Day Nine

7/25/10 – Saturday
So today I woke up thirty minutes late for breakfast- as usual. After breakfast, the mission team drove to the orphanage for the second time this week. I didn’t really want to go since I saw myself as not being able to relate to kids well. I never knew what to say, how to act, or how to relate to them. After arriving, I went on to make a sophisticated balloon hat, retrieve two basketballs out of a tree, and wander around feeling hopeless. I ended up sitting on the playground praying desperately to God. I felt useless, asking for the reason I was on the mission trip if I was so incapable. I asked God to show me a sign: to send a child at the orphanage to where I was sitting. Soon after, Ellie and Jessica came over to me after playing on the swings. More followed until I had four kids sitting around me, marveling at my hat and pretending to shave my head. I still don’t really know how to interact with kids, but I was reminded of 2 Corinthians 12:10. Even though I am weak, God will use me to show the world his power.
After a peanut butter and jelly lunch, the team headed off to the youth hostel to celebrate the completion of the basketball court. Though the court was still quite dusty and slippery, it was quite an improvement from the youth hostel’s first court. It was a lot of fun playing basketball against the youth from the youth hostel. There’s nothing like playing a competitive game with people that you’ve invested time, sweat, and energy with on a project. It was awesome seeing more barriers break down and the smiles plastered on sweaty faces as the day came to an end.
On our way back from the youth hostel, the bus broke down about five minutes away from the hotel. Everyone grabbed their bags and began walking. Thankfully, the bus was repaired about ten minutes later. Praise the Lord!
Interesting story: Today as the team walked to the Best Western, we saw a crab walking across the road. It was quite a sight. The entire group watched in apprehension as three cars drove over it. Miraculously, the crab emerged, safe and alive as Edwin continued to usher the crab safely to the other side. An hour later, as we headed back to Siesta Inn, we saw the corpse of the crab, its bodily fluids splashed on the road. Its head lay a couple feet away. How sad. Anyways I have really enjoyed this mission trip. 29 still alive. 0 dead.