Spring Break Mission Projects - 2008

We arrived back at school around 6am all safe and sound and very sleep deprived. Thank you all for you support!

As the official blogger of Team Mexico, I feel that it is my duty to inform you that we have all arrived safe and sound in beautiful Upland, Indiana. We arrived around 1:30 am (that would be 11:30 pm in Mexico), and after a long day of travel including a delayed flight in Charlotte, we are all safely back (with all of our luggage). PRAISE GOD!!!!!!

 

I would just like to say (before I go to bed in time to get up for my 8:00 class tomorrow morning), that I have thoroughly enjoyed being the team blogger and hope that all of you have enjoyed reading my little ramblings. I would like to say though, that if you know someone who was on the trip, please, please, please talk to them about their personal experiences because I am positive that everyone is coming away with something different. In fact, even I have a few stories to share that I wasn't necessarily willing to post for the whole world. Please be patient with us as we process what God did through/for/to us while we were gone. We really do want to share with you, it just might take us a while to put everything into words. And again...THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES FOR YOUR PRAYERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There is absolutely no way any of this could have happened without all of you! Be blessed!

 

- Emily

Finally, a chance to write something. Unlike the guys, there really wasn't ever time for me (or any of the girls) to sit down and type. Now that I have a chance, I don't even know where to begin. This past week was mind blowing and everything is going around in my head all at once. We'll see if I can sort things out in logical way... Since there are so many things to write about, I'll just touch on a few. That way you'll have to find us and ask us about the rest of the trip. ;)

First off, I would like to reply to Adam's comment about pranking us. It was a pretty swell prank, but our rebuttal was so much sweeter. The night after their prank, we girls set our cell phone alarms to various times during the night and hid them all on the first floor where the guys were sleeping. Ok, I do have to apologize to Matt Reno for having to stay up for four hours trying to find the phones as they went off... Anyway, they took our phones captive and around 1:30 or so the next night Julie Johnson's cell phone alarm goes off. Nobody moved to turn it off. It went off again and I decided that if that was how it was going to be, I was going to sleep on the third floor. So I gathered my stuff and walk out the door only to find the four potted lilies from the first floor sitting in the hallway. I laughed to myself and checked out the situation. The guys had put our cell phones in the lilies and wrote us notes with The Beatles lyrics on them. I woke up some of the girls and we all had a good laugh. So the following night we made encouragement cards for the guys. I suppose that's the best way to end a prank war. :)

We had a lot of fun and jokes and games on this trip, but, like Adam and Sam have written already, most of our trip was some real intense learning and experiencing. Early Wednesday afternoon, while the guys were putting drywall up, we girls went on a scavenger hunt to get more acquainted with the Southside. We ended up at a cafe/art school called the Little Black Pearl. Basically the Pearl is a place for high schoolers to go during or after school to learn how to paint, sculpt, whatever. And it's free for them! They just have to sign up. They make artwork for the cafe to sell and also for advertising for other non-profits. And this stuff isn't sloppy art, it's incredible art. For instance, next time you drive along the Dan Ryan (I-90/94) expressway in Chicago, check out the decals on the wall beside the highway. Those kids made them! Just amazing.

Wednesday we also went to Pacific Garden Mission and toured their shelter. (For all your old-schoolers out there, that is the mission that broadcasts "Unshackled" on the radio) God has blessed them with a new building and they are able to house so many more people now. They also have free food, a free clinic (which I, being a pre-med student, found particularly interesting), a garden, and ministries to meet the spiritual needs of others. Our tour guide had a great story too. He used to be homeless, but a year ago he committed to one of the programs at PGM. He now lives and works there spreading the love of Jesus.

Thursday we visited Jesus People USA or JPUSA and learned about their ministry. JPUSA was founded during the Jesus Movement way back before I was a thought process and it's basically around 400 Christians living in a former hotel in Uptown, Chicago. They have a record label and the top half of their building is affordable housing for senior citizens, one of whom I met named Vernon and had a 50 minute conversation with about aliens, the government, Spaceballs, pet rats, motorcycles and Wisconsin. Ask me about it sometime. I'd be more than willing to elaborate.

