Guyana 2009! :D

I am still raising support for my mission trip, so my mommy told me to write a letter about last year's campaign to some of my grandpa's kids. She said to write it like a blog entry, so that's exactly what I'm doing! Here goes.

Last July, I went to Linden, Guyana, South America and it was both the first time I had been out of the United States and the first time I had gone on a mission trip. I went with fifteen other Americans, five others from my congregation.

I didn't know what to expect, but it was much more than I could have imagined. We stayed at the house of the preacher, Nigel Milo, of the local church, Amelia Ward church of Christ. Guyana is very different compared to the US. Many houses are like one room on stilts; the shower we used was like a hose coming out of the wall; we had to use bottled water for drinking, cooking, brushing our teeth, etc; there aren't seat belts and there can never be too many people in one van, and the Guyanese people have heavy accents that take a while to get used to. Time is irrelevant: they don't have one thing scheduled after another like I usually do here; things hardly ever start on time, but no one complains when they run over time either. The singing in Guyana was amazing! Every one of them sings from the heart for the Lord. Whether they get the notes right or not, the singing is beautiful, and I can really feel the words that are being sung. It's all so uplifting!

We got there late Friday night and, Saturday, we went to the church. The people were so nice and welcoming. All of them wanted to shake our hands and talk to us. Sunday we had church services with several different classes going for different groups of people: kids, teens, adults, men, women, etc. All the kids LOVED to get their picture taken and them see themselves on my digital camera. It was so adorable. :) I think they really enjoyed and learned from the classes, as well.

Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, in the earlier part of the day, some of us went to a little primitive town about an hour out of Linden and smack in the middle of the jungle called Dora. The tiny church building was on top of a hill that overlooked a gorgeous river surrounded by tropical trees. Pictures just cannot do it justice.

I and the three other teenagers in the group each taught our own VBS class in Dora. I taught eight and nine year olds. We taught them a specific Bible story and then did a few fun worksheets and a craft each day! It was the first time I had ever taught a Bible class, but it was a great experience! I loved it! We go there to help the Guyanese, but I think it helps us just as much if not more!

There were over twenty-five kids in all!

After VBS in Dora, we would boat across the river or walk through the jungle to set up Bible studies at peoples' houses. This was another first for me and very encouraging to take part in and learn from! When we were done there, we drove back to Linden and had another VBS in the evening, Monday through Friday, at Amelia Ward church of Christ. The teenagers assisted in these classes.

Thursday and Friday, during the day, we set up Bible studies around Linden. It was amazing how eager those we taught were to learn and how willing they were to welcome us into their homes. During the span of the week, about five individuals were baptized into Christ, and many other Christians' faith was strengthened!

At the end of each day, we would all sit around the dinner table and discuss the days' activities. This was a great way to fellowship and realize the great work we were all involved in there!

We were all very, very tired and Guyana was scorching hot and it was hard work, but it was all worth it. By the end, I wanted to stay longer and it was hard to leave. It was the experience of a lifetime, and I cannot wait to go back next month, Lord willing!

In Christian love,

~Bef