Amigo Fiel (part 3)

FRIDAY:
We were up early in the morning for breakfast and devotions then off to the tent for final preparations. Some of the team started unloading and staging the shoeboxes while others finished blowing up balloons and beach balls. Kids started showing up and some provided crowd control and direction while some of us followed the kids inside and loved on them while we waited for everyone to arrive and the program to start. The boys and girls ranged in ages from infant to 14. We face painted them, played little games, made stuff out of the toy balloons, played catch with hacky sacks, juggled, did little tricks, and pretty much did anything goofy we could think of to just bring a smile to their faces. It was the funnest part of the whole trip and I looked forward to it each time.

The program would then start with a welcome aboard from Carlos and a prayer from Chuy. Music and beach ball madness was followed by a hilarious act by Nene the clown. The youth drama team from Amigo Fiel then took center stage with a cute musical-drama themed from the Lion King. The Gospel was presented and the children given a chance to accept Jesus as their Savior. They were then lined up for the distribution of the shoeboxes and Gospel tracts.

After the children left with their churches we got to clean up the tent, reorganize the chairs, and stage more shoeboxes. Amigo Fiel served us lunch with the drama team and then we were escorted around the neighborhood to hand out invitations to the evening outreaches.

Then we did it all over again and afterwards drove over to the actual Amigo Fiel church and got a tour. Played soccer with some of the kids there and then headed over to Base for dinner. Headed back to the tent for the evening outreach where Justin, our leader, gave an evangelistic message from John 15 (through interpreter Chuy) about the necessary importance of being connected to Jesus. Worship was headed up by the Italian missionary Leonardo and his daughter. A number of women came forward to accept Jesus!! What an awesome night. We headed home to Base late and fell to sleep exhausted yet again!