Friday we went to Little India and visited South Asia Friendship Center and learned about Islam and how to respond to Muslims. We were going to go to a mosque, but we ran late and didn't make it in time. Instead we listened and were challenged by a man named Sam about our faith. He was so intense! I mean, he knew the Bible in and out. He knew verses without notes or looking them up. But he told us that we have to know our faith, especially when conversing with Muslims. He was pointed and blunt at times, and a little harsh, but what he said was oh so relevant.

Saturday we spent some time by ourselves just to reflect on the trip. So I came up with my Top 10 Highlight Reel from this week (in no particular order):
    1) Pacific Garden Mission. Just seeing God at work there and the blessings he's given them
    2) Learning that I need to know my faith more and to be prepared to give an answer (1 Peter 3:15)
    3) Knowing that I am rich in more than money. God has blessed me with so much: family, education, being able to speak English, etc. and finding out that when Jesus says give to the poor, he also means more than money (i.e. time, skills)
    4) The team. Our team was A-mazing and hilarious. We did an encouragement circle on Saturday and I could come up with something to say for everyone. Everyone contributed to the team, from musical genius to creativity to humor to thoughtfulness. And it was so obvious that God hand-picked our team and worked in each of our lives.
    5) The "El Experience." I think this was touched on a little in a previous entry, but it was soooooo stretching for me to talk to people on the El. Although none of my conversations lead to anything spiritual, it was encouraging to know I actually can carry on a conversation with someone. haha.
    6) Realizing I make Jesus invisible when I refuse to withhold talking about him to others. Finding this out really broke my heart but it was a well needed break.
    7) Receiving so much encouragement on this trip.
    8) Learning- that I am a little racist in my heart and I need to change; that I need to trust in God and trust others; that I cannot fix people, only God can,
    9) Seeing God work in the city through all the diverse ministries
    10) being stretched beyond comprehension, worshiping God in ways I never thought possible, and just loving life

Please continue to pray for the team. Even though the trip is over, the work is not done. Please pray that we will continue to live out all we've learned, that we would "go slow, but GO." Pray that we would continue to seek to understand others around us. And especially pray for us as we get back into the swing of things here at Taylor. I know a lot of us are apprehensive about this, so pray for peace and discernment and guidance.

"For he himself is our peace, who has made the one and barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility." Ephesians 2:14-16

-Sarah "Scotty" Scott

One word for the past few days: irony.

I do believe God thought it would be fun to play a big joke on us. When most of us were checking up on the weather in Bolivia, weather.com gave a vicious report of rain and cold weather all week long. Well, it has been far from that while we´ve been here. Most of the days the high is in the 70´s and we have had glorious sun all week long, some showing it on our cheeks more than others. Apparently the sun decided to run away from us when we headed to Lake Titicaca yesterday. All was well and good when we drove the hour and half to the lake, but it was far from pleasant once we boarded a ferry to Isla del Sol. Dark thunderclouds welcomed our entrance onto the Island and most of us were also far from pleasant. Island of the Sun? Seriously?

The boat ride from the mainland of Copacabana (ya, like the song) to Isla del Sol started out fun as most of us boarded the top of the boat hoping to catch some sun, but all we saw ahead was rain. Thank you weather.com. You finally have it right! The waves got pretty choppy and all of us carefully made our way to the bottom of the boat. Smart choice! The 2 1/2 hour boat ride finally dropped us off at Isla del Sol and many of us bartered from some cheap ponchos to keep us dry for our supposed four-hour hike. After a consecutive decision not to do the hike in the rain, we all huddled into a museum and learned about the Tiwanaku culture, a people group whose city is apparently under Lake Titicaca. Atlantis, anyone? When the museum tour was over (I call it a tour, but one can hardly "tour" a one-room building. nevertheless, it was cool), we boarded the boats once again. This time, it was worse.

Although the rain had finally let up, the waves were still vicious. I have to admit, I was expecting a Gilligan´s Island type of arrival on whatever island we found off Lake Titicaca. Despite the seasickness felt by most of us and rough waves, we made it to another island safely and Gilligan-type-of-situation-less. Once on solid ground, we wasted no time getting on with our day. Since we opted out of the 4-hour hike, we decided that a 45 minute stair climb would be better: The Thousand Stairs to be exact. Well, actually there´s 1200 but the Thousand Stairs sounds way cooler. Some were faster than others, but we made our way up the stairs with low air supply, some dizziness, and many rests along the way. I´d say the view from the top was worth it all. How can we deny a maker when we see such sights of his glory? Plus, it was a good way to keep our mind off of the fact that our bodies were screaming in pain for oxygen and rest.

