Children's Day in Jericho

Tomorrow is Quince here in Honduras (the equivalent of the 4th of July basically), thus the week has been full of all sorts of events and happenings to celebrate.  Last week on Flag day all the children on the island walked down to one end around dusk and when it was dark, sparkling lanterns of wood and colored cellophane were carried as drummers drummed and children sang, all the way down the path. It was charming and beautiful.  One of the big things that happens during Quince week is Children’s Day. The Spanish school celebrated on Tuesday this week, which meant no school on the English campus ,and since it was pouring down rain, we enjoyed the cool weather, a day off, and loads of homemade pizza.  

Our Children’s Day celebrations took place Thursday afternoon and what an event it was!  Piñatas (and you’ve never seen a piñata happen like it does here!), games, crafts, songs, food, legos, prizes, candy, loads of cake...and, if I may so, the best station, Bible story.  Now, don’t write me off just yet.  I don’t say that just because it sounds “good” or because I was in charge of this station.  Let’s just say that we had a very special visitor come to share our story with us as we were transported back to the wilderness and invited into Joshua’s tent as he told us of the God who saves and how God gave the people the city of Jericho, not by swords but by His own work.  So the particulars?  I used some liquid adhesive from the medical clinic usually used for steri-strips with sutures to glue on a felt mustache and beard.  Then kinder room was transformed with a Bedouin tent complete with these awesome rugs that totally looked like they came right off the caravan.  I think God delighted at least as much, if not more, in the whole ordeal, even down to the details of the rugs sitting in the corner right when I needed them. The 1st grade room became Jericho with a pulley system of sorts that when pulled knocked over all the cardboard stones on the top of the walls (i.e overturned tower of desks).  The absolute best group of kids were the 3-5 year olds. They were so into it.  We were in Joshua’s tent for all we knew - they were 100% absorbed. It’s a story I know. I could tell it. But living through it with the kids in that tent this week God truly brought out so much of his determination to love and save his people.  That he continues to do so and that he is so good and powerful.  The kids loved it.  The teachers loved it.  And the theatrics of the whole thing just made me giddy. There’s still a few kids who have no idea who the stranger was :-)