Vacation Bible School!

Or as we have been telling parents

Fiesta de Jesus!

In a week full of fun, games, crafts, stories and a whole lot of bilingual chaos, God showed up, not only in the lives of these kids but in mine, more than I could have ever expected.

This week I was placed in the 4-6 year old group. Helping shepherd them from group to group and just to love on them. I guess I should have known that I would change just as much, if not more than them.

Wednesday afternoon we told the story of the cross. How Jesus was taken up to Calvary and hung on a cross even though he did nothing wrong. As the story was being told, I looked down at a little 5-year-old boy, who looked up at my horrified. Horrified, as if this was the worst tragedy, as if his whole heart was about to break.

When did we stop seeing Jesus’ death as a tragedy? When did the payment for our sins become so… normal, that we aren’t sickened by the story.

Jesus, my savior, who loves me, who I love, was beaten beyond recognition. And we tell the story without batting an eye.

We should be horrified, like my little buddy Daniel.

As the story came to an end and we bowed our heads to pray, Daniel placed his hand in mine and in his cute little 5 year old voice, prayed to the man who hung on that cross for him. Daniel prayed to Jesus with a childlike faith, thanking Jesus and saying sorry for his sins in the most precious whisper.

With tears in my eyes, Jesus whispered in my ear, “Michaela, that sweet voice is how you sound to me.”

So I have faith. A childlike faith. I keep pushing towards Jesus, through all the sickness, tiredness, tears and homesickness.

Jesus is working and moving in this little church in Jinotepe, Nicaragua, and I want to be a part of it.

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Side note: Another thing we got from the children at VBS…. Lice! Pray for a quick evacuation of these little monsters from our home!