The prize at the end of the trek was a delicious restaurant where we got served fresh trout and potato soup. Now I hate fish, but I have never felt so grateful for food as I did atop that mountain. When lunch was over, we made our way down the mountain. Oh how I wish it could have been downhill both ways! It probably took us just as long to come down as it did to go up as many of us were captivated with the various stands selling souvenirs and beautiful jewelry. Many of the team´s journey seemed to be less rewarding though and more of a scam. Note to travelers: if a small Bolivian child asks you to take their picture, be warned. You may come out 2 Bolivianos poorer than when you came in. These kids know how to scam.

Hotel Oberland never felt so much like home when we finally arrived back around 10:30 last night. We shortly debriefed about the past few days and were demanded to go to bed! Many of us were still feeling the sickness of the boat, the long car rides, early wake-up call, and long hike so bed was very appealing.

While we can look back and laugh at God´s humor of yesterday, we are still grateful for the rest that we have today. A large group headed to a Bolivian church this morning while some stayed behind to get more rest and enjoy some solitude before headed back to the busyness of school. School...wow, I had almost forgotten I was still a student. Ugh.

Please still be in prayer as it is our last night here in Bolivia. Pray that God will continue to provide opportunities for us to show Christ to those around us. Pray for rest tonight and tomorrow morning (3 am we´re off the airport!). Pray also for our team meeting tonight. We´re hoping today´s rest will prepare us for a beneficial time together tonight where we can encourage one another in the Lord and reflect on our time in Bolivia. It´s almost done, but God´s work is still continuing!

Miss you all.

Laura Bobbett

First and foremost, I´m sitting across from three very attractive professional Bolivian Football (soccer) Players. Despite their good looks, they are computer hogs and wear way too much cologne. I´m trying to make out what they say, but unfortunately my spanish is patchy.

But on to more important things... for instance, yesterday´s events. Friday afternoon we left La Paz to stay the night at a mission center. From there we would leave for our "hike" on Saturday morning. I feel my ideas and feelings would best be expressed through list form. These are the highlights of the day, David Letterman style: 

 

10. Traveling to Isle de Sol: a ferry ride in a boat that looked like it was made 80 years ago, a windy and curvy drive, an altitude 2,000 feet higher than La Paz, another 2 hour boat ride...(I lost my wallet somewhere in here)

9. Isle de Sol (Island of the Sun), was rainy, cold, and grey

8. El Museo de Isle de Sol: we still aren´t sure what happened here... It was a small room filled with artifacts. My good friend Paige is pretty sure she has the same rocks in her backyard

7. 45 minute boat ride to the starting point for our hike: this may have been the worst 45 minutes of my life. Imagine the rockiest boat ride possible, and multiply it by 10. By God´s grace, no one got sick... but there were many close calls. Students sitting on the "roof" of the boat were planning which way they would swim when the boat tipped over

6. The 1200+ stairs: instead of a gradual 3 hour hike, we did the 45 minute stair climb... most of us still felt like we were on the boat from hell. We ate at a resturaunt at the top, then walked back down

5. Another boat ride: I hate boats

4. 3 minutes to get "dinner": pringles, stale candy

3. the rest of our travel: another ride in the 80 year old boat, narrowly escaping a torrential downpour, a long drive back to the mission to gather our things, a drive back to the hotel that felt like an eternity

2. having to paying to use bathrooms that don´t have toilet paper or water

and the top highlight of the day....

1. we laughed the whole time

Climbing into bed has never been so sweet...

 

Football players are filtering in, and the smell is suffocating. I think I´m going to head outside to soak up our last day´s worth of sun.

 

Leigh Anne

 

Today is our departure from the 85 degree weather and our new friends.  Please pray for traveling mercies as we travel to the coast and fly to NY.  The transition at JFK will be tight, we have a 2 hour delay, but that includes customs.

 

This whole week has been such a blessing.  God brought our team together to serve Him and bring glory to the Kingdom. The ability to that is such a wonderful reaffirmation of the Christian faith.

To fill you all in quickly, we finished out our sites on Friday with a bang and a quite a few sunburns. Then we had a banquet on the river where we recieved certificates of appreciation for our partnership with the missionaries here.

