Youth Team Departure

It will be sad to go our separate ways for the next few days. We've been bonding well as a team. Half of the team is staying at ATEK and our youth team is headed to a village in the Livitaca region. We will not be headed into the mountains as far as Pastor Bill and Stephanie did last fall, but we are headed in the same direction. We are going uphill once again. It sounds like 4 hours of driving instead of 8 according to Pastor Freddie, so count on it being 5 hours at least. 

With that being said, no one has suffered any setbacks with altitude sickness yet - but motion sickness has been on the menu a few times. Brianna has been taking great care of the girls (and all of us) with her essential oils, and we have plenty of Gravol on top of a loaded first aid kit. Last night I had stabbing pain throughout my abdomen, but after praying with Morgan and Carson, it subsided and then disappeared. Praise God for His healing! We prayed for a woman with a similar ailment this morning. Morgan is doing just fine 4 weeks post-op from his appendectomy. Even so, we're still making Him take it easy. Keep praying for our protection and continuing health. 

We'll be going silent since there is no WiFi in the village. Our youth will be meeting up with Quechua youth from the surrounding countryside from ages 13 to 20ish. Here, you stay in youth until you get married, so that will be interesting. Our youth will be leading them in a few games, songs, and will be sharing testimonies throughout the week. They will also be helping prepare the food and serve it to groups of youth. Lastly, we will be filling the gift bags we constructed with a Quechua Bible, magazine, personal hygiene products, and other fun items. I will be sharing the salvation message and speak on our identity in Christ. We will be staying in the church on the dirt floor with the ATEK staff members which includes Mila, our translator and Yoni, ATEK's youth and children's worker. 

Pray for confidence and boldness for all of us. Ask God to give us a continued love for the people and joy in serving them. Pray that we will bend as needed to changing schedules, flexible timelines, and differing expectations. And ask Christ to overcome the language barrier as we shine as His light to these  youth and leaders to bring glory to God and draw them to Christ. Pray for the victory that is ours in Christ Jesus. 

What shall we say then? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

To this we have been called. Let us prove to be faithful. 

Pastor Mark

PS - Thanks for the great comments - keep them coming! You encourage us. Everything with the comment section should be fully functional now. My apologies that it took this long. Here we are on Day 7 going into Day 8!