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The last two days have been full of activity. As we arrived at the orphanage yesterday, the children were thrilled to see the team again. We spent the morning doing crafts, games, songs, and skits. We had another opportunity to give the lesson on eliminating bitterness which the Lord really blessed. We later used watermelon in a skit to give an example of good fruit and bad fruit in our lives. Afterwards the children were excited to partake of the tasty fruit. Working with these children was such a blessing for each of us.
The team had a day off today, so in the morning we headed for a little town in the mountains. The new IBLP van also arrived this morning from the US. The family that drove it down joined us for our day trip, making our group number 33. The hour-long drive was beautiful and a gentle rain was falling. Our first stop was at some property near Lake Chapala. One of the vans almost got stuck in the muddy ground, but the brave girls got out to push. When that didn’t work, the truck with the guys came to the rescue. The van eventually came free and we were on our way again!
We finally arrived to our destination and ate lunch in a quaint little restaurant market. The town is in a picturesque setting among the mountains. People were bustling here and there. It was neat to just watch the people go about their business. After a delicious lunch some of the team headed off to see a waterfall while the rest stayed to do some shopping and sightseeing. Some of the waterfall crew traveled by way of horseback riding, and everyone seemed to have a grand time, even if it was extremely muddy.
I was struck by the spiritual need of the town. When I went into stores and restaurants many of them had pictures and statues of Mary and the crucified Christ. I watched as people poured into a local church for a funeral, but I wondered how many of them understood the Gospel and the fact that because Christ is risen, we can have hope of eternal life as well!
The highlight of the day for me was when I gave a tract to a lady who had the job of taking our two pesos so that we could use the public restroom. When I came back three hours later, she was still reading the tract! It seemed as though she had read it over and over because the pages were already dog-eared and bent. Pray for her that she would understand and accept Christ as her Savior.
Prayer requests:
- Please pray that the Lord will work through us to show His love to children in the Guadalajara orphanages, especially to the 40 children we will visit this week whose parents are in prison.
- At this stage in our trip, it is easy to become tired. Please pray for vision and strength to complete each task and fulfill the purposes of the trip with excellence.
- We praise the Lord for health, in spite of a few throats and stomachs on edge. Please pray for continued health.
Orphanage group
