Tuesday morning, Recife

Tuesday morning devotions in our own "upper room" on the rooftop of Hotel Aconchego found us feeling much less apprehensive than the day before, but not quite old pros. Casey Howell shared her testimony and a passage of Scripture God had showed her for our team. She encouraged us to resist the urge to focus on our task list during VBS, watching the clock to make sure we're on schedule or trying to make sure the kids got the craft just right. Instead we should be building relationships and connecting on a heart level. A good reminder for charge-ahead Americans like us!

Cindy Boehme threw everyone for a loop with the announcement that all the women would be needed for a women's Bible study being hosted at Kids Place that morning. She said we would start the morning VBS schedule as normal, then all the women would switch to the women's Bible study at 9:45 a.m. Some of our women would give their personal testimonies at the Bible study, and the dads would be left to lead "Craft Time" alone with their VBS groups. I'm not sure which gender was more terrified at this announcement. (Brian Dodds pointed out that "Dodge Ball" was not an acceptable craft substitute.)

As God would have it, on our unexpected "Dad Day" at VBS, many more children showed up than the day before. One explanation we heard was that some of the kids had been with their fathers over the weekend and hadn't gotten back home in time for VBS on Monday morning. (They don't go to school until the afternoon.) Whatever the case, we were happy to be labeling more bags and pulling out more craft supplies to cover the increase. We snapped a few rubber bands on our wrists and got on with it, hopefully to the glory of God.

When all was said and done, crafts were made and women were blessed (CCBC women most of all!), and then we shared lunch with the women from the Bible study. We were able to send them home with gift bags and food, which was a blessing thanks to donors like you. Obrigado! (Thank you!)