Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep

Day 2 of ministry was a whirlwind of activity and ended almost as quickly as it began. We started the day out with a lovely breakfast at the hotel to ensure sufficient fuel for our activities. 

Flat Cathy sure enjoyed her fruta!

Our story for the day is found in Ephesians 6 where Paul describes the armor of God. Beth was our host and Abby was our storyteller. Together they taught actions that represented each piece of armor and had volunteers demonstrate for the entire group. They told the story for VBS at the church and at the orphanage. 

Our craft to go along with the story was the shield of faith. The kids decorated the shields with stickers, markers, and the memory verse for the week. 

It was fun to see how much they enjoyed the craft. Once the shields were complete, there were many pretend battles fought with the shield serving as a constant protection. Miguel, Betty's son, took his shield everywhere he went for the day. 

During the evening, Kelby taught the adults about the importance of diet and exercise. She interviewed Gail to teach about diabetes, a common problem in Guatenala that often goes untreated and uncontrolled. The church understood that we would be separating the kids and the adults as we had the night before, so Don, Abby, and I quickly formulated a game plan to teach the kids about making healthy snack choices. 

At the end of the night, families received a certificate of completion for the series of classes. The beds were delivered earlier than anticipated to the church so many families were also able to take home their beds. 

The pride on each of their faces and the parade of beds leaving the church was so rewarding. The kids were excited to sleep in their very own beds for the first time and the parents were excited to provide that opportunity for them. It truly felt like these families were given a fresh start and new outlook on life. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the project. It was a huge success!

Today we will spend the day at the orphanage, teaching about Lazerus and how Jesus raised Him from the dead. Then, we will give a quick geography lesson before our carnival called Passport to the World. We are so excited about what the day will bring!

Please be praying for continued strength and endurance, peace and protection for the team and for Guatemala. The news of embezzlement and corruption broke yesterday regarding the President and Vice President of Guatemala. The pair are allegedly part of a group that gave tax breaks for companies for a bribe, essentially stealing tax money from the Guatemalan people. The Vice President was arrested yesterday and the president is still under investigation so there are protests and demonstrations calling for him to resign. Pray that the demonstrations stay peaceful and that the government is cleansed from the corruption that plagues it as they enter election season this September. 

Thank you so much to all our prayer warriors! We could not do this trip without you!

"Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's  schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world, and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore, put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." ~ Ephesians 6:11-13

Have a great day!