#tri-valley

Tri-Valley California YMCA kids!

shot with Finding Focus Video Productions 

Do ghostly children scream at night on the site of the former sanitarium?

The Livermore group from Tri-Valley Church of Christ came on Saturday, July 27th.  Paul and I drove to meet them, and waited at the airport for two hours wondering where they were, until Noe called saying that their luggage was missing.  We had them come out and wait at a coffee shop to the left of the exit.  Turns out, many people had had their luggage lost, but the airport offered to deliver it to our house address when they received it.  Jonah was the unfortunate soul whose luggage was gone.  

We got home at around 2:30ish for some delicious lunch, and then I took a nap while most of the group went to tour the orphanage and other important places.  I must say: it was refreshing to my soul and energy to see familiar and friendly faces once again.  

That Sunday, eight boys from the orphanage came to church.  Guillermo and Patty were both there.  Jacob and the crew led a children's style worship for the boys with lyrics in Spanish and English, and Paul gave a lesson on Daniel.  It was a successful Sunday.

The rest of the week went by faster than I remember.  We woke up very early, 4:30, two mornings to hand out flyers for a Church informative event on August 11th.  We handed out flyers two afternoons and sang a Capella music in accompaniment.  We hosted a VBS one afternoon and worked at the construction site two mornings and stuccoed two walls.

One noticeable feature of the group was their flexibility.  So many times their plans changed, and they simply rolled with it without skipping a step; almost as if the changes were planned.  Also, every morning I led a devotional from the book of James, and every night we had a "debriefing," which really helped the group to not lose their focus.  

Antigua, like usual, was a grand experience for everyone.  Most members of the group were too tired to truly experience the city, but I think everyone got a little bit out of the trip.  

The next Saturday came around way too quickly.  It was sad but encouraging to see my best friends and close brothers and sisters in Christ leave.  It's awesome to see their lives so changed, and only after a week.  I know not how different I am, how different I will be.