What a Wonderful Wednesday!

Today we started once again at Reina de la Paz, only this time we got to see the "cuyes" (guinea pigs) before we started the VBS. The girls showed up this morning with their potholders, eager to finish sewing them, but we told them we would finish those tomorrow. Today's craft was t-shirts, and the girls enjoyed decorating them with markers. Kay and Rhonda led a parenting session, where the girls asked questions about their babies' health, nursing, and discipline. It was a very productive time and good to see how much they love and care for their babies. In Bible we discussed what it means to come to salvation, and after lunch a young woman named Monica asked Giuli what she needed to do to be saved. Giuli prayed with her, and Monica is now a sister in Christ with us! Praise God for that! All the girls ate lunch with us, and they even had pastries for sale for us. Overall, it was an awesome day at Reina de la Paz.

From there we headed off to San Ricardo to take 115 kids to the movies. Whew, let's see how this goes! :) Actually, it turned out wonderfully. We drove to San Ricardo and waited for all the kids to get back from school. Every one of them was wearing his or her best clothes and shoes, and many of them had even bathed for the occasion. We then loaded two buses to Planet Cine. We had kids on our laps, people standing in the aisles; it was quite crowded, but we made it with the help of the translators who sang songs with the kids. When we got inside, all the kids went to the theatre; and the adults bought many drinks and boxes of popcorn. The kids enjoyed the movie immensely, even though many of them had to go to the bathroom. :)

Erika says: I had the privilege of being in Bible again today at Reina de la Paz. I love listening to Mrs. Wetzel talk to the girls straight from her heart and the Scriptures. It is also a joy to listen to Giuli translate with so much emotion and put her own spin on the ideas that Mrs. Wetzel gives her. It was wonderful because the girls ask the deep questions that we discuss often in our own school and church classrooms at home. This is part of the biggest thing I have learned on this trip: everyone is the same, no matter where you go in the world and despite differences that seem to really complicate things. Four-year-olds are four-year-olds, no matter what country you're in :). When I talk to the girls at Reina de la Paz, the only difference between a conversation with a new acquaintance in Lafayette and with these girls is that we are speaking Spanish. These are sweet and wonderful girls, and I hope that they can see that God loves them and has a mind-blowing plan for each of their lives and the lives of their babies.

Sue says: Bible has been a incredible experience this year. Giuli takes my one phrase or sentence and turns it into a dramatic and beautiful explanation of how much God loves them and cares for them. We can see them pondering and thinking. When we explained the OT testament sacrifices and then watched them realize that Jesus is the Passover lamb-wow! We all broke out into applause on the bus when we found out Monica received Christ. Another cool thing was seeing all the kids at San Ricardo dressed in their best for the movie. One little boy had us smell his hair!