Saturday was all play; we went white water rafting...what an experience!  It was fabulous to say the least. We had 6 different boats so I can't share all the stories. :)

Thank you all so much for your prayers and support. We felt them; the whole trip we were surrounded by a cloud of protection (safety and health).  In less than 24 hrs it's back to TU.  Pray that God will still use our time here to grow us and His kingdom here in the DR.

 

Brooke

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

My entry today is going to be a jumbled mess, and I know it.  There are too many things to say.  Too many angles to take.  Too many people's thoughts to relay.

I am at a loss for words.  Or, I have too many words to say. 

I am surprised.  Or, my suspicions are confirmed.

I am seeing the temporal pain.  Or, I am seeing portions of the eternal blessing.

This was a crazy day.  It started off normal, waking up at 5:15.  At the worksite, some groups had no work to do.  Some groups worked too fast and ran out of materials.  Some groups had plenty to do.  There were numerous situations on the worksite which frustrated or at least attempted to frustrate.  For many, this was a trying day because it was juxtapositioned next to a day in which encouragement, productivity, and excitement reigned. It was apparent that today was different--harder.  All I know is that there are no accidents in life.

Before I go into any details of the day, let me just tell you a story:

            Tuesday I got to spend a lot of time on the worksite with one of our AmeriCorps workers.  These people (AmeriCorps) are the volunteers in charge of coordinating our work on each site.  This girl, Sam, and I got to talk for a while about many things, just life I guess.  Turns out that I know a lot about her life now.  First and foremost, she isn't a Christian and she has made some lifestyle choices that I am entirely opposed to.  Second, she is doing "fine".  I always assume that those without knowledge of Christ are admittedly suffering, that they think their life sucks, and that I have the answer to fix their problem.  But, what can I do when someone who doesn't know Christ, seems ok?  All I know to do is love.  All I know to do is be joyful.  All I know how to do is be a light.  She doesn't think she needs love.  She doesn't think she needs joy.  She doesn't think she is in darkness. 

Now, let me just finish the story of today.

Eight of us left the worksite and headed back to the church we are staying at.  We were caravanning with another van and we pulled up next to them at a light.  We decided that it would be fun to get out and do a Chinese Fire Drill (a game where you get out the car and run around and then get back in).  It turns out that the traffic light changed back to green in the middle of our run around the car.  As we dashed for the doors, a boy on our team tripped and fell just as our other Taylor van accelerated.  The other van had the misfortune of rolling over his ankle. It was nobody's fault, it just happened.  He got back in the car, promptly announcing that he had just seen his leg bend and split into two.  The car group worked together to get directions and navigate to the nearest health clinic in extreme traffic (who claimed that they couldn't treat him).  Meanwhile, car members were working feverishly to keep Paul's mind off the pain.  We laughed and we joked.  We asked him questions to concentrate on answering.  We screamed with him every time the car accelerated and decelerated.  Finally arriving at the hospital, we waited for what seemed like an hour and a half (perhaps it was more like 15 minutes) to get a wheelchair for our cripple.  We said good bye to him and Dusty and made our way back to tell this crazy story to the rest of our team.

So, basically, we made a silly mistake. We did something very unintelligent.  There was a freak occurrence and one of our team members leg's was broken.  This may sound odd, but this was one of the best car rides I have ever been a part of.  I laughed more in those 30 minutes than I have in a very long time (and I know some funny people).  I saw a true sense of community.  I saw a peace that passes understanding.  I saw the joy of the Lord as our strength.  Not only did I see all these amazing things right after the fact, but I also, upon thinking it over, realized what a unique opportunity it gave me and my team to share what makes our lives as Christians highly unique, hopeful, and peaceful, despite trials.

The whole time I had been looking for a way to reach my AmeriCorps girls through some trial in their life, some flaw, some inconsistency, or some painful event.  It turns out that God turned the tables on my thought process and, again, proved me ill equipped to plan the course of human history.  By giving us a trial, a problem, that by anyone else's standards was the most unfortunate of events, one that would cause panic, uneasiness, blame or sadness, He really gave us an opportunity to show how we are different.  Before this occurrence, I struggled to find a way to show WHY we were different.  Here it was, and thanks be to God.

