Finding the Love of God in Fun

Thursday, June 21



Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy, Lord have mercy on me. Have you ever had to utter those words? How recent was that? There's more..."I have built an altar where I worship things of men. I have taken journeys that have drawn me far away from you, but now I am returning to your mercies ever flowing. Pardon my transgressions, help me love you again."

We sang this chorus and a verse of the song Lord have mercy tonight while we spent time with Pancho and Pity reflecting on God and His goodness. We also had a few personal questions to ponder, Is Jesus just like the guy down the street for you or does he mean more? Do you trust him? Do you like to listen to him? Do you spend time with him and is Jesus your best friend? Best friends are a blessing, we get excited to spend time with them, they know us inside-out, hold our secrets and we feel comfortable around them. The team shared these feelings about their best friends. Pancho then declared that Jesus our brother deserves to be our best friend. The EMT members declared by raising their hands and praying, that they want Jesus to forgive them and we want him to take his rightful place in our lives. It was a mellow time of reflection.

This came after a full day of delightful connection with God’s precious children at Fundación Amor y Esperanza (FAE). The time in the Parque Metropolitano was filled with screams of sheer joy, singing praises to God and games that involved EMT and Whitefield sponsored kids at FAE. I am very certain that we have many great memories from interacting with the kids this week but by far today’s memory is the one that will never be erased from our minds. A lot was taking place simultaneously.

I was watching the soccer game when I heard a voice behind me saying “mas duro mas duro”(harder, harder) mixed with laughter. I laughed because it was coming from the same voice that uttered “empujame hasta que me venga al cielo” less than 10 seconds before. All this came from one of the cutest 5 year olds you could ever run into. He is small but has the energy of about 20 kids his age and what was he asking Caroline to do for him while he was on the swing? "Push me so hard until I reach the sky J." His excitement could not be contained by all the diversions in that park today. It was non-stop movement for him and his buddy who Caroline was paired with. The team was busy catering to the need for fun today. Those children saw today that they are special to the Whitefield community and to Jesus Christ our savior. I absolutely love it. The first shows David (white t-shirt) begging for Caroline to push him harder on the swing and the second with Robby and his buddy climbing the ropes.

Back at the apartment we ended the night with some gift wrapping. Thanks once again for the genuine effort on your behalf to send gifts to teachers and staff who you may never have the pleasure to meet. The gifts are all wrapped, and ready to go. The team planned some entertainment as well to deliver during the party. They sounded good. I pray that we will continue to be well until the weekend when we will visit a farm owned by Pity’s relatives. Pancho promises a soccer tournament, biking, pure air to breathe and an unforgettable time with God. Please pray now that God will speak to our hearts, that we will remove all distractions and listen/obey his words and calling for our lives. As time winds down and we prepare to reconnect with you in the flesh, I thank God every time I think of you! Hasta mañana familia.


Opal