I can’t believe that we only have one more day of VBS left. The connections with the kids are growing stronger and stronger each day. As we were walking in today, kids were running up to us with big smiles on their faces calling out our names in excitement. Today our lesson was about temptation and how Jesus was tempted by Satan; the kids had a great connection with this story during my small group time with them – it was the first time this week that I felt the lesson actually sunk in and they could relate to it. It has been such a powerful experience seeing the kids grow more and more comfortable with us as they are more willing to share and to engage in singing and dancing with us. The language barrier has definitely been challenging. Seeing the children come up to you with big smiles, excited to talk to you, but knowing we cannot understand what they’re saying and to easily respond to them is a constant struggle. At the same time, it is still rewarding that regardless of the language barrier we can still build relationships with something just as simple as a smile or a hug. At the end of each VBS day we serve lunch to the kids. All of the leaders from our church and Pastor Robby’s church all get in a line and serve up to 200 kids; something that is hard to explain but such a cool experience.
Today after VBS we got to go on a prayer walk up the mountain. This opportunity was such an eye-opener; getting to connect with the Haitians at their homes and getting just a small glimpse into their lives. It is amazing how willing they were to open up and tell you about themselves. They are so friendly and definitely value building relationships with people – as well as being open to having us pray for them. It warms my heart to see how happy and positive they are despite how difficult life can be here in Haiti.
This week has been such a blessing in so many ways; getting to watch our students grow closer to each other, in their faith, and building new relationships has been such a rewarding experience for us as leaders. This has definitely been an experience that I will never forget and I can’t wait to see what the last two days have in store for us.
Love,
Dakota and Melanie :-)
Your week went by so quickly, I'm sure it was rewarding for everyone. Maybe I speak for all the families back home when I say "can't wait to see you and hear about your experiences." There will most likely be sad faces when you leave.
ReplyDeleteYou all are having an eternal impact on all the children. The Lord will use what you've taught them for years to come.
ReplyDeleteI have so enjoyed following your journey this week. Seeing all of the pictures and reading the blogs puts a smile on my face each morning!
ReplyDeleteA big shout out to all of the leaders for the endless hours you have put into this experience and for guiding our children and keeping them safe.
Enjoy every minute of the time you have left in Haiti. We will look forward to hearing more stories when you return home.
Continued prayers for all!