Sunday
Crepes for breakfast and then we are out the door shortly after 11:00 am. On the way to church at Pan de Vida we pick up Laura who lives in Santa Barbara and also attends at Pan de Vida. Return home at 2:00 pm and at 3:00 Armando and Laura, and their two daughters, come over for lunch. After that, we head over to the outreach centre for our 6:00 service. Sermon on Ephesians 2:19-22 – being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets and Christ the cornerstone.
Monday
Sermon writing for Sunday begins as well as last-minute preparations for VBS which starts on Tuesday. Scott hands out flyers and preps for two messages for the VBS, while Annemarie goes over dance choreography with Sarahi, another Christian from Santa Barbara who has offered to help. At 4:00 we go to clean the cancha where we will have the VBS. We meet Maribel there, only to find out that Leonor, who attends our Sunday service, has already done most of the cleaning! Scott hands out a few more flyers and Annemarie drives down to the main street for a few more supplies.
Tuesday
First day of VBS! At 9:00 am we drive over to the outreach centre and load up all the supplies we need. The speaker is strapped to the roof of the van so we can announce the VBS while we drive around. By 9:30 we are at the cancha to unload all the supplies. Annemarie sets up while Scott drives around with the speaker. We don’t know how many kids will show up, but are hoping for 20-30. Praise God! At least 30 kids show up, plus a few more from the volunteers. Among the volunteers are two young ladies who grew up at Pan de Vida, a mom from a local church, and our neighbour lady who attends the Sunday service. We play games, have a snack, make a craft, sing a few songs, and then Scott talks about the armor of man vs. the armor of God.
Wednesday
Rained a lot overnight. A few of our kids are coming down with a cold. A couple volunteers can’t come because of the rain, including the one volunteer bringing the snacks. Also, the cancha is full of puddles and we are not sure how many people will still come due to the weather. Our mood matches the weather outside. But…most of the kids from the previous day return, and some of the parents help us get rid of the puddles. Today’s message is on the breastplate of righteousness and Scott uses a dirty, smelly shirt and a clean, white shirt to show how Jesus takes our sins and gives us his perfection. In the afternoon we prep for the next day’s craft and make sure we have all the supplies we need.
Thursday
Rained overnight, but not as much. Today we are learning about the belt of truth. After games, songs, and making a paper belt with bible verses, Pastor Kike from Pan de Vida church gives the message, He illustrates the importance of the truth with a story about a counterfeit bill. Davin and Stephanie who work at Esperanza Para Ti have come to help us, along with Bryan from Nebraska who used to teach English at Pan de Vida.
Friday
Last day of VBS. Despite some lingering illness, we are feeling good and very blessed. The weather has held up as well. As we arrive at the cancha, Adiel comes by to deliver the cardboard swords his wife Nadia has made for the kids to decorate. She’s done an amazing job with them and the kids love decorating them; and fighting with them. Annemarie and Sarahi lead the kids in song and dance with the kids decked out in their armor, and then Nelly gives an animated talk about the shield of faith and the sword of the Spirit. We hand out prizes for the kids who attended each day, and all the kids get candies and stickers. Bibles are available for the kids and parents, as well as a few books for sale. We are tired, but feeling good about how the week went. Many kids returned that had come to earlier VBSs, and a few new kids came as well, including two boys who often show up to our Thursday soccer night and seem to be generally bored out of their minds. A few more parents signed up to be part of our Whatsapp group. Very grateful for the many volunteers who helped us!
Saturday
Rest, cleaning, and sermon writing day. Daniel, the maintenance guy at Pan de Vida shows up with Abraham, one of the older boys, to fix part of a concrete wall above the garage. In the end, the entire wall topples over and they will have to build a new wall. Later, they join us for lunch and we learn more about Daniel’s story. Scott finishes his sermon and Annemarie cleans up the scattered supplies from VBS. She also makes a delicious pumpkin soup which we enjoy with home-baked bread – a very satisfying meal at the end of a busy, but satisfying week. Praise God!
The Rabbi's Burrito 
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