Tuesday, July 10, 2007

journal excerpt #3 [DR]

Thursday, 1pm

After lunch Tuesday there was only one latrine foundation to do, so I switched to VBS crew (Courtney, Carlos, Susie, Marshall, and Bianca), where we started off with a "silent game" to at least attempt to maintain a little more order than the day before. I basically played a supporting role--helping with a human knot game, singing along with the kids, and praying at the end. It was pretty exhausting, and I wound up skipping out on post-VBS play time to hang out with Susie and debrief the day a bit, after which we had a riot taking bucket showers in our bathing suits together. [I love Burt's Bees! Thank you, Susie!] Later I went back outside to catch the end of the baseball game and I found myself with my arms around two children thinking, this is what it is all about.

Sometimes the kids are frustrating and sometimes they break my heart, but Jesus looked with compassion on the crowds who were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. And that's what I most need to remember.

Our team devo that night was about being laborers and the differences between how Jesus' disciples were sent out and how we are sent out today. "Jesus sent them with a message, not a project," I commented. "Perhaps we undervalue our message," said Craig.

That night as we all tried to fall asleep, there was a racket coming from the house behind the school and Courtney said, "I will go pay them $10 now and $20 in the morning if they will just turn off that #&*@ radio. [She never did.] At some ridiculously early hour, the roosters began crowing, and the screeching pig wasn't far behind.

Needless to say, we were all pretty tired that day. And it was going to be the hardest yet.

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