Full of Joy

It was a good week full of emotion, fun and opportunities. At the Russian Jack Park, we played a LOT of Four Square and had many crafts going at the same time. Four Square was a mix of ages, from kids to adults, and that made the game even more fun and all the more unpredictable!

Whether waiting in line or doing the craft, there were great opportunities to talk to the kids about God and what He did for us. The kids were open, willing to listen, and attentive, and several answered questions during our lessons throughout the week.

Most notably, we had two kids—Klover and David—that really had an impact on us. Both were super sweet and open to hearing what Jesus did for them. It was a blessing to be able to see them each day especially on Wednesday when it was cold and rainy.

Both David and Klover were also so avid to lead the memory verse song (Psalm 119:114) that we rehearsed daily throughout the week, and Klover would sing it even in the Four Square line. It was super amazing seeing those two start it and all the other kids follow along. Even for one kid named Jay who hadn’t been there all week until Friday, he shouted “I don’t know the verse!” But then after David sang it once, and Klover sang it again, he could follow along. Seeing kids sing to the Lord like that brought such joy to our hearts and really made such an impact.

These interactions made our last day more emotional, having to say goodbye to those two and all the other kids we made connections with. We had a group prayer at the end of Friday and got to pray for and with the kids, for the summer and the time, until GraceWorks reopens next year.

-Eli and Lauren (But Eli wrote a bit more than Lauren…)