“The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9).
Today was one of those days that you must sit back and smile at the LORD’s work. You never know how a day will turn out on a mission trip, but we make plans and pray for the Lord’s blessing. Today was the day we selected to do a kids’ event at a private pool. A pool party may not seem like a big deal to many of you readers because you have a pool in your backyard, your neighborhood, or close enough that you could swim whenever you would like. The kids who live near Casa Abba do not have enough money to swim at the “neighborhood pool.” The kids we visited on Friday and passed out invitations live in extreme poverty, and most have never been to a pool before. We were so excited when the owner allowed us to rent the pool for a day.
Last night, just before ending our evening, the owner of the pool texted Jocsan and told him that the kids had to have swimsuits if they were going to swim in the pool. Again, you may not appreciate the significance of this because you have 2, 3, or 5 swimsuits in your drawer. Most of these children do not have swimsuits. We prayed before bed last night and asked God to soften the heart of the owner.
This (Monday) morning, during the preparation and planning time, it was decided that we would try to supply some swimsuits and pray we have enough. A couple of team members wanted to stop at the store and buy some suits in a variety of sizes just in case. I appreciated their generous offer and their love for children they had not even met yet. After loading up with some supplies, swimsuits, pool noodles, etc. we headed to the pool.
That’s when the rain began. Of all days for rain, why on rain on our pool day? Doesn’t God know what we are trying to do? Of course he does! As soon as we parked, we gathered and prayed for the rain to stop and that the children would still come to the event. We had some concerns that kids might not even show up. Jocsan said that Mexican believe you will get sick in the rain and so they stay home when it rains.
There were no kids at 1pm when we opened the gate. However, by 1:30pm the kids started to trickle in. Soon there were several kids, and our team was playing with them and hoping the rain would stop.
Thankfully, the pool had a nice pavilion that was covered, and we were able to gather the children together for a Gospel presentation using the Wordless Book. This time we made the bracelet as a craft first and then shared the story so they could follow along with their bracelet. The team did an amazing job! The children interacted well.
The Wordless Book and Gospel Beads Bracelet are simple tools to explain the story of the Bible. Here is a brief summary…
The Yellow/Gold page represent heaven, the place where God lives. God is the Creator of all things, including you and me. God loves his creation he wants you and I to be with him in heaven one day. John 3:16a says “For God so loved the world…” However, he is holy and perfect and cannot allow sin or darkness into heaven.
The Dark page reminds us of our sinfulness. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Sin is the wrong things we do that separate us from God. Sin is breaking God’s Law. A summary of God’s Law is the 10 Commandments. Ever since Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden, sin has disrupted and destroyed humanities relationship with God. There is nothing we can do to fix our sin problem. But because God is love he has good news for us…
The Red page tells the story of God’s love for us. Romans 5:8, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” You see, we could not do anything about our sin, but God could. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into this world as a baby, that is what we celebrate at Christmas, God with us. Jesus lived a perfect life and fulfilled the Law of God perfectly. He became the perfect sacrifice for our sins, the God-Man laid down his life for sinners. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son…” Jesus died on the cross, shed his blood for the sins of the world, was buried, and three days later he rose from the dead conquering sin and death! Jesus did all this so that you and I could have a way back to the Father. It is by the work of Jesus alone that we can be saved from our sins (Eph. 2:8-9). This is good news for you and me, which is what the Clean page will tell us about…
The Clean page tells us how the story changes our lives. Jesus invites us into a relationship with him by faith. 1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just, who will forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” When we acknowledge our sinfulness and need for a Savior, tell God about it, and believe that Jesus paid for our sin debt, God will forgive us and cleanse us from sin. The rest of John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life.” You see, if you place your trust in Jesus alone, he will forgive your sins and give you eternal life that starts today and lasts forever. This means that one day you will have a home in heaven with God, like we talked about on the Gold page. It also means God has a plan for you today, and that is what the Green page tells us.
The Green page is about growth. Green reminds us of plants and trees that grow continually. What helps trees to grow? Water and good soil. You and I need spiritual food and water to grow in our relationship with Jesus. 2 Peter 3:18 says, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” You can grow by reading the Bible to learn more about Jesus. Going to church and meeting with others who believe in Jesus. Prayer, which is talking to God, is something you can do all the time. If you place your faith in Jesus, growing means following him. Is that something you would like to do today?
Pray for the children and parents who heard the message. We also sent home with each child a Gospel tract that explains the colors and gives the Bible verses. Pray the seeds planted today will grow into genuine faith and transformed lives.
Despite the continuing rain, we jumped into the pool with the kids and had a blast! Our team did so well loving the kids and swimming with them. We didn’t get to the organized games we planned because everything worked out so well organically. The kids had a blast. Several kids needed swimsuits and were so excited to find that someone had provided for them. Truly, they will never forget this day. A day when they were permitted to swim for free, enjoy a luxury they may never get again, and hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Plus, they got some pizza too!
Today did not turn out the way we scripted it, but it was the day God wanted for us. Jocsan told one of our team members that “these are the kids that God wanted to be here.” Nearly 27 still came out in the rain. God withheld the thunder and lightning so the swim could still happen. The kids were so joyful and we were blessed.
The rain persisted even as we traveled home, which made for a chilly ride back even though it was still 80 degrees. We enjoyed a wonderful dinner that Aunt Veda prepared for us. We concluded our evening with a debrief time that was so special. Seeing the joy in the faces of our team as the recounted the stories of the children and the events of the day. Hearing how they processed the rain, the prayers, and the events. Talking about the Gospel and praying for the kids to know Jesus.
Pray for our team as we process some really big questions that you encounter on trips like this. Going into the rural neighborhoods and seeing the extreme poverty where the children live and then returning to an amazing Airbnb. Seeing how big a deal it is for the kids to swim in a pool for the first time and then returning to the Airbnb with our own pool. Even bigger, when we start to think about our privileges back home and the comforts we live in, it brings an appreciation for what we have. However, it is a lesson that changes you and your perspective. We cannot solve the poverty problem here, it is too big for us, but we can do something. We did something today. We will do something tomorrow. We pray that God will give us the next step in doing something, small or big, that will impact the lives of the less fortunate.
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