The Awa Easter conference has come and gone! Thanks for many of you who were praying! We feel blessed to report that all went well, and we had a truly joyful celebration of Jesus’ resurrection together with the Awa people. Each day somewhere between 100-150 people joined us for singing, the Bible teaching, games, and lunch. Four of the Impact youth helped us with the children, taking them down to the Palmira school soccer field for their Bible lesson and games. We enjoyed the more peaceful teaching time with the older youth and adults. 🙂
A few highlights of our time together:
• Gloria’s son David wrote a song based on the last lesson of the King of Glo-ry course and sang it for us not once, but twice! “When the King returns” was the theme of his song.
• The Bible course youth showed up in full force (I counted 33 of them the first day) and how much fun they had laughing and visiting, singing and playing the guitars, and helping to cook!
• We had the graduation for the older children’s Bible course with thirteen 10–12-year-olds. What big proud smiles they had on their faces as they re-ceived their diplomas and prizes! Almost all of these children come to church on their own, without their parents.
• Five of the King of Glory course youth joined us in celebration of the Lord’s supper for the first time.
• The ladies all eagerly jumped in to help cook, crowding the kitchen with happy smiles and a willingness to do whatever was needed! Feeding 150 people the first day (more than we expected) was a bit of a stretch but in the end there was enough food for all.
• Humberto came with his family from an Awa community further west and were shown overnight hospitality by Manuela and family. Daniel & Cornel-ia Hahlen, our past coworkers from Lita days, also joined us for one day and were enthusiastically greeted by old Awa friends!
• A landslide blocked the road between our houses and Palmira one morn-ing, but even this turned into a blessing as all the conference-goers chipped in to clear away the mud and help our trucks to get by. Fellowship and fun can be found even in working together!
There were many other joyful moments that brought smiles to our faces. Seeing God at work in the hearts of the believers is such a joy, erasing the tiredness of the many intense days of preparation. We are thankful that Jesus is alive and at work calling out His own. May you also be blessed as you rejoice in the new life of His resurrection and spring-time!
In HIS grip,
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