Hi Grandma! Hi Nonna! Hi everybody else!
Let me tell you about my day today. I woke up pretty early, and studied John chapter 12 with the 7 other men on my team.
We went to the school where I taught ABC’s, letters, and numbers. I enjoyed it more than usual today because I was in a really good mood. I would point to a shape in the workbook and and have the class yell at the top of their lungs, “SQUAYER!!!” or “TREEANGLE!!!” or “STAAAR!!!”. The beginning of the month was a little discouraging, but today I was satisfied to look back and see all the progress these students have made this month. They really have come a long way.
When we finished teaching we came home for lunch, and we played a board game called Settlers of Catan. I don’t want to brag, buuuut… I was the victorious one. That boosted my win percentage up to 33.33% for the month which made me really happy since 25% is the average for a 4 player game like that.
Anyways, after lunch we packed into a van that took us to a nearby village. We walked up the hill to the mud church building where we set up a generator, projector, and screen to show a film about Jesus.
My teammate, Josh, and I walked around the village with a translator inviting people to come see the film. I had a really good time doing that because we got to talk with people and encourage them. During our conversation with one of the ladies, I felt like I was doing exactly what I was meant to do with my life. She used to be a churchgoer but had given up on God since her life was so difficult. We explained to her that God cares about her and misses her. As God’s Word says, heaven rejoices when a runaway son comes back to his Father. We told her about how God allows hardships into our lives because they cause us to grow. It’s assuring to realize that we serve a God who is strong enough to take miserable situations and use them for good.
After we prayed with her and said our goodbyes, I sensed that she was genuinely encouraged with a fresh desire to talk to God. That felt good.
When it was time to start the film, I left my seat to go lay on the grass where the kids were sitting. Before I knew it, I was surrounded by a group of affectionate Rwandan children who would do things like nestle themselves in between my body and my arm, rub my beard, and/or hold my hand. We watched the film, and they would talk to me in their native tongue. I of course had no clue what they were saying, so I just repeated everything they said and made animal noises which made them laugh.
It was a good day. 🙂
