EBV 2011

We are now almost through our EBV (VBS) week here in Magdalena! Thank you so much to all of you faithful prayer warriors out there! God has definitely been blessing His work here!

In a nutshell it has been hot and crazy, but such a blessing to see God bringing many kids and adults from Magdalena and the surrounding communities to hear His message of salvation! 

I think as far as numbers for kids we have run around 350 with about 30 adults. We maybe pushed 400 today, not sure exactly because not all of the kids have been signing in like they should. But it is not all about numbers, it is about reaching hearts who have a desire to hear the Word of God and to know Jesus Christ more intimately. 

A few pictures from the week:

 Kids lining up to get their color estambre (yarn) to represent their age group/class.

 Melissa F. (Productos Cárnicos summer intern), Sarah F., and Heidi K.

 Tadeo... love to see him filling out! 

 General chaos getting the kids registered 

 More registration (a little more orderly :) )

 Joan wanted me to snap this picture... "Real women wear crimson."  I have my doubts that this boy can read English!! :)

 More registration and waiting till it is time to start singing

 

 Our class of 9 to 11 year old girls today. 

A full assembly room!

 And a few stories from the week so far:

On Sundays I drive a route to pick up people for church. It is a 2 to 3 mile drive out of Magdalena (depending on which way you go), through a river and on bad, washboard roads to a place way out in the sticks called el Mezquite (the Mezquite, as in the tree).

A view from el Mezquite back 2 years ago.

There are a lot more houses now (a lot of them pallet-style, some crude block houses) and the population has grown exponentially in the last year or so.

In the last few months this little boy, Luis Rodrigo, started coming on Sundays. 

He is 6 and just makes me smile. Full of energy and zeal for life, he is one of those who will sit in church and ask what the page number was in an obnoxiously loud voice, not to be inappropriate on purpose, but just because he doesn't know better. He is always super excited to get in the van every Sunday.

Well, Sunday Raquel and I passed out invitations for EVB in el Mezquite and we told them to be ready around 9:00 to 9:10 a.m. (I figured I would come by at 9:10 but if I told them 9:00 they would hopefully be ready.) Well, there are 3.25 streets in el Mezquite and I have to drive down each of them, so with his house being on the last street it was past 9:10 when I got there. As I pulled up, his mom said, Oh good, he has been unconsolable, crying, because he didn't think you were coming to pick him up! And sure enough, he climbed in the van with red eyes and a kleenex, still sniffling! Bless his heart! I quickly assured him that I would come by earlier tomorrow and that even if I was a little late not to worry, I WAS coming to pick him up! The next two days I found him on street 2 waiting for me, ...probably just in case :). 

Another boy, Adrián, age 11 (that I don't have a picture of), has been very diligent in learning his memory verses. The first day he asked me, now what does this mean? I memorized it but I am not sure what it means. I think he thought he was going to have to say it as well as explain its meaning, which was not true, but I figured I would take advantage of the opportunity and explain it! His grandma later told me that he was practicing his verses so much that he was literally reciting them in his sleep! What a great thing to have running through his head, right??

One last story... Joel told us yesterday morning that on Tuesday there were about 140 kids on our yellow school bus but more on the way home because some of the kids weren't ready and missed the bus... so they walked! While walking is more common place here because people just don't have cars, for those of you who haven't been here, we are located a bit out of town in what is considered a "rural area". That means that it was not a quick walk for these kids and the sun has been intense! Praise God for such ganas (desire) in their hearts to attend EBV and for the exposure they are having to the Truth and God's plan of salvation! 

Please pray as we plant and water that God will give the increase (1 Cor. 3:7) and that the harvest would be bountiful! Please pray that a new generation would be raised up that knows and fears our Almighty God, a generation of souls willing to serve and follow God with all of their hearts. Please pray for the adults who have come as well, that they would have softened hearts and minds open and ready to receive the Truth of God's Word. Pray that God would continue to have His hand on the work here in Magdalena and faithfully work in the hearts and lives of many to bring them to Himself!

God bless you for praying!!

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16