Fourth Team Week

Thanks for your prayers - the week went very well and we are all getting some rest today. Yesterday, we began discussing the interns leaving and reentry into regular life and some of the difficulties they will face - it made me sad to consider the summer coming to an end and the departure of some good friends.

The week went well - no major injuries and Kid's Club went very well with some very good interactions with children. This was our first hot week of the summer, so we did a lot of water games with the kids and had lots of fun with water balloons, a giant parachute & water, and water relay races.

Mary Granberry especially encouraged me when she pointed out something that happened when we had the parachute game. In the parachute game, we have this massive parachute with a hole in the middle which we get wet and shake, getting everyone a little wet, especially those under the parachute and in the middle where the hole is. I was in charge of throwing the water and the kids asked me to throw water in their face as well as on the parachute, and Mary pointed out that them allowing me to do that shows they respect and trust me. To most people, the kids do not display trust, but they are beginning to trust me more and I'm kind of like a big brother to many of them, which is really big because many don't have adults they trust or respect who treat them well.

Also, on Friday, a little girl ran up to me, jumped in my arms, and hugged and held me which was a big surprise, because she's a girl I've never played with or interacted with, but I'm sure she's been watching and learned that I'm a friend. It really touched me that she was so loving to me, and helps provide a small picture of the impact we're having on the kids - loving them well, and even when we are loving on other kids, they see it. We also benefit, because that girl has been loved well by others all summer, but I received some of the benefit - some of her love even though I never "invested" in her.

Chris Granberry pointed out how the Bible stories stick with the kids, and how in the past, Indians learned Bible stories, but in the context of Government run schools and boarding schools. In that negative context, Christianity was tied to bad memories, but with the kids from the summer, the Gospel is tied to the happy and fun memories of the summer and the love the kids are showered with. That's going to have a big impact in the near and distant future. If you don't know much about the boarding schools, you can find books or online information, or I'd love to talk with you about it next time we meet.

We've had teams down at the Warm Springs Reservation in Oregon over the past eight weeks and it's good to have Warm Springs now wrapped up without any troubles, especially given the dangers down there. Before the summer began, the staff prayed especially about safety for the summer and the Warm Springs teams, and I'm very happy to see our prayers answered, with one more team week here.

Again, thanks so much for your support, help, and love. I won't have much time to talk over the next two weeks, but would welcome phone calls from Aug 7-21, when I'll have some free time. Grace & Peace.