I was in charge of devotionals the next morning, and I had stayed up late, basking in the glory of the so-called, "bad-day," which I prefer to call the day of opened doors.  I should have been tired, but God had given me strength through the joy I derived from that previous day.  Upon talking with a group member, he shared some verses that served to perfectly encapsulate the situation, not limit its effects, but describe all that we had been gleaning from the day's events.

1 Peter 1:3-9, " 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade--kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that your faith--of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire--may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. 8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

These sufferings are for such a little while.  They are physical trials, in a spiritual battle.  In this case, an physical injury has turned out to be a spiritual blessing, for His power is made perfect in weakness. 

This time spent reflecting on the previous day's events in the morning before we started work was truly a blessing.  The AmeriCorps girls said how much they enjoyed what we had to say.  Sam, in particularly, made a point to come up and tell me that she wasn't "religious" but that after the devos for the past two days, it made her want to be "religious." This was comforting, just to know that she had tasted something that she hadn't yet experienced.  It gave her the reason behind why we seemed so different than all the other groups (a compliment she heaped on us often).

If you think of it, commit the AmeriCorps workers to your prayers.  I know that I, along with the rest of my team, have loved on these people and shared about our faith.  We have done what has been asked of us, but now it is up to those Christians who happen to be  in the program already.  Pray that this would be an open door for those people to slip in and be a catalyst for change in their lives.

Well...we finished up today with another 300+ burger day....kind of felt like a farewell "party" as we said goodbye to a number of our new friends...made commitments to keep in touch with a few and a some frustration over the seeming lack of time to "finish" some of the conversations that have started. There is a sense of great accomplishment (people cared for, burdens lifted, commitments made), but along with this there is a humbling realization that the need is far greater than anything we could have accomplished. Our prayer is that God will bring others along to water the seeds that have been planted and that the individuals we've talked to will continue their steps toward their Savior.

As we sat down as a team to talk through the week....there was the realization that while we have had the opportunity to work with the people we've met, God has taken the opportunity to work in us. We have been changed....and want to see the seeds planted here, in our lives, also grow and bear fruit. We'd learned that living out the Christian faith includes sharing our Christian faith. We've learned to take time to listen to those around us...believers and non-believers...to care for those that we come into contact with...friends and strangers...and we want to live this "new" reality when we return home.

As we get ready to pack up and leave, we would ask you to pray with us for safety on the journey...for the work that God is doing here in Daytona....Also, pray for the new believers we worked with (Joel and Robert) and for those that seem to be

so very close (Kevin)...remember with us those who claimed to know Christ, but had lifestyles that were counter to that claim, that God would relentlessly call them back (David and others)...for people we have talked with for a number of years, that the seeds continually planted will eventually take root (Jose, Vicki)...Remember the guys from the Rehab center that we met on Monday, that their journey would not only lead to freedom from addiction, but also to true freedom in Christ...for our friends at the home who each morning greeted us with great joy and dancing....for the homeless men and women whose lives are often so difficult and dangerous...for all the wonderful people we met from infants to snowbirds...each with unique stories and needs....and each who are loved dearly by their creator. And pray that the lessons we've learned and the changes we made will be more than a great memory....but will become a permanent part of our lives.

Thanks for your prayers...we know that anything that was accomplished during this trip is owed to the prayers of God's people....

 

Wednesday:  We woke up Wednesday morning able to look at the Aegean Sea on one side of our hotel and Mount Olympus on the other.  We began the day on our double-decker bus to Philippi.  After a multi-hour drive and a couple of breaks, we arrived at the ruins.  Costas showed us the place in Acts 16: 12-40 where Paul was brought before the "magistrates" or generals to be punished.  As the story goes, Paul demanded the demon to come out of a posessed slave girl and so ruined her masters' chance of gaining wealth through her.  The Chorale was able to stand in the meeting place of those magistrates where Paul was brought.  We continued walking around ancient Philippi, seeing the Agora, one of the earliest churches built, and a theater that had been turned into a stadium where many Christians were publically persecuted.  Next we were able to see the spot where Paul baptized Lydia.  We continued on our journey after Philippi to see one of the original roads in Neapolis, a road that Paul had traveled on.

