Day 2 & 3

We attempted to update the blog last night, but spent so much time talking about what to put on it that by the time we got to the computer we were all too tired to type. So, here's a brief summary of the last couple days.

Friday morning was cooler and rainy, which put us scrambling to change some of our plans. The VBS we planned on hosting couldn't be held outside as planned, so our team set up at a local church and had the kids bussed over. Part of our team worked at the local school, repairing bathrooms and chairs, and the others did some work at Talita Cumi, winterizing the dining room and moving a load of dirt and bricks from a collapsed wall. We came back to the hotel exhausted and hungry, ready for our dinner at Brasargent, a local Brazilian steakhouse.

Today was our soccer day. We pulled up at a local soccer field and set up some stations, where we soon had around 60-70 kids playing soccer and getting their fingernails painted. We used this opportunity to present the gospel to the local children, and heard one man's testimony of how God performed a miracle to save his son's life. It was a very moving moment for many of us. Then it was on to Talita Cumi for a saltenos lunch and play time with the kids. After a short rest time at our hotel, we journeyed to the home of missionaries Bill and Bev Smith for a churasco, a giant Bolivian cook-out with many of the nearby missionaries and natives.

One of the things that really effected me tonight was the opportunity I had to visit with some of my former students from my time teaching and coaching at the Learning Center. My students mentioned several little things that I had said or done that stuck with them, and it made me realize that some how, in some little way, I was able to have an impact on the lives of these kids. This is a very humbling thought to me. Something I said more than two years ago is still present in the minds and hearts of those youngsters. What things do we say or do on a daily basis, without giving it much thought, that are going to have that sort of an impact on the lives of others? I am reminded tonight of just how powerful our words and deeds can be. It is important for us on this mission trip and when we get back home to be extra cautious about the impact we have on others. I can't help but think of the book of James, when he warns against the dangers of a loose tongue, and how it can set a great fire if not restrained. Through our words and deeds I pray that we will impact this world for God in a positive way.

In Christ,

Jarrod