First VBS complete

Hi everyone! Megan here, part 2 of the M3 blogging team!

I am posting from the stunningly beautiful and homey Monte Sion church. I am extremely excited because we have INTERNET!!! I will post this, and then do another photo post a bit later on to recap our week's VBS at Huixquilucan, if the Internet allows.

Sorry I wasn’t able to get a post up yesterday. It was a busy day, with us finishing VBS, packing up to go to Monte Sion, actually going to Monte Sion, then an amazing meal of tamales before getting into bed around 11 last night. I will now explain our day, so buckle up for this one!

Yesterday was the last day at the Huixquilucan church. Our VBS finished with the drime, (the students outperforming themselves as usual) and there were between 15 and 20 parents in attendance. We may never know (on this side of eternity) what kind of impact we made on the people here, but we can rest on the fact that we worked as hard as we could and represented Jesus as well as we could.  

Each VBS has been different, and each has presented its special moments. The hour or so after the VBS finished was one of them. We all gathered in the inside room where we had crafts all week and first prayed for the church and the impact the VBS had. Then, Pablo Daniel and Tachito and Isaac all thanked us. Emotions were high as the two pastors spoke — they were so grateful they were moved to tears. The pastors and the locals then prayed for us. In most prayer circles that I’ve been a part of, each person usually takes a turn to pray. For example, this is how we start off each morning at VBS, as Christine described to you. However, when the locals prayed for us, they all spoke at once — loudly and passionately, moving around the circle, their hands brushing our backs as they went. As you might imagine, this was moving for many of us. I heard many “Gracias, Dios,” (thank you, God) and I heard Isaac saying at one point, “You have a plan for all of these people.” This time was incredibly powerful, and I think I could speak on behalf of the team to say that we may have come to be a blessing to these people and this new, small church, but we walked away feeling so encouraged and blessed. 

After packing up, we went back to house for an amazing meal where we could put any combination of beef, cactus, (a kind of vegetable reminiscent of a pickle and slightly slimy, but good) onions, some kind of herb, guacamole and a spicy red sauce into fresh tortillas. The meal was given to us as thanks from the church, and included a 3L bottle of Coke and another fruity, fizzy drink that I was told was special to Huixquilucan. 

We packed up all that was left at the house (as the majority of our luggage was taken this morning by the locals to Monte Sion while we were at VBS) and got into three different vehicles. It took approximately two and a half hours for two of the vans to get to the church, and the last van rolled in more than three hours after they had left Huixquilucan, thanks to several Mexico City traffic jams. For everyone reading who is either living in or from big cities, I cannot express to you how much I would take an Edmonton, Calgary or Toronto traffic jam over a Mexico City traffic jam. The delay was due to pure congestion. It was absolutely insane. That being said, despite our long car rides, I tip my sombrero to the locals who made the two and a half hour/three hour trek TWICE today.  

It was amazing for the returnees to walk around the church and see the walls we’d built and painted, now completed with windows and furniture. I get chills just thinking about being able to see the progress with my very own eyes each time I have returned, and I am filled with admiration for the vision Pastor Jaime and his family have for this church. Right now, the classrooms are being used to teach English to kids, and I have been told that we will be meeting some of the students this week as we are doing VBS.

We were able to sleep in this morning, and rumour has it that we are headed out to Xochimilco (a man-made river with colourful boats) today, so I’m looking forward to that!

Thank you again for all your prayers, comments and support. We read out each one to the team, and they are much appreciated! 

Please continue to pray for health for the team, with all the people who have colds and sore throats. Thankfully, no one is very sick, but the sickness is another tool the devil could use for discouragement and tiredness, so please pray against that!

Praise God for safety today, as well as safe travels to Monte Sion, and for the successful VBS. Please pray for a restful, enjoyable two days for the team before we begin our second VBS, as well as prayers for the kids who will be attending. 

(I love the kid at the very front!)