Catching up on days gone by! Tuesday, April 12

Well, the Operation Christmas Child part is over of my journey, but you missed out on a lot because I didn't write! So I'm going to catch you up a little bit.

Day 4 (Tuesday)-In Words

You were able to see some pictures of this trip-now, the words. :-) This was our longest journey. A very rough 1:45 ride. I was in the back of a 21 passenger van, so it was super rough! I brought my pillow this time because we experienced the roads the day before. Today was the day I gave my testimony. I wasn't sure what God wanted me to say, so on Monday night I ventured up to the roof to search Him out. I didn't just want to say, well, I got saved at 7, etc etc. So I just sat, prayed and listened to our Lord. Then, I just started writing in my journal, pen flying. I know that most of these kids are in the church regularly, just like I was. The only way the kids can

get the shoeboxes is if they have agreed to do the 12 week discipleship class. Most of them have heard the "salvation" message. I wanted (well, God wanted) me to push them a step further.I talked through a translator, John. He was great and such a help.  I wish I could have been able and capable to do it without a translator. (I keep telling myself, don't worry, it'll come someday)  I introduced all of the kids (about 215) to my friends, Chico and Chica. I explained how they were my friends who helped me teach in the states and my students wanted to see them in the DR.

Our friends found a nice looking boy :-)

That got their attention and they stayed pretty attentive-as attentive as a group of 215 kids can be! I talked about how at 7, I realized that I wasn't perfect and only perfect people can get into heaven. I then asked them, "who here is perfect?" And....kids raised their hands. We all laughed and said NO! No one is perfect! I then connected with them on the level of what "sin" was, asking questions about cheating, lying, thinking mean thoughts, admitting my sin too. Then asked if you could get to heaven in a boat? Plane? Rocket? Talked about perfection in Christ. Then I connected with them about being 12 and deciding that Jesus was going to be my boss. I asked who liked being the boss? EVERYONE raised their hands! Who liked having a boss? Nobody.... :-) I talked about how I'd rather have someone who knew EVERYTHING to be my boss than a silly human like me, who knows nothing. I told them to listen to Jesus when he was calling them to let Him be the boss of their lives.

I'm so glad God uses us in ways we never dream. I would have never dreamed that I would get to share what God has done in my life to 215 kids who NEED Him so badly. Each day of this trip is a dream. Pinching happens often. :-) I met such a sweet girl at this church. She spoke English with us and was putting her heart into serving the teenage girls.  (The girl in the blue shirt)

Stickers, smiles and shoeboxes were passed out to all the kids. And again, they had to wait til we counted to 3. I was also able to get some video of the team passing them out so I could share it with my students in the states. I was told they LOVED it! Jo Anne, my friend and co-worker, put some pictures and videos together to show Wednesday during Chapel.  God worked so many good things out. My students were so excited for me about the trip and I was able to show them God's work right away! Technology is amazing!

A 3rd grade girl at my school gave me this ball to
give to a child. This is the boy I chose! He didn't
get a box, so this was perfect! The little girl was
so tickled to see this picture!

             We then were treated to lunch by family members of the church. We had rice, beans, grilled chicken, Coca-Cola Light :-), and mangos, fresh from the trees! I peeled one with my teeth. I felt very Dominican. :-) It was soo soo nice to hang out with the people of the country.

Sarah taught this 12 year old boy how to work a punching balloon.
God totally chose this box for this boy-knowing that he'd have
a broken arm, but this toy is perfect for him!

We then drove a very long way to a little country school. The lady use to work with Fidel but felt God calling her out to the country to run a small school. These kids were very poor. As you may have noticed, you don't really see "poor" looking kids in the pictures. That's the Dominican way of life. They might have NOTHING at home, but they will find ways to make sure they look nice. Somehow, someway, they will have a nice shirt on and their hair done. So they don't "see"m poor, but they are.



The kids were soo smushed in this little area, some of the older kids were hanging out on the playground because there was no place to sit! Fidel came to this distribution and so did the TV station! Not "Samaritan's Purse" TV, but a station of the country. I don't know when or how much will air, but God's word is getting out there. I was passing out boxes and he had me pause, turned on his camera, and then gave me the thumbs up to deliver the box. So who knows, I might be on TV Dominicana! :-)

  As we were leaving, the principal of the school points to the back of Alan's shirt which says, "Traveling to the ends of the Earth" and says, "that's us. Our school is in the Bible. We are the ends of the earth. "  Kinda broke my heart a little, but also encouraged it...we are going, and making a difference. One box at a time.