First Day of VBS

Hello everyone! Casey writing here.

So, today was our first day of VBS or Holiday Club, as they call it here, and everyone had such a great time. I'm in the township called Masiphumelele and it was so great seeing some of the faces I saw last year. The team debriefed after dinner and one of my favorite stories came from Matthew who was at Oceanview. One of the LSEs (Life Skills Educators), Meagan, was telling the story of creation and she held up a mirror in front of the children. She asked them what they saw and told them that no matter what they say or who their parents were or where they came from that they are fearfully and wonderfully made. She then presented the plan of salvation right there. How awesome. The same LSE broke into a small group with the girls and asked them to write on a piece of paper what they wanted to change about themselves & then throw the paper in a pile on the floor. The girls had the same responses that any woman or girl would have in America. They wanted to change their figures, hair, eyes, etc. Meagan then put the Bible on top of the pile and told them that it changed everything. Wow! What a powerful word to hear for girls.

Hearing those stories makes it nearly impossible to deny God's presence here which may sound odd because we are in the midst of pain, poverty, and heartache. However, in the midst of all of that, the people of these townships still glorify God with their words and actions. What becomes evident to me when I here the stories of the people here (especially John & Avril Thomas who started Living Hope) , is that I don't give God enough space to work miracles. The people here have way less and seem to be more content. What an example of faith & trust in God.

Please be praying that the children will continue to come to Holiday Club and that they would have open hearts and minds. Pray that the BBC team would also have open hearts and minds and that we would be a great & effective support system to the LSEs. Pray that our team would continue to have unity. May the Lord decrease and make Himself greater in all of us. May our love for Him and for all people grow deeper & stronger. May we be completely selfless and always take the extra mile to make a difference. Mostly pray that God's name would be glorified in everything that we do and say.

Thank you for your support of our team and for your prayers!!