I had the pleasure to serve at the day camp in the church. The construction team would be starting the school right next door. As soon as I got off the bus, a boy no older than 5 offered to help me carry my suitcase inside. It’s no wonder why Jesus has a special place in His heart for children. We entered the church with the expectation of an organized, safe day of bible school like VBS at home. But as soon as 70 kids swarmed through the doors running and screaming, we realized we might have to change the game plan. We started out playing ball and some simple name games with the kids. Then we transitioned to a Bible lesson in which I attempted to read (in Spanish.) the story of Creation. Thankfully our interpreter was right by my side. After some more games and crafts, we had a much-needed lunch break. After lunch, I really started to bond with the kids. They were so easy to love; their bright eyes and huge smiles melted my heart. Many of the kids realized that I can speak Spanish pretty well, so we were able to converse fairly easily. One of the older girls, Franciela, was by my side the whole time. She was so smart and communicated better than any of the other kids. She is one of six children in her family, and I was able to meet her mother and her two twin brothers. She loved learning new handshakes, learning new words in English, and anything that challenged her brain.
Glory to God that Franciela, her family, her friends and neighbors are going to have a school. Education. Opportunity. Praise the Lord for giving us the chance to minister to them and share Jesus with them. Thank you so much for you prayers and support of this amazing dream that we are having the privilege to see brought to life.
-Julianna Darby
