What an amazing group of people! Flights were delayed, luggage misplaced, shampoo taken by airport security....and still no complaining. It is an honor to be on my first mission trip with you all!

We just finished up our first day of Vacation Bible School (VBS). I'm still trying to process everything. It is difficult to put such an experience into words. We wandered around the impoverished town and recruited children to come sit in the dirt road to sing, color, and play games with us. They welcomed us with open arms. I want to be like those children. Content, despite awful circumstances. Smiling even. So loving. The language barrier was not as hard as I had anticipated. Of course, it is great to have translators, but a smile and hug go a long way. Due to the misplaced luggage, we did not have most of our VBS supplies. However, it went rather smoothly and was a blast! Praise God! I was nervous about doing VBS and, so far, it has been my favorite service opportunity.

On Wednesday, fifteen of us will be marching in a parade. We had practice today, or should I say marching DRILLS. It was pretty hardcore! The children were way better at the marching than us gringos.


The hostel we are staying at is wonderful. The crashing ocean waves lull us to sleep. In the evening these flying creatures (possibly grasshoppers) come out to play. It is very entertaining to watch everyone jump up and scream when one lands on the dinner table.

Looking forward to another fun filled day tomorrow,

Leah McDonald