VBS - Day Two :)

Day 5 of the trip - July 12th

Today we taught about Gideon's army and the importance of trusting in God. At Savanna la Mar we had 165 children and at Grange Hill we had 91(which is excellent for our first year there!!). Listening to a church filled with children singing 'Jesus loves me' at the top of their lungs might possibly be the sweetest sound I've ever heard.

The number of children eager to pile into a bus to come to VBS or evening services never ceases to amaze me! More than once today, we crammed over 35 bodies into a 15 passenger van. Often times, we will be packed tighter than even we thought possible and will see a group standing on the side of the road patiently waiting for us to drive by. Somehow, we manage to fit them in -- it's hard to leave a child on the side of the road who has gotten up early with high expectations of coming to Bible School...even if it means sitting with two or more on your lap :)

The island was blessed by a strong storm this afternoon which cooled everything off, but also knocked out the electricity at the church building...so we packed into the pews, sang loudly from memory, and were brought an excellent sermon from Jed by flashlight!

A little girl named Sabrina stayed the night with me last night. She is 7, bubbly and affectionate, consistently ranks top of her class, and knows where to find any passage in her pink bible. We baptized her mother and father the summer before she was born, but soon after her birth, her mother abandoned them. Her father, Jude, has not only raised her entirely on his own, but has remained a faithful Christian and is raising her to love the Lord. Jude works extremely hard to make ends meet, and rarely asks for more than a new pair of church shoes for himself and Sabrina each summer when we come. Their one room home has been beaten down by years of hurricanes and tropical weather, and they have no indoor plumbing. This morning, as I was getting ready for the day, I listened to Sabrina singing and laughing in the shower. This is the first indoor shower she's had since we came last year, and she rejoiced like it was Christmas morning. At that moment, I couldn't help but close my eyes and thank God for the small blessings that I take for granted each and every day. The people here have less materially than most Americans, but are filled with a greater joy than I have ever known. Each day in Jamaica is filled with hundreds of moments where I am encouraged and humbled.

We start our mornings around 7...and right now the devo just ended at midnight...& we can't wait for another great day tomorrow :) We are loving your emails...keep 'em coming!

Love and miss you all,

Sarah

PS Amy's Jamaican Running Team is still going strong--even though she ran around the grounds here alone today. Also, the Lyon baby seems to be doing just great!