One of the greatest blessings in ministry is seeing people grow. I thank God every day that I’ve been blessed with a profound joy in seeing people take ownership of their faith, let God develop their heart and voice, and then submit to the Holy Spirit as they go out and use their gifts, skills, and abilities to make God’s kingdom come, and God’s will be done. This is really one of life’s great joys.
Today (Tuesday) we got the chance to visit El Camino Academy. It was great to be able to see where Zach Dalton is serving, and how God is using him and the wonderful staff and students at El Camino to make a difference in Bogota, in Colombia, and in many instances – in our world. For years we have prayed for Zach from afar, and some of us have even lovingly (suffered) through his longwinded updates (I’m mostly kidding, Zach, we love you). But today we got to see the world and the family God has built and keeps building around Zach, and it was such a blessing and a joy.
For the day, we hosted campers and ran a one day VBS (Vacation Bible School). We had the campers split into four groups: arts and crafts with games, outdoor sports, English skills, and Bible where we learned that like David our fears can be conquered by our hope in God as well as our complete trust and reliance in Him. It was so good to see our team rally together, go above and beyond all that was asked, and most of all – it was just such great to see them connect and just love our campers.
We all had so many great highlights from our day at El Camino. We couldn’t imagine it getting any better – but then it did; it actually got much better. For dinner, families of students at El Camino invited our team members (split into six small groups) for home visits and trips around Bogota. Our groups were able to enjoy delicious traditional Colombian dishes, visit and dine at Bogota’s famous Jacques (where we met the owners, who are also parents of students at El Camino Academy), get guided tours of different Bogota neighborhoods, and all in all – just get a more complete introduction to the El Camino Academy family.
Tomorrow we will be serving at Hogares de Paz, a ministry here in Bogota that serves many at-risk children and youth. We will be serving at their two locations and again running our VBS program. So we’re very excited about the chance to serve a new set of God’s children, to connect with them, and to share God’s love with them.
It is amazing, even all the way on this side of the world and away from many of you all, we very much feel your love and are supported by your prayers all throughout our days. We continue to make incredible memories, build relationships, and see God working in us and through us. Please pray specifically for our group to stay healthy – I believe the altitude is still having minimal effects, but it’s definitely having an effect on many of us. We remain so very grateful to God for each of you for your love, prayers, and support. We serve together, and we are all doing this kingdom work together.
God bless and take care. Dios te Bendiga (God bless you)!
In Christ,
Youth Missions Team
