FREEDOM LIFE
Everyday I join the third grade class and sit in the back of class to practice my listening comprehension and learn from their "Langua Español" (Spanish Language Class)!
Typically my days are spent more behind the scenes as I study the language and prepare for camp.
One afternoon I "snuck" away from camp prepping to check out and see if I could help with registration for our new pre-k 3 year olds. It was fun to meet some of the new kids God is bringing our way and I made a new friend (pictured to the left) in the process. These new three year olds will join us during English Enrichment Program this summer.
As summer is around the corner my schedule is changing quite a bit. I still will have some time to continue learning the language but I will also be involved in 3 different areas of the ministry. The three areas I have the privilege to help with are:
1)CAMP (surprise, surprise)
This summer we will have 4 weeks of half day camp. Two weeks will be for our 1st-3rd graders and two weeks for our 4th-6th graders! I am so excited to be studying the book of Colossians with our kids. We are going to dive into what it means to be reconciled to God, how God sees us when we are reconciled, and how we live lives rooted and built up in Him, as we dive into what the Bible teaches us to "put on" and "put off". Games, Songs, Crafts, Chapel, Bible Trivia Game Show are just some of the activities our Kids have to look forward to!
Our interns come in just a week! I have the opportunity to be a part of their training as they jump into ministry. Interns and mission trip members also play a crucial role in camp, as they serves as their counselors, help set up, tear down, and run the camp program! I am so looking forward to meeting with and partnering with those the Lord brought us for this summer!
2)VBS Batey Ministry
Bateys are the (sugar cane) villages the majority of our kids live in. We run a "Vacation Bible School" in the villages. The mission trips teams that are on cite come and help us as we play with the kids and teach them about our Lord and Savior! One of the main reasons we travel to the different Bateys is to build and maintain relationships! We want the parents, kids, leaders, pastors to be familiar with us and we want to have a relationship with them! This opens us up for discipleship opportunities, partnerships, and allows us to share with the families about Freedom!
3)English Enrichment Program
We will be serving kids from 3 years old to 6th grade this summer as we teach them English in a fun way! This program isn't quite school... more of an outdoor education type program! Our mission trip teams are vitally important for this program! Just as in the camp program they serve as the counselors/facilitators and help plan and teach the various lessons and activities!
CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES
School Building
Construction at the school is non stop! Mixing Concrete, Cutting & Laying Block, and Stuccoing, seem to be happening 24/7 around here!
**Picture to the left
Camp Construction Update:
The excavation for the main meeting area (building) was finished a couple of weeks ago. This week we will layout and start digging for the cabins!
**Pictures below
INTERESTING ANIMAL CITINGS :)
1) A Chicken decided to come visit us, what a better view then our hallway window.
2) My first tarantula citing
3) Well if you were wondering where to buy a cow leg, I found the grocery store for you!
Batey Life
The majority of our kids live in the sugarcane villages (Bateys).
EXCITING NEWS ..... A MATCHING GIFT HAS BEEN OFFERED! The timing couldn't be better. We need to start on our 3rd missionary apartment building in order to have housing for the missionaries the Lord is sending. We also want to build the mechanic building so that we can better maintain our buses.
The gift is for $45,000 and if doubled, will provide $90,000 for our building fund. That is almost 20% what is needed for these two buildings. If you would like to invest in our future missionaries and our ability to maintain our vehicles, you can by going here, filling out the page and typing "Match it!" in the comment box before June 15.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Intern Arrival & Orientation - Interns arrive in less then a week! They have 3 days of training before they jump into the summer ministry!
Summer Ministry - Summer is busy here at Freedom! We have mission trip teams coming every week to partner with us and several areas of ministry going on! Pray that through all it all, God would be glorified, that He would use each area to draw others to Him! That is our ultimate goal! As you know so many details go into running any program, please pray for all those details too! We trust in God's sovereignty, but it is so easy to get overwhelmed by all the tasks needing done.
Language Learning - Although I can see some progress, the language learning struggle is still very present.
New Missionaries - We have two new missionary families arriving in just a few days and a few others beginning support raising!
Family - In the past week I have received news from very close friends and family members of two deaths. I know this is where God has me, I am very confident of that, but it is hard not being able to be with family and friends during this time, Please uplift my friends and family as they journey through this difficult time!