The big goal for today was to get as much painting done at Casa Ebenezer as we could. We allotted two days to paint the buildings and today was the upstairs rooms. In order to maximize our time, we started our day a little earlier with breakfast at the hotel, a brief meeting, and a prompt departure hoping to get as much done in the cool of the morning.
As Kayla designed our time together, she planned to have a testimony and devotional each morning as a group. Yesterday I shared about Gaby’s testimony. Today, Kayla had a plan for her devotional, but decided she was going to share her testimony with our team. Most of the team knows Kayla, or at least of Kayla. Some of them had Kayla as a Sunday School teacher at Lakeside when she was in High School. Knowing about someone is not the same as knowing them and knowing their story.
Kayla grew up around Christianity, knowing about the Gospel, but had not surrendered her life to Christ until she was about 16. Before Christ, Kayla started looking for meaning, purpose, and value in other things that left her empty and still searching. One summer, her mom made her go to Skyview Ranch where she heard the Gospel in a compelling way and surrendered her life to Christ. It was a dramatic transformation for her, and she knew that Jesus is real and had a plan for her. She explained to us the distraction the enemy of our souls brings and how we must decide what it means to completely trust Christ. For her, she chose to follow Christ. She admitted to not being perfect and still struggling at times, but assured us of God’s forgiveness, patience, and kindness toward us.
Kayla began coming to Lakeside shortly after her summer at Skyview Ranch. She came to youth group hungering for the Word of God and longing to share the Gospel with others. If you do not know Kayla, she is such a bubbly, energetic, caring, joyful person. She is a dynamic person who knows how to help others feel like the belong and that they have purpose. In youth group, Kayla invited so many people to join and impacted others as a High Schooler, and her impact continues to this day.
Kayla and I have been to Slovakia and Haiti together. She went off to the Word of Life Bible Institute after High School, and then followed God’s leading down her to Puerto Escondido to serve in a Christian School. Honestly, I thought she was going to fulfill her 1-year commitment and come back to Ohio to be one of my youth leaders. But God had bigger plans and she developed a heart for the Mexican people, specifically the orphans. I am so proud of the godly woman that she has become and her testimony of faith that is impacting me and our team this week. One team member said she’s known Kayla for a long time and just figured she always had things figured out. Today, when Kayla shared her story, she heard of how God transformed Kayla from the kingdom of darkness into his glorious light! Kayla is the first person who will point you to Jesus who empowers her to be who she is today.
Ok so Kayla will probably be mad at me for spending so much time talking about her. I know she will be one of the first to read this, so I want her to know how proud I am and that it is because she surrendered her life to Jesus and faithfully follows him daily, that I want my students to be around her. Her faith is beautiful, and others can have that faith too. I didn’t go into detail with her story, it is her story to tell, but you can ask her, or better yet, plan a trip to come down here and hear her share it.
Just like so many of us who know about Kayla, but don’t really know her, there are many who know a lot about Jesus Christ, but have not surrendered to him. Information about Jesus is good, but if it does not transform your heart, it is not real faith. Jesus prayed, “this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). In this prayer, Jesus was saying that eternal life is about being in a relationship with God through Jesus. It is not about being the smartest, richest, tallest, strongest, or most powerful. It is about drawing closer to Jesus every day. Don’t allow yourself to be stuck in the knowing about without knowing camp.
Painting.
It was another hot day and we had a lot to do. Painting can be hard work, painting in high temperatures can be exhausting. Yesterday I failed to institute mandatory water breaks and saw a few team members struggling. So today I made them take water breaks and drink some electrolyte drinks. We are nearing the halfway point and exhaustion and dehydration set in. We have had a few upset stomachs and a little uncomfortableness, nothing major, but adjusting to a different climate and working hard is tough.
I am so proud of the team for working hard and getting so much of the project done. I am proud of them for looking out for each other and helping each other stay hydrated. I am so proud of how they cared for the ones who weren’t feeling well and encouraged them to rest while they continued to work. Nobody was grumbling or complaining. Nobody thought it was unfair that some were sitting while others were working. They knew this project is for Jesus and they worked hard!
Unfortunately, we ran out of paint and had to stop painting without completing the project. However, it gave us extra time to clean up and a much-needed extended rest in the shade. I was thankful to hear that those who were feeling sick felt much better after the break. We packed up and headed back to the hotel to clean up. We had a fun surprise for an evening activity.
Releasing Turtles
How much do you know about sea turtles? I didn’t know anything other than they existed. You should ask any of our team members because we learned some fascinating thins about them. We went to a part of the beach that is set apart to preserve wildlife. There is a group that rescues endangered sea turtle eggs, provides a protected place for them to hatch, and then sends the out to sea. We got to each get a little baby turtle and release it into the sea. It was pretty amazing to see these little creatures that God designed. When we set them down on the beach, they knew what to do and start marching to the water. Standing there in awe of God’s handiwork and enjoying the beauty all around us will be a good memory. I think you will enjoy some of these pictures.
Thanks for following along! Tomorrow, we head to Casa Abba property to host a kid’s day! Pray for David Keiper as he plans on sharing the Gospel with the kiddos. Pray that God brings a whole bunch of kids to the event. Pray there is no rain. Pray our team members have courage to share their testimonies and the Gospel as they spend time with the kids. The craft is the Gospel bead bracelet and is a great way to share the good news of Jesus.
Please pray for the health of the team and Kayla, Jocsan, and their family.
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