Wednesday night, we had a concert in Alexandroupolis, at a community theater.  The mayor of the city welcomed us, and there was another full audience.  A few encouraging stories about interactions with audience members were told to us after the concert.  Dr. Rediger talked to a music teacher here in Greece who had been very discouraged and drove an hour to come to our concert.  As she talked to Dr. Rediger afterwards in tears, she said it was a very uplifting experience for her, and she left encouraged.  Philip Byers talked to a military man who had deliberately broke the law by traveling too far from his base to attend our concert.  He told Philip that he wasn't able to hear many choirs like this, so he had decided to travel this far just to attend the program.

 

Thursday:  Leaving from the retreat center we stayed at Wednesday night, we traveled to Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece.  While here we visited a museum with the history of the ancient city and were able to spend some time walking around the marketplace and the town square. 

From there we traveled on to Katerini to perform in a Greek evangelical church.  Before our performance, we had the great privelege of hearing Costas' personal testimony, and his story of mission work in Albania.  We were very blessed to hear this wonderful story of our brother and how God has worked and is working in his life.

This performance was at one of the best venues for our sound; the church design made our sound resonate with much energy, and it was great to have that help at this time in the trip.  Although in a church, our concert was seen by many people from the community who didn't attend this church.  The minister was able to give a "short" sermon to the audience, and we were able to share our message with these people as well.

 

Friday:  Finally on to today.  We were granted an extra hour of sleep by the vote of Costas and our officers before we headed out to visit Vergina, the ancient capital of Lower Macedonia and the place where the the tomb of Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, was found.  Costas told us that the discovery of this underground tomb was the second most important archaeological discovery of the 20th century...after the burial site of King Tut.  This site and museum was very educational...and a little haunting.  We walked down into a dark tunnel and saw the actual tomb, along with many of the items found intact within it.

We traveled to the city of Volos, Costas' hometown, to perform in the cultural hall of the city.  Dr. Rediger explained to us before the concert that we were the first Protestant choir to ever perform inside the building.  This program had been sanctioned by the Evangelical church here in Volos and was attended by members of the community.  Although some health issues plagued a few members of the Chorale, we had one of our best overall performances.  Many of us were very blessed to talk to people from around the community after the concert who shared with us their views on how they saw America as having hope due to the young people of our country.  This was a great way to end our night.

 

This will most likely be our final blog while in Greece.  Tomorrow we are traveling back to Athens for our final concert at the Olympic Royal hotel for a celebration of AMG International.  Very soon after that, in the wee hours of Sunday morning, we will be starting our flights back to the States.  We will see you soon!

 

                 God bless,

                                  Chorale co-bloggers Mark Statler and Erin Hinnen

The lack of blog entries can give you a clue as to how busy we have been. We wake up to the sun every morning, eat breakfast, head to Alalay (ah-lah-LAI), do some paint work in the dorm rooms, eat lunch, spend time with the kids, return to the hotel, eat dinner, debrief as a team, and head to bed. It may sound monotonous, but trust me--it´s not.

The painting project consists of trimming and rolling the whole inside of the boy´s "dorm" with watered down paint. Oh, and before that we have to fill in cracks and sand them. The first day was rather chaotic, but we have had some wonderful male leadership in the days following. I´ve noticed how some boys have little collections of books, second-hand toys, crayons, books, etc. Yesterday I saw that one boy was saving two rolls right next to his pile of clothes. You can imagine how every little trinket becomes a treasure.

Our time with the kids is somewhat structured --singing (which they love), group games, and crafts. I wake up every morning with a different song in my head (Rebosando, rebosando, rebosando esta me copa --overflowing, overflowing, overflowing is my cup), (caminamos en la luz de dios, caminamos en la luz de dios--I am walking in the light of God, I am walking in the light of God). The little boys love getting up on our guy´s shoulders during singing.

Organized games are basically the kids and our team running around the basketball court--which happens to be set against a backdrop of mountains. They have absolutely loved craft time. The favorites seem to be making bracelets and coloring.

There is so much more to update you on, like shopping in an artisan district, but I have about 15 minutes to pack up for the weekend. We are heading to Lake Titikaka after working at Alalay this morning. Rumor has it that we have a 4 hour hike tomorrow--pray for us. The altitude is kiiilllller, and I think it is starting to get to a few of the team members.

In closing, let me leave you with one of my favorite things about yesterday. I was talking to my buddy Christian. I told him, "Jesus Cristo te ama," (Jesus Christ loves you). He replied, "Porque es me papa," (because he is my daddy).

 

Hasta luego

Leigh Anne