A Successful Day Camp

Saturday morning the children poured through the gate like the honey coming out of the jar at long last. It was a day for Ayoré children ages 8-11 to enjoy fellowship, games, teaching and more!

This was the first time we changed the location of the camp from an actual retreat center to a missionary's house - Bill and Bev Smith. It proved to be a better situation as the yard was large enough for the activities and small enough to control the campers' whereabouts.

The day's theme was centered around Ephesians 6:10-18 Putting On the Full Armor of God. The children learned about this passage through a puppet program, a short lesson in their own language, a craft and otherwise throughout the day.

Thankfully the Ayoré Ministry Team had plenty of help from other SAM missionaries and volunteer youth who took charge of singing and games.

Some of the highlights of the day were the children jumping on a large trampoline and swimming in the swimming pool for the first time as well as making a shield of faith and playing with the Smiths' monkeys. The singing went on all day!

The day was not complete without a traditional lunch for the campers. We served Locro, a rice and chicken dish that all of the children enjoyed. The camp ended with cookies and juice. Everyone seemed to have a good time.

Praise the Lord for what he is doing through these sorts of events and how he is using them for his glory. We pray that every child present will grow in the Lord and that God will bless us all as we take part in his kingdom!

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and agaist the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms ... And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requess. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:11-12, 18

July Letter 07

Annual Ayore Conference

This weekend a number of Ayore gathered for the Annual Conference in Poza Verde. The conference is a time for fellowship, teaching, singing and tribal traditions.

We got to the conference early to meet with some of the tribal leaders from various communities about their goals, accomplishments, concerns, etc. It was a helpful meeting and especially nice to meet on the second floor of the Poza Verde House Charles has nearly finished with the help of many.

Another project finished just before the Conference started was the baptismal fount in the church. It is a tradition to baptize the new Christian brothers and sisters on the last day of the Conference so it was nice to have the new baptismal ready. Benial, the pastor in Poza Verde, is the one who baptizes -- and this year it would be quite a cold dip in the water. In addition, a major improvement to this year's Conference was the light in the church; Charles hooked up a small generator and bought a few light bulbs so that the evening gatherings could be conducted with light. What a difference a little light makes!

Rocio and I mostly helped with occupying the children and assisting with the food preparation. The children mix so well and aren't affected by all of the family clan fights as the adults are at times. It was fun to review and teach new lessons to the children -- they are so engaged lately!

We also played an Ayore favorite - volleyball! They love to play! I'm glad I know the rules more or less because I don't always know what they are saying to me in their native language.

The weekend was fun and eye-opening. It's good to step back and see them all together.