Our day was eventful from the get-go as Megan had a great morning wake-up from our new friend Spot the stray cat who wandered into the girl’s room last night and decided to cuddle with her feet. Nothing gets eight college girls up faster than screaming after finding unexpected friends. On the bright side, all of the boys who slept outside in hammocks also survived the night without getting eaten alive by bugs or worse, las cucarachas. Breakfast at our new location was followed by another surprise: a local man stopped by the church we are staying at and asked for prayer as he is battling alcoholism and wants to begin a relationship with Christ. It was only 8am but we already had quite the day!
It was a general consensus that the school we visited today made the top 5 experiences of the trip. Here’s why: we got off the bus that our driver, Ronny, so skillfully maneuvered to get us to the school safely and were greeted by 90+ 1st-4th graders – talk about a welcome! Although they were the least socioeconomically wealthy school we have visited, they were rich with joy. While with them, we did relays and played futbol, dodge-ball, and fan-favorites, Pato-Pato-Gonzo (Duck-Duck-Goose) and Enfuego en la Jungla (Fire in the Jungle).
We found great joy in engaging with the kids who didn’t want to play the larger group game and playing games with those that wanted to play with them. After our hearts were filled, our stomachs were filled with fresh fruit from a neighboring farmer. We indulged in mango (with the skin still on), pineapple (with salt), and papaya. Our tasty snack was followed by a tour of the school, including a child’s dream playground, garden (that included pineapple, corn, cucumber, yucca, cabbage, and chili peppers to name a few) and a greenhouse. We ended the tour in the cafeteria were we enjoyed chicken in some creamy sauce, rice, beans, salad, and a fried condensed milk dessert that we either loved or didn’t.
Lunch was followed by the student’s families coming back for the water filter demonstration and our testimonies in which we shared the Gospel. Since this was our first demonstration, there were a few rookie mistakes but overall, it went well and we believe many of the families were impacted by our stories. One thing that motivated and gave us a new perspective was when Jon said, “Taking 5 minutes to drill a better hole will give these families clean water for over 10 years. You are changing the way these kids are growing up – that’s worth the extra time.”
After we finished up at the school, we held another demonstration at the church down the road which was equally impactful. God’s love was very evident through the smiles and laughter of the children and the appreciation the families showed us for the water filters. We have seen Him working in many ways, big and small, this week and cannot wait to see how He shows up at the clinic tomorrow and throughout the rest of our time here.
Dinner was prepared for us at our new home and was followed by team time, where we finished up hearing everyone’s testimonies and heard the Word from Jon. We wrapped up our night playing some of our favorite games where we learned a little more about each other.
Hope you all have a great day and can see God working in your lives back in the States. Stay tuned for our translators Jack and Lauryn and our amiga, Gabbi who will be updating you tomorrow!
See you soon America!
Megan and Jenna