youth trip to the beach!

The youth at our church are on vacation from school, which has been given me some special times to hang out with them! A few weeks ago, we took a little overnight trip to the beach, about an hour outside of Tulear.

Getting ready for this was quite a production—I think we had enough tools, cooking paraphernalia and bedding to last us weeks! I really was amazed too at the amount of preparation that went into the trip; everyone was so excited and willing to work so hard!

We grilled out the night we arrived, which was delicious! We sang songs around a fire on the beach. That night, the moon was so bright, the group started some moonlight soccer after a very late dinner, though there were no lights on anywhere!

The next day, we spent the morning preparing our food for lunch, and I did my best to chop tomatoes in my hand as quickly and effectively as the other girls! Then, we played lots of games, and wrapped up with another game of soccer and some volleyball.

We went swimming and ate lunch together, and then headed out around 5, as we needed to be home before dark.

We really had a great time. I’m so thankful for this group—they are so young, and yet they are the heart of our church here. I was blessed to be so close to my church in Tana, and I’m just thankful for times like these to spend time with my church here. Since the trip, a few girls have come by my house to look at the pictures we took, too. I love these visits! Pray with me that I’ll be able to make use of their break time from school to visit more of them in their homes, and to keep getting to know them better. 

Contagious Confidence

A few weeks ago, I was talking with Bebe Melina, an older woman in one of my crafting groups. Bebe has not been a believer very long, and she doesn’t read. She is incredibly eager to learn stories though, and retells them to small groups all over Tulear! When we first met, I had a lot of trouble understanding her in her dialect, and she had a lot of trouble understanding me too :) Now I think we’ve reached a good mutual understanding, and it seems that every time I visit her, I learn something special! She is a very wise woman, with a dedication to using all the time she has to sharing His story with others!

The last time we talked, she was describing some new work her church is doing. She talked about some of the sins and struggles of the people in the area, and how they have grown. What struck me was her manner in talking about this—she had no frustration or fear in talking about their sin, and she seemed completely confident that they would eventually come to faith and transformation in Christ.

This attitude was amazing to me! Even though I know the truth of the Gospel, and believe that He is at work all around me, sometimes I forget this. I allow frustration and fear to hinder my prayers or joy in my work and relationships here. I continually find myself acting as if my work were dependent on me, and not on Him. Pray with me that I might have eyes of faith like Bebe, to pursue His work tirelessly with full confidence in what He is doing!