The Lord Keeps Blessing

All I can say is, 126 people! Kids+parents that came=126 people in VBS for the week. We started out with 36 kids, and now we had so many people in the place! It was awesome.
The Lord provided crafts for us tonight. Amber showed up at the church tonight with crafts we could use. When we ask, God answers.
It was amazing listening to all those kids singing their little hearts out tonight. I know they were sad to leave. We get to see the kids from the home tomorrow before we go to the ruins. It will be hard to say by to them.

We are all having such a good time, but I know we are ready to see our families. God has tested our flexibility this week as well as our faith. We won't come back the same.
I'll try to post some pics in a little while.

Love you all,
-Jennifer

God Keeps Supplying

Well, sorry I didn't post yesterday. We were super busy. With all this high elevation, I'm gonna tell y'all that cookies, cakes, and cupcakes are HARD to bake!! We've had to bake twice for VBS, and every time it fails. I wish I would have taken a picture of our cookies yesterday. We ended up making cookie crumble.

The guys have finished the boys edition at the home. All that is needed is a roof, which should go on today.

Last night at VBS we had 99 kids! Yes, 99! Monday night we started out with 36, and now we have so many that we are running out of crafts. We prayed last night that God will increase our crafts, because we don't have enough. Please pray that we have enough snack and crafts for tonight. God is providing the children. All the unchurched kids are going back to their communities and telling their friends about what fun they are having at church. It's so awesome.

Today we are working again at the home and it's the last day at VBS. We have to go all out for them.

All the kids at the worship rally. There were so many we put out more chairs. 

The people in the hallway trying to get name tags.

We love you all.
-Jennifer.

P.s. We just got word of Sherry Couch's husband, Mark. Continue to pray for the Couch family. Mark passed away last night. I know Sherry will need to be lifted up tremendously in prayer.

Our Work Is Not In Vain

Today was a really good day. We went to the children's home today. We go everyday. The guys continued to work on the guys' dormitory wing. Some of the girls went with Amber to shop in Jerez for vegetables, fruit, and some supplies needed for the home. It started to rain so the kids and some of us played soccer outside with the kids. I of course was not involved.

Tonight at VBS the unchurched kids doubled from last night. It is amazing watching those kids dance and sing. That is the loudest I have ever heard kids sing bible songs.
Tomorrow is a new day. Nothing big has happened yet, just that the kids are loving VBS and lives are being changed. I think that's big enough, right?

We are feeling your prayers. Keep them coming. Thank you to all who donated items for the home or for VBS. The kids love EVERYTHING! It doesn't matter if it's just a pipe cleaner bracelet with beads on it. It's something they didn't have before we came.

I'll keep updating.

-Jennifer

Smiles after a long, tiring day. 

One of the rooms/hallways used for VBS

getting the girls to do "the pose" (hip pop, hand on hip, big smile). 

"En el Rancho Vaquero!"

Hello, people in Estados Unidos!
We had a good day. It's starting to wind down, but we haven't eaten dinner yet. Today we got up and went to the children's home where the guys helped with construction on the outside. They are helping with the progress of the older boy's wing of the house. Most of the women were inside making pancakes for breakfast and baking cupcakes for snack at EBV (VBS). We stayed there until 12:30-12:45pm.
After that we had enough time to come back to the house, take showers, eat lunch, and get supplies together for VBS. When we all all piled in the van, it wouldn't crank. The battery was dead. SO, Luke and Mike got on the back of a scooter that is at the house and rode to the church..in the rain. I'll post a picture later.
Tonight was really good. We had children there that were not from the children's home, and hopefully more will come tomorrow. It was very organized and everyone was flexible.
It rains every day here. It seems we came in the "rain season". That's okay. It doesn't rain for long.
Tomorrow we start all over again. Children's home at 8am, where we figure out every morning what we can do around the house. I'm sure we will be baking more snacks and washing something.

Here are some pics from the day:

Before VBS

some of the girls from the home and Amber

I'll post more later after dinner.
Love you all
-Jennifer

The Wrap Up of The Day

Well, we weren't able to see the parade, but it was a good day!
We went to church and had a good service. There were a lot more people there that aren't a part of the orphanage. Most of the church is made up of the kids, but there are adults that come that are a part of the community. It was nice to see them interact and be such a part of the service.
After church we went to Zacatecas to sight-see and to go to Walmart/Sam's. We weren't able to see the parade, La Bufa, or Pablo and his family. It saddens me to know I wasn't able to see the people of Dios es Amor, But I do know there is a reason for that.

All of us are safe and happy. The kids are doing good. I wanted to share a verse that God laid on my heart last night during the worship service.
I flipped to Isaiah and came across this..

"Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' And I said, "Here am I, Send me!"
After that verse it goes on to tell what they should say to the people..

That verse reminds me of the song "Until The Whole World Hears" by Casting Crowns.
"Until the whole world hears, Lord we are calling out.
Lifting up your name for all to hear the sound"

That's how we should all be in our everyday lives. It shouldn't take a mission trip for us to be sent. God can send us down the street, next door to a neighbor, or to our own family in our house.
I feel so unworthy at times coming on these trips, because I feel like there are so many more people who seem to have such a stronger walk with God than I do. BUT then I see how this is such a growing process. I can see it in the people here who haven't ever been and in the people who come every year.
God can change you if you let him.

We love you all and continue to pray for us. Tomorrow morning we get up and are going to the children's home at 8:00 am. We are going to be painting, doing construction work, and anything they want us to do.

Love you all.
-Jennifer