Day One was a blast! God definitely showed his patience and strength by allowing us to get up at 5:20 am this morning. As we journeyed on the bus, we saw all of the mountains that were hidden in the dark the night we arrived. We traveled through the crowded streets to the Aruba school which lay on a hill.
Upon arrival, we traveled amongst the group of giddy school children to the sports area, a large concrete rectangle shadowed in the mountains of all the open tops of the building. From Blob Tag to Fire in the Jungle (a game very similar to Sharks and Minnows that is popular amongst the children in Costa Rica). Whether one of us was fluent in Spanish or simply knew “hola”, there was such a beautiful joy shown from the children we played with. God’s joy is so contagious when shared amongst us. Just being around these children, their innocence and sense of adventure, caused such a powerful flow of joy over all of us despite the language barriers. This truly showed how we are all God’s children, no matter where we come from or what language we.
God’s demonstration of equality amongst His children seemed to be the evident theme today when we went to the prison. Despite their situation they were super open and friendly. Going in we didn’t know what to expect, but once in the prison and seeing the inmates our perspectives were changed for the better. After a hard fought game of basketball with the inmates it was an eye opening experience. Seeing the joy filled within each of them was unique to see despite their situation. They were great players and showed a lot of sportsmanship throughout the game. At the end of our day we went from two separate teams to one big happy family and praying for one another.
We ended the day gathered as a group in the AMCA house going over our Roses, Thorns and Buds. The Rose as the highlight, the Thorn as an area where growth is needed, and the Bud as an area we are excited for in the future. As for the Rose, we discussed our excitement and joy being within the school and prison, two vastly different environments and groups of people, and seeing that joy and excitement reciprocated. Our Thorn was largely due to the language barrier. Not being able to communicate the love we wanted to spread made us realize how much we take our words for granted. But in spite of lack of communication, our Bud is for tomorrow’s clinic, where they speak English and our message may be told! Stay tuned!
Love your ~Jumping~ Juniors J
Emari and Lauryn
Next up on your daily blog……. Reagan and Gabbi, and Megan will update you on our day tomorrow!!