Women’s Team from FBC Rogers AR
The team arrived late on Saturday night and got to bed around midnight-ish. It was good to see the ladies from my home church. I was blessed to be able to attend 2 of the planning meetings while I was in Rogers during the months of August and September. How wonderful to have them here!
We split into 2 groups after breakfast on Sunday morning and one group went to church at Augusto Sandino church and the other group stayed here for church at the team house. Traci and Haley helped with the kids. It was a great morning. After lunch, the group packed items for the goody bags for the Women’s Conference. And they got in a little rest and some pool time. Then it was off for worship service at Monte Horeb and Tomas Borgé churches.
Monday and Tuesday were filled with the official Women’s Conference for 100 women each day. We bused the women in from our church plants. They were thrilled to get a free ride into town on our school bus and vans. They very much enjoyed the 9 women sharing the Fruit of the Spirit message. And they loved getting to eat lunch! We gave out goody bags to each lady and they felt very blessed. We shared lots of love and laughter and praises and prayers. I was so pleased with everything. I love it when we can minister to the women here.
Monday afternoon, we made a trip downtown to the ice cream shop and then came back to the team house to pack 50+ goody bags for the mommas. A storm came through and knocked out the electric for the rest of the night. We had a ton of items on tables under the rancho and it all had to be handled so that the tables could come down and the chairs be set up for the conference on Tuesday morning. So, we got flashlights and the ladies packed the goody bags by flashlight. Never a dull moment around here! It was hot and stuffy for sleeping without the A/C and fans, but I kept reminding myself that many people here don’t have those luxuries anyway. And I had a comfy bed and a dry room. I was thankful.
On Tuesday, after the Women’s Conference, Lesly took Cathy and I to town to look for some items to make gift bags for some guys, who we heard had been invited to the ‘youth’ conference that was really planned as a ‘girls’ conference on purity. We found some things, including big (quart size) jars of hair gel. The guys down here love it. Back at the team house, we attended the worship service and then we packed bags for 90 youth. We packed goody bags almost every day that week. What a generous bunch from FBC Rogers!
Wednesday morning, the team split into 3 groups and visited 3 of our Feeding Centers, to play with the kids and talk to the moms and help serve. They really enjoyed it. Then we had lunch and rested until late afternoon. The ladies not involved with the youth conference went to church in San Jacinto. The youth conference had been a constantly changing thing for the week and we ended up with some young kids who insisted on coming on the van. They were rowdy and had to be watched continually. But the youth that were here enjoyed part one of the conference. Some couldn’t come back the next night, but they said that they got a lot out of the first night.
Thursday, the team split into 2 groups and went to visit the 2 Feeding Centers outside of town for more playing with the kids, visiting the moms and helping to serve. The new mamma gifts were given out on Wed and Thurs during these Feeding Center visits. The moms were prayed over. It was a sweet time.
Thursday night was the 2nd part of the youth conference and we had some youth return from the night before and some new youth. I went along when the van went to pick up the youth at one of our neighborhoods to make sure that the rowdy younger children didn’t come. They were there at the front of the line. When they saw me in the van, they stepped back. When they saw me get out of the van, they left. I think they were going to bully the van driver again and show up at the conference. Nelson was glad to have me along. ☺ Thursday night’s conference was much more peaceful and relaxed without the distraction of the kids. There were more activities and object lessons and they really participated. They loved getting to read the scripture, too. They loved their goody bags. It was a nice conference.
The part of the team who were not involved with the conference, went to church at La Quimera and loved it. Pastor Brian is a favorite!
We had done a rehearsal of the Fiesta on Thursday morning, so that the team would be ready to do the real thing on Friday morning. We went to a neighborhood close by the team house and loved the people there! The team had a blast doing the Fiesta and it was a grand morning. We even got to ride in the back of the little truck!
Friday was officially Fun Day, so after the Fiesta, we went downtown to have lunch, do some sightseeing and some shopping. Then we got back to the team house for a little rest and headed to the beach and dinner at Suyapa restaurant. All the ladies had a great time and loved walking on the beach and taking pictures. We got back to the team house about 7pm. Most of the ladies were already packed and some opted to go to bed early.
The team left for the airport at 3am. I got up to hug them all and to say goodbye. I sure loved having them here. What a packed week of teaching and ministering and loving and sharing Jesus. I was truly blessed by having the team here.
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