promises if they ask. It works like a seed, a farmer doesn't dig up the seed he has planted each and every day to see if it has grown, because that would defeat its purpose. Just like prayer, when we pray we plant a seed of life, and just like the farmer we don't have to dig it up and look for it everyday to see if it has grown. We believe it is there and it is growing. Just like the farmer has faith in nature, we have faith in the God of nature. He will perform what He has promised. I then challenge each of the kids to plant a "seed of life" into 3 people before they came back tomorrow.

We then had crafts. Sarah from the team from Strathmore had a necklce cross craft and it worked wonderfully. The kids loved it. We did not have enough crafts however as 450 were brought, and there was over 500 kids. We gave a different craft to the extras, but it was too bad because they all wanted crosses.

I ask that you pray for those tht are sick on our team. I took a break in the middle of writing this blog and both Karen and Tamara were walking about feeling a little better. We still need them to feel alot better, and the rest of the sick people to feel better as well so pray for that. Na boo lay (my own spelling for "Keep it Real" in creole)