Kick-off of Escuela Biblica

On Saturday May 31st was the kick-off of escuela biblica at Emanuel Baptist. Escuela Biblica is a lot like one of the programs you have probably heard of referred to as team kid, ga's, hora feliz, etc. It takes place on Saturdays at 4:00 and the children are divided in age levels and learn about the bible, have snack and recreation time. Well, Saturday was the day to introduce it for this year, so there was a jumping castle, a children's Jesus film played, and lots of chocolate milk and cookies handed out. About 150 children came from all over Santiago del Estero and they were ready to get started. I went to help and see what it was all about. I have not commited to a lot of things yet, I am waiting to see where God wants to use me before I fully commit. However, this minister is a true blessing to this church, neighborhood, and the surrounding ones. Noelia and I had a chance to take some of the children home who had come to the event. We thought they had walked from the nearby neighborhood which it was but as we began to walk with them around 6:30 the sun went down and we noticed they had walked a long way alone. The little boy you will notice in the slide show ate like he had never eaten before and his little sister of maybe one year had walked there with their brothers and sisters. I knew from my previous experience this was not anything unusual but Noelia did not need to go alone so I went with her and these children did not need to cross the highway at night alone. That experience gave me the chance to see even in the country they call "the Europe of SOuth America" poverty is so alive. The area where these children lived reminded me so much of the neighborhoods I was surrounded by in Bolivia. God does things for a reason and that day he opened my eyes and my heart and most importantly my mind to a new understanding of Argentina.