Cracks in the Wall

Cracks in the wall. They start small, but we know that eventually, over time, they widen. This same principle applies to our summer camp. The first few days can be frustrating for our students, since the participants are often shy, and don't feel confident about their English, so they don't talk too much. This makes for tough group dynamics! But yesterday (Tuesday), there was a shift and our Asian students began to fully engage.  

The group as a whole is smaller than previous years. It's an intentional choice since our contacts need to be cautious. We used to be able to be open about the Message, but as most of you know, the country has become much more intolerant about the beliefs we bring. I had a long discussion with a leader of a house gathering (about 50 people). He's been questioned by the authorities three times, and they were evicted from their meeting place. He feels this is a mild response on the part of the government, considering what happens in other areas of the country.  But he is still very careful and is taking a back seat in our program.

As I mentioned in my last update, Nehemiah is divided into five groups. There has been a lot of shifting of our team member to meet the needs of the groups as they grow (or shrink) as we go throughout the week

6-7 year olds: Their group name is the Funny, Awesome Monkeys. Ellie and Kylie head up this small group of boys. This is by far the hardest group. The boys have zero attention span and are out of control most of the time. The girls have been working flat-out trying to keep some semblance of order; it's often been a task beyond their reach! But Ellie just ran in and said that they are all sitting quietly in a circle (an event on par with the parting of the Red Sea), and they want to see her Bible...miracles still happen.

Winnie and Josie (The Orange Puppies), have the  8-10 year olds. This age group still has some trouble concentrating, but is much more focused.

Rieley, Lemlem, and Macy (The Seven Stars) have the 10-12 year olds. The boys in their group have a hard time concentrating, but the girls are locked in, and they have had some very good, deep conversations.

Lyzee, Nate, and Ellen lead the 14-17 year olds (The Warrior Chickens).  The difference is pretty pronounced. They can have some good question-and-answer sessions. And they have had a lot of success when Nate takes the guys and Lyzee and Ellen the girls during small group discussion time. Many students have questions, and they have had some rich discussions.  Today, the guys spent an entire hour as Nate went through the Good News from creation to the second return of the Son. His interpreter (the local leader I mentioned earlier in this update) was impressed with Nate's ability to communicate with clarity and in a way they could understand.

Wilks, Nina, Lydia, Abigail, and Clara work with the 18+ year olds. This group is the largest and really connects. They always go next door to the coffee shop during small group time. They have very deep conversations, and a number of them are very curious and interested in the news that we find good to talk about.

We have two days left in our program. The team has done exceedingly well in pushing through the obstacles of tiredness, heat (it hit 100 degrees today), the language barrier, and culture. They excel at working together, and their planning sessions are relaxed, fun, and efficient. Everyone is willing and able to step in for another team member in the skits, leading dance (Cha Cha Slide, Church Clap, Follow the Leader, etc), or just helping out. I don't hear a lot of talk about leaving in three days; I think they are too focused on the last two days of the program and making the most of the time they have left. They are all enjoying the culture and the people.

We would appreciate you talking to the Father on our behalf. We want to finish well, so we need to stay focused and remain strong. We also need the hearts of those we are talking to, to be soft and willing to receive the truth. They have been taught an incredible amount of mistruths about what a Chr_tian is and who the Son is. Others lack any understanding of who He is. So those are some of the first things we needed to overcome.

But the team is doing well. Most everyone is healthy. And the team is exceptionally close and unified. They are all rising to the challenge set before them and are modeling what it looks like to be a healthy community of believers. It has already made an impression on the students here.

Two more days left, and then we are off to Vietnam for debriefing!

‍