Sunday, May 18, 2008

Lots of New Interns!!

Greetings Friends!

We are currently hosting our last team until October. That makes me kinda said because I love having teams so much!! But, on the other hand it will be interesting to see how ministry changes when we’re not always preparing for the next team.

This team is from North Park University, there are 16 kids. They’re pretty cool; I love how they’re so willing to help wherever they’re needed…and so faithful to provide comic relief, as well!

On Saturday I went to the prison with some kids from the young adults group and youth group at the International Church. We went to do a program for all of the kids who end up living in the prison with their parents because they have nowhere else to go. It was so interesting to see the inside of a men’s prison in Bolivia. It was a three story building with a courtyard in the middle. There were clotheslines with laundry on them strung all over the place and ladders leading up into the wall with drop down doors where the cells were. When we arrived there was tons of guys just standing around watching a few men play basketball. We paraded (that’s what it felt like, at least, with fifteen or so girls and only three guys in our group) through the middle of the courtyard to get to the stairs and narrow passage ways to get to the third floor game room/chapel/gym. It was obviously not a high security prison, as I only saw one guard standing on top of the roof, and when we had the kids coloring pictures with dull colored pencils one of the men went and got a knife to sharpen the pencils! Apparently a lot of them are in jail for petty crimes or debt. They make beds and doghouses to sell to pay cell rent. There were probably around thirty kids that came to the program. We talked about Jonah, which may have been a good story for them (and their dads) to hear about God’s forgiveness and His desire to use us in spite of our mistakes. I know that it was good for ME to hear at least!! I called out of my distress to the LORD, And He answered me. Jonah 2:2

Two of our new interns arrived on Monday. Tiffany and Andrea!! We’re very happy to have them here. Tiffany celebrated her birthday only 2 days after arriving! She graduated from college, moved to Bolivia and turned 22 all within like 4 days! Nothing like cramming everything into one week!! Kim and Elaina arrive today from Bedford NH. (They’re from the same church as the last team!)

Well the countdown begins until my roomies leave. L It just makes me so sad to know that I probably won’t see them for at least 7 months. *sigh*. But apparently goodbyes are a very important part of life…even though I really don’t like them.

Okie doke… have a great birthday week…even if it isn’t yours it’s a lot of other peoples, and you should help them celebrate!!

Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. (1 Peter 2:17)

Kristen

1 comment:

Katie Polcyn said...

yes, yes, i believe in birthday parties too ;)
that is cool that you got to go to prison, but even cooler that they didn't make you stay ;)
i am praying for you en todo momento.
te amo hermana!

katie