Monday- Ailea Cox

Today was the first day while on our trip that we got to interact and work with the children at school. We as a team woke up early and walked there by 7:25 on the dot. On the other side of the gate we waited for the kids to get to school so we could greet them and join them in worship. When the gate opened to the school the children came running, practically sprinting, to us and I was honestly taken aback by the immediate love and welcoming we received.  The small students as Colegio Bethel showered us with kisses and hugs. It was very different from how we are greeted at places in America.

We worshiped with the younger grades and their pastor and if one looked closely I am pretty sure almost every single person on the team was tearing up as the children sang praise at the actual top of their lungs; its crazy how inspiring and touching people can be even at the age of four. Afterwards we began our project for this mission. We are building a carnival for all of the students and their families. To be honest, I am not used to such hot and humid weather, nor being outside for hours at a time building and painting, so it was draining. Running back and forth the flights of stairs and across the court that stretches across the school. Also, in between all of the building and painting, I was also at recess with the younger kids, however that did not seem to drain any of my energy. They are so happy and smiley and it is so clear that they are being raised with Jesus as their center because it shines through them. Throughout the day I saw Jesus in all the little children. Also, it feels good to be able to communicate with Gods children that come from somewhere completely different. Being able to get to know my other brothers and sisters in Christ is a huge blessing. I am getting to know some of the highschoolers here very well and it is amazing to see that they are not very different then my friends at home. Despite the language barrier, we still talk about all the same things; whether it is boys or hair or teasing each other.

At the end of today, I was tired, a little pink from the sun… but in the best mood I have been in a long time. God is the center of everything at this school, therefore He has been the absolute center of my day while missioning here. It makes all the work worthwhile and all of the little bumps throughout the day not really matter because everything I am doing here is for the lord; it feels good to know you are playing apart in the body of Christ.

want to see more photos from this team? Click here!