Saturdays and Sundays

Recently, we made a switch with the kids' program and the Bible study that we do weekly. We were meeting with the kids up in San Marcos on Sunday mornings and doing a Bible study for adults and youth on Sunday nights. There were between 30 and 35 kids that were showing up every week to share with us, and maybe 3 or 4 adults and students coming to the Bible study. Most people have to wake up early Monday mornings to go to school or to work, so it was difficult for them to come over on Sunday nights.


We decided it would be good to have the Bible study on Sunday mornings instead. That way, the people don't have to worry too much about staying over here too late on Sundays. We meet now at 9:30 in the mornings. Turns out it was a good idea. There were 10 of us this morning studying on how and why we can and should be obedient Christians. It was really neat to look around the room and see so many faces, and to listen to all the voices singing praises to God together. What a blessing!


So now since we have Bible study Sunday mornings, we go up to San Marcos on Saturday afternoons to be with the kids. This has become my absolute favorite time of the week!! And it turns out this change was great for the kids too. The last two weeks we have gone on Saturday afternoon, and there have been about 40-45 kids! There are so many! It gets so disorganized with so many kids and just the three of us. We have begun to split them up into smaller groups. Ricky takes the kids who are 9 and older with him, Tracie takes the kids between 5 and 8 years old. And I have the priviledge of being with the little tiny ones under 5. Oh they are precious! They don't listen, they are not interested in hearing the Bible story that I tell them, they hit each other, they yell to get my attention, and they eat the crayons...but I love them so so much! And I treasure every second I spend with them. I wish we could stay longer when we go. We're there for a couple hours in the afternoon...but that's just not enough for my selfish self. This week when we arrived, Wilber, who is Lupe's 3-year-old, older brother, saw me from far off, and he just sprinted as fast as he could toward me with a giant smile on his face, shouting at the top of his lungs, "TIA!! TIA!!! TIIIIAAAAAAA!!" (As a form of respect, children call adults tia or tio, which means aunt or uncle) He ran right over to me and just hugged me as hard as he could! I love this little boy so much! I have been spending extra time with him the past few weeks, and I can't get enough of his beautiful smile. He is a treasure to me. It will hurt a lot to leave him.


This week we were blessed with another helper during our Saturday afternoon with the kids. Almost two months ago, when the missions team from Chile was here, we did a presentation in Plaza San Pedro, where we met John. John hadn't even seen the whole presentation...he was only walking by when we were nearly finished and he ended up talking to me while Ricky was praying in front of the crowd at the end. Well I couldn't answer his questions (I was struggling just to hear him, let alone understand him over the loud music and noise of the plaza), so I asked him if he could wait a few minutes to talk to Ricky. Well he did. He waited nearly 20 minutes just to talk with Ricky a little bit, and he has ended up getting really involved in everything we are doing. He comes on Wednesday nights to our prayer group. He comes to our Bible study. He comes over Tuesday and Thursday nights when Ricky teaches two of the younger teenagers to play guitar. He even lent his guitar to Ricky to use with the boys he teaches.


John told us last week that he'd like to go with us to see the kids. We told him we leave the house at 3:00 on Saturdays. I didn't think he'd show... many times, people here don't when they say they will. But he did. He made the long walk up the many stairs to San Marcos with us, and he immediately began to get to know the kids; talking with them, laughing with them and playing with them. He was a natural. The kids loved him, especially the older ones. He even danced with us when we played all the dancing games...I thought for sure he'd be embarrassed, but he wasn't. Hopefully he will decide that this is something he'd like to continue doing. It was so helpful to have him around. And I will only be here a month longer. It will really be a blessing if he sticks around.


I have fallen in love with the kids of San Marcos. I don't ever want to leave them. I want to watch them all grow up knowing the love of Christ in their lives. I want good things for them. I hope that my being here is making a difference. I hope Wilber knows how special he is. I hope Lupe never ever stops smiling. I hope I can come back here someday and see these kids again.