BEACH DAY!

we got to take 30 kids to the farm

a day full of swimming, watermelon, sand

and fun

we had so much fun with these kids

and it compelled us forward in our relationships with them.

the kids are so amazing and so beautiful

these kids are from "the farm".

the farm is where about 13 families live together in a small community

as most of the parents work for the farmer picking grapes for wine.

earning very little

they live in such poverty

sadly, many of the kids are interrelated

many are missing teeth

many are malnutritioned

but...it is so exciting going into the farm and seeing the joy on their faces as we drive down the dirt path

so much joy

in the past week as well we have been meeting more and more of the parents

i keep praying that God will allow us to create raw relationships with the parents

we went to their church service this past sunday and they were so excited to see us come.

it is encouraging to know they want us there and want to get to know us!

i am so expectant on God to do amazing things on this farm.

they live with little hope.

they drink their weekends away

i see little hope - or an understanding of who Jesus really is and what he wants for them

even when many attend church

so i ask that you pray for these kids.

pray that God would use us volunteers to be such a shining light in the farm

that they would be drawn to Gods hope and grace and deep love for them

pray for more and more opportunities to share the good news

and that we as volunteers would be bringing more and more of Gods everlasting kingdom right into the heart of the farm!

"i cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me. He sends from heaven and saves me, rebuking those who hotly pursue me; God sends his love and his faithfulness. I am in the midst of lions; i lie among ravenous beasts - men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are sharp swords. BE EXALTED, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth." -psalm 57

God has a purpose for these kids!!

this week we started our projects!
it feels so good to be done with training
and finally going into the places for which we have come for.

the main project i will be working with it called the
SOS childrens village.
This is a village full of houses with 8 kids per house and each house having an 'auntie' -
someone that is in charge of the house.
Many of these kids are disabled from abuse or were ignored and orphaned as small children.
Many have never experienced true parents in their life.
Many i am not sure why they are there, but each has a story, a story that i believe God wants desperately to be involved in.

so we come to spend time with these kids.
to invest in them
to discuss
to teach
to laugh
and i pray our relationships will be honest and real and trustworthy.

the problem is many of the girls stopped coming last fall after an issue with something
an intern said.
so we have our work cut out for us.
we have to rebuild trust and relationships
please pray that God will guide us interns and give us wisdom and tacktfulness
in what we do and discuss with them
pray more girls would be drawn to come
pray that God would use us to make disciples out of these kids!

3 girls came monday night
but pray for more each time we come
and that God would do even greater things through us!

boundaries

God has none!
and how grateful i am for that
because these kids need
hope
raw hope
real hope
hope that will illuminate every darkness they have experience
and our God can go there!

our God cannot be contained!