Summer time!

Semester has finally come to an end. Last Saturday was our last Sunday School until September when we start up again. It was so much fun. We had a huge water slide that we brought inside the church that the kids were sliding down. They loved it! They went down it with their clothes and all! And we had our huge water guns out spraying all the kids too. All three sessions went great. In third session we had one of the circuits blow, so we didn't have mikes for about 15 minutes. But we grabbed the bull horns and used those! We had to do some songs and go over the 10 Commandments (the kids have been learning them this semester). Then I had to get up with Marty and we had to start doing games using the bull horns! How can you get some 800 kids pumped up when the ones at the back of the auditorium can't quite hear you? It was interesting. But we did get the mikes back on eventually. Although some of the lights still weren't working. Great way to end the semester!
So, this week has been filled with writing lessons for next semester. We have until Saturday to finish the lessons. Rion and myself are working on a lesson right now that we have to write from scratch. Here's the outline, just for the sake of typing the outline!

Believe in Your God

because he keeps his promises

(Believe in Your God...)

1. Even when it seems impossible

2. Even when no one else does

3. Even when you face opposition

Anyways.....there you go. That's the lesson we're writing on. It's tough writing the lessons, cause our education department has extremely high standards. Which is good, but can be very stressful on us.

So the last week of sidewalk was great. It was the interns last week with the kids. It is such an incredible feeling knowing that I'm not leaving the kids this time! I love them so much....I'm scared to leave cause it would be so hard to now. It was hard after just 4 months the first time.....it would be even harder being hear for almost a year now. I don't even want to think about that day....that is, if there ever is a day. Who knows?

Some crazy stuff happened this past week though. Tuesday we had a group called Teen Mania that came with my division all week. And they were handing out flyers inviting the kids to Yogi Bear each day. On Tuesday, one of their team leaders was standing in front of the school, with flyers and a Yogi Bear tshirt on. All the kids were coming out the doors (keep in mind this is in BROAD DAYLIGHT) and 5 guys walked up to him and surrounded him. The put something to his back. He isn't sure if it was a knife or a gun. And they said to him "give us your wallet and we won't hurt you". But he turned around and faced the guy who said it and said "No, in the name of Jesus you will not take it". Now listen to this. This shows the power of the name of Jesus: those guys turned around and walked away without a word. Yes, God still moves. Yes, his name is still powerful. Crazy situation, but God was so glorified through it!

Then.....it doesn't end there. Wednesday night we have church and so after it's done we have to go and drop of the people we bring. Tabea, my divisional leader was dropping off that night. She was still 20 minutes from home when 2 guys pulled up beside her at a red light. They asked her how old she was, and she said 23. Now you gotta understand that Tabea is real tiny and she looks real young for her age too. She drives school busses as well, so she always gets funny looks and questions cause she doesn't look like she's supposed to be driving them! Anyways, at the next stop light they pulled up beside her again and were hollerin at her making comments, but she just ignored them (common occurrence for us girls here). She forgot about them the rest of the way home since they didn't bother her anymore. She finally got home and had to park the mini bus in the lot. She drove in backed it up and was just finishing parking, when the two guys, from 20 minutes ago, pulled into the lot as well. They had followed her all the way home. They got out there vehicle and started walking towards her and said "So you're scared now, huh". Tabea said they were 2 big black guys, and they were definitely not playing. She hadn't turned the vehicle off yet, so she just stepped on the gas and got outta the lot as fast as she could. She got a hold of one of our guys up the block. But by the time him and some of our gang got down there they 2 guys were gone. It really was a terrifying experience for her. She didn't sleep all night, and the next day you could tell that something was definitely wrong. I thank God so much that he was protecting her. Just the thought of what they could have done to her. When you really haven't been in a situation like that, you really have no way to understand it. But believe me, it can be terrifying.

Just yesterday one of our girls had 2 guys following her in her projects. They did attack her, but she got away and ran to one of the families apartments that she knows and stayed there till it was safe.

I'm don't write this stuff down to make us look tough, and I don't write it down for a good story and something to talk about. I write this stuff down, in the raw so that all you who read this know that this is for real. We are in a battle here. In Matthew 11:12 it says: "...the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force." We are taking this place by force for God's kingdom, but at the same time the enemy his fighting back as hard as he can. Trying to scare us, frustrate us, endanger us, hurt us. Please keep us all in your prayers. Especially now as it's getting hotter out, the streets get crazier.

Love you all so much!