Thursday morning, we started the day with a village walk. Luke took us through the local village community on foot, allowing us to see the architecture of the homes and to really experience, feel, smell, and touch the neighborhood firsthand. It gave us a genuine sense of how people live in the village. We cut through some rice paddies (to everyone's discomfort) and arrived at the future property for a planned church in the village. Some time ago, they were able to purchase four properties which will someday make up a church, housing for visitors (pastors, missionaries, and interns, including families), and classrooms for ministry. Don't let the pictures fool you; it was hot! Not pictured here, but on our way back, we passed by a school(it sits on the property of the buddhist temple) and, given the relationships the Smiths have established, were able to meet some of the teachers and administrators and say hi to the children. Maybe one day, the church and gospel will outshine the Buddhist temple in this village and community.
A big thank you to everyone who donated clothing; what an impact it had! The village is largely composed of grandparents and children because the parents are transient, off working in the city or abroad to provide for their families. Part of the ministry plan for the day was to provide clothing to the older generation, followed by a parenting seminar. The sheer joy on the faces of parents and grandparents as they sorted through the clothes was immeasurable. Several high school seniors were our helpers, assisting in keeping people accountable to three items per person.
Shortly after the clothing giveaway, we had the parenting seminar. Pastor Andy, Jimin, Charlene, and Lauren shared gospel-centered parenting and wisdom to an engaged audience. To our surprise, the villagers were very honest about their struggles and challenges, especially as grandparents raising grandchildren. The team was able to contextualize the parenting challenges and joys within the gospel and local church community, hopefully planting seeds to bear fruit in the future. The kids continued to refine their Nerts skills and kept themselves busy during the seminar.
We ended the evening with missionary John Lee cooking us classic American smoked pork shoulder. We were able to set up some tables outdoors, in the cool evening after a rain, and break bread all together. After dinner, we were treated to fresh coconut milk, finishing with a debrief with the team and prayer.
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