Day 5

Report of our day in Barranca – Domingo's children's church.

Time & arrival
Today we were expected at 9:30 in Barranca, at the children's church of Domingo and his wife Mary Bell.
When we arrived, they had already started washing and decorating the children's hair.

Building the children's church. Meanwhile a number of men were hard at work building the roof of the children's church. The materials for it had been bought yesterday, straight after a gift came in. It was remarkable to see how quickly everything was set in motion.

Games and joy
Before lunch we played all kinds of fun games with the children.
You could see how happy they were in everything: a laugh, a jump, a look of wonder. It showed us once again how powerful simple attention can be.

Hot meal
At midday all the children were given a hot meal.
It was lovely to enjoy it with them.

Creative surprises
A talk had actually been planned for the afternoon, but we sensed that this was not the right moment.
Instead we showed a few magic tricks, which of course got the children very excited.
We also handed out homemade bracelets and cards with Bible verses.
Some verses visibly hit home with people. It touched hearts.

Clothing & building progress
At the end of the afternoon second-hand clothes were handed out to whoever needed them.
Meanwhile the men kept working tirelessly on the roof of the children's church.
Just before we left, the first corrugated sheet was symbolically put in place: a beautiful moment.

💛 Reflection
It was another day in which we were touched by the simple joy of children.
What power there is in attention, in a game, a laugh, a message of hope.