Today was our first day with the VBS and Bible distribution. On our way down the hill back to the church, we called out at the different houses that we were having a VBS for kids 4-8 years old. Kids came out of their homes and followed us the rest of the way there — some stopping at their cousins' or friends' homes to bring more. About 30 kids came and we taught our first lesson about a characteristic of God: forgiving. The girls made a puppet show about the prodigal son, we sang some crazy kids' praise songs. We did a craft — paper bag puppets — and then it was time to say goodbye.
In the afternoon, the girls experienced something that they all said makes them appreciate their moms and washing machines like they never have before! Yes, it was time to wash clothes by hand. Those who played soccer in the mud had an especially interesting time getting their clothes clean.
Walking through the neighborhood, distributing Bibles in Jinotepe, Nicaragua
About two hours later, we piled into the van named “Ramona” and drove to the nearby town of Jinotepe. YWAM Nicaragua is distributing Bibles to every home that doesn't have one, and we get to be part of that! It's a privilege to play such an important role in the nation. We divided into groups of 4 and each group had a translator with them. Our goal was to cover every house on at least half the street in the next two hours.
We called out “Buenas!” at the front gate of each house and then introduced ourselves. “We're a group of Christians going to every house and asking if people have a Bible. Do you have a Bible in your house?” If the person answered “yes,” then we shared how important it is to read the Bible each day. We also asked if we could pray for them. Nearly every person invited us in to their home to pray. If the people answered, “no,” (or they only had the New Testament) then we gave them a complete Bible — a gift.
Those we gave the Bible to were genuinely grateful. And most of those who had Bibles already gladly received us and our prayers. One woman grasped the Bible in both hands and brought it to her lips. Her eyes shown and a smile lit up her face.
At the end of the day, several of the girls remarked how refreshing it was to have such a positive experience — and that they wouldn't take their Bibles for granted when they returned home. “I have so many different kinds of Bibles at home,” one said. “And I can just go to the store and get another one at any time, like it's no big deal. These people didn't have any Bible and they were so glad to receive one.”
We ended the day with a couple hours of worship together in “el comedor” (the dining hall).
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