Lebanon in July

'Uh Oh!', as Thad would say, we are six team members down and onto another week with the boys! The original plan had been to partner with a local church this week for chapel, tutoring, Bible study, music and games... However, the Lord had another plan!! The church was unable to help out and we have learned to pull together as a small team and be a crucial member of the church body this week! Last week in chapel Lanna read a story each day about someone that met Jesus and whose life had been changed by Jesus (e.g. Bartimaeus); this week we decided to follow that up with the stories of our own lives - about how each of us met Jesus and how our lives have been changed by knowing him. We are continuing tutoring for one hour in the morning, followed by a short break. I took over Kindergarten class, which had been Lanna's group while she was here. One of the five year olds, Ghedi, spent half the time sitting in the corner for disciplinary reasons and then we spent the break time working one-on-one with his worksheets. I have a renewed appreciation for elementary school teachers!!!

 At song time, Hannah taught the boys another song from Calvary's Bible Club this summer - All My Heart. It is so captivating to see children across the globe singing the same songs as our Calvary kids! It (of course!) was followed by the kids' favorite- 'The Crazy Dance'. (Video footage of Jason Whitlark performing the running man will most definitely be posted upon return!!) For Bible study time this week Trevor is teaching from the parables of Jesus. Today was the parable of the seeds and helping the boys identify what 'weeds' can choke out the Word of God from taking root in our lives.

 This afternoon was another scorcher!! I've changed my clothes three times today! This did not keep the boys from wanting to run around outside! We came up with an obstacle course/ relay race that kept them busy for almost an hour. The best station in the relay was the eating station - each kid had to pick one item out of a bag to eat or drink. Our items spanned from a sleeve of saltines, to chocolate pudding, to a package of processed cheese (ew!). The adults that watched were definitely the 'winners' of the game!

 The boys' enthusiasm for each other and for spending time with us is renewing and rewarding. Although it is great to have a break from the activities and enjoy a meal with the adults, it is not long before we find ourselves in their units- watching movies, playing games and learning more about each other. My prayer for this week is that I would have the perspective of Mary and not Martha. It is easy for me to be 'worried and upset about many things'. Please pray that our focus would not be on the programming (or lack thereof) and 'choose what is better'.

-Sarah Martin-Werntz