Southend Mission Trip 2012: Day 3 ~ Jesus, the Fulfillment of God's Promise

This is the day the Lord has made! Let us rejoice and be glad in it! It's a beautiful morning in Southend and the children are already out at the rocks swimming!! We start our day as a team with Bible Study at 9:30 based on what we are teaching the children each day. We enjoyed an additional teaching from Father Mark about how covenants were made in the Old Testament days and how this connects with the new covenant and Jesus' sacrifice for all of us. After Bible study, we have brunch together and then head to the school to prepare. We were all happy to see Ron Ludke, director of LAMP, who visited us yesterday.

On Day 3 of VBS, we taught the children about Jesus as the fulfillment of the promise God made to Adam and Eve after the first sin.  The children love to sing, and each day their voices are stronger. There is so much joy in the gym!! The children who range in age from 10 - 12 enjoyed a soccer game with the LAMP soccer team! Great interest builder for next year's soccer camp and so much fun! After craft time, the care packages made by Messiah VBS kids were given to the children...they loved them. Thank you, Messiah VBS!!   Also thanks to Dr Raab who donated toothbrushes and toothpaste!

After VBS, there is time at Father Mark's and at the rocks...swimming, kick baseball, wiffle ball and other games with the younger children. Everyone has enjoyed continuing crafts at Father Mark's such as God's Eyes, Thumb Print creatures, bracelets and coloring. All this time provides many opportunities to talk with children in smaller groupings. We are already saddened at the prospect of leaving tomorrow because we love these children so much. Some of the kids on our team have said that they wished this week wouldn't come to an end. God has been so good to us!

Molly, Celia, Amanda, Dominique and Kate join the Soccer Camp from 6:30 to well past dark. They are enjoying this so much and each night, there are more Southend kids who participate! The kids play for an hour and take a water break. At that time, someone shares a testimony. After that, there is more play and then the food comes out and is quickly consumed by the very hungry soccer players. Last night, Dan, one of the soccer players shared Peter's perspective on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit.   Each night, there is teaching and sharing around the fire. Adults from our team assist in preparing the camp fire, setting up chairs and food preparation and serving. It is fun for us to see our former VBS kids and continue a relationship with them. Molly will blog more about her adventures in soccer camp soon.

Today our lesson is Jesus Gives Us Eternal Life. We will pass out T-shirts which say "Jesus Loves Southend" and the kids and adults will all have the chance to "autograph" them.   Our friend, Joseph, has set some nets on the lake and our team will travel by boat to an island to help pull up the nets and prepare a "shore dinner."

Thank you for all your support and prayers! "Give thanks to the LORD, call upon His Name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His Name is exhalted." Isaiah 12:3.