Friday, July 11th

To all!

I am so sorry that I have waited so long to finish writing about my trip. I have been home well over a month and am finally getting around to placing an "!" on this trip.

Friday was a real blessed day! We had lunch in the barrio and got a chance to spend the afternoon with the adults with those who will continue on the work that has started here. We spent some time getting ready for some games with the adults and then dinner before a Friday night teaching season.

Oh....Loys and I had a bet all week. He challenged me to a picarone making contest. Now...I didn't have a clue how to make these.... I did find a video on YouTube that showed the technique, but Loys wouldn't let me do it that way. Loys declared himself the winner after three rounds. I my mind it was a tie..... The bet...if I won Loys had to wear one of my shirts. If Loys won, I would have to fit in one of his shirts. Needless to say, I am a little bit bigger than Loys. I did get in the shirt. It was good fun!

As I mentioned in Thursday's blog, Friday was my night to deliver a lesson. For those who really know me will understand when I say I wrestled with this for weeks leading up to our trip and for the entire week we were there. I have to thank a brother in Christ and a former team member for sitting with me and helping me work through some ideas. Without some council from Roger Winkles.....and some help with reading material from Pastor Roger Storms and of course some divine guidance....I would not have found the ability to do this! Thanks to the two Rogers and I thank God for ultimately helping me find the right words. I also thank God for Kris who translated without a script. I really believe the Holy Spirit was guiding the two of us

I spoke to the community leaders about leadership and what is expect from us as leaders in the church, but more importantly what is expect from us as Christians and christian leaders. If what I understood Loys told them following our talk and told me in private as we were getting ready to leave the barrio....the talk was right on the mark. It was the reinforcement they needed after similar lessons with Loys!

Leaving doesn't get any easier and this time was even tougher. I have been telling many of you who have been so faithful in supporting me the past four years, that this will me my last trip there with a group on a mission trip. I believed this because of the demands of my new job, my involvement as a member of the board from Project New Hope International, the belief that God is just preparing me for something else now and that it really is time for someone else to have the fun I have had. None the less, this was by far the most difficult in leaving behind the good friends I have made over the last four years. I have a great deal of love for so many that are in that barrio....Anita and her family, Elizabeth, Carol and the rest of their family, Anna, Mari, Yoler, Rosa, Carlita, Gonzalo and Loys and Theresa. There are so many that have given their lives to Christ in the last four years and I am so proud to call them my Brothers and Sisters in Christ. Do they have work to do and growth to attain? No question....but they have a real understanding what life with Christ can mean.

Now to all of you who had a part in my trips the last four year! Thank you for your support through prayer. Thank you for your support in funds as well! I could not have done any of this without your support. It is pretty amazing to know that you have a group of 30 or more who saw the vision that I had and jumped in and provided the way and provided prayers for our work! I want you to know you played a huge roll in furthering the Kingdom of God and have truly helped lead so many to Christ! Thank You!

Mitch