Jason Carr Writes

Shalom

Today was spent at Shalom. We had breakfast there (cheese quesadillas & cinnamon rolls) and then got to work outside. I met with the Childrens ministry director to talk through our plan for VBS. We also met with the team doing the story tonight at the VBS to do a walk through rehearsal so they could get used to doing it with a translator. When that was over I walked out and our team was helping lift some concrete beams for the ceiling of a new room. They were not light and our team was incredible. Simply incredible. We had a late morning fruit snack. After that we went back to work and I paid a visit to the guy who put our trip together, a man named Gaby. His job at Shalom is to host teams. He tore up his leg playing soccer a few weeks ago and is laid up for a few months. He wanted me to come by so I had a chance to go visit with him and his family for a little time. It was great and I was very encouraged by my brother Gaby. When we got back to Shalom the team was moving concrete blocks around. Once again, they are incredible. Working really, really hard. They were not light and a big mountain of them were moved today. Cool stuff, so proud of our team. I got to help a little while having a few people tell me not too with my back…. trying to find that balance of what I can and can’t do. It’s hard to watch!

Afternoon

We have a bit of free time in the afternoon. Most of the team played in the pool for a while and then took a quick nap/rest before we left to go to VBS.

VBS- Day 1

We are doing a VBS for a different church than the one hosting us. I’ve heard this is their first VBS they’ve done. It was a great experience- to be honest I felt like I proud parent watching our 3 teams do their thing. I felt like some of the leaders I’ve serve(d) under just watching other leaders lead and not necessarily having to be the one up front. Our team really did a great job of loving on the kids, having fun and introducing the story. Really, really proud of all of them. There were some technical difficulties and other things, but such is the journey… you just make the most of it and keep going. Which our team did. So cool.

We wrapped up with dinner at Shalom… some of Genny’s homemade cooking. So good. We are eating really well here. Every meal has some interesting thing to it, but for the most part it’s all been incredibly good. At dinner one of our hosts and drivers Manuel said something really cool to me, he said that he could tell our team had good relationships with each other and with God, he went on to say that he already feels very close to us and feels a special bond with our team, in a cool way. That’s a great compliment and I’m so proud of each of our team members.

Tomorrow will look pretty much exactly like today. We’ll work in the morning (some teams will do that and will also be working on their VBS) and have VBS tomorrow night. Who knows what challenges might come our way… but we do know that God is faithful and sometimes that’s just enough to keep you going.