This morning we had our first day in the communities who we have been thinking about in the planning phase of our trip. We participated in a ceremony dedicating a new community center that had been recently completed before spending several hours at a family festival.
The people had tents set up like booths with decorations and food/beverages. Our team divided up with a couple of team members joining each tent for games. It was an enjoyable way to meet members of the community. The children especially enjoyed playing the games and watching team members participate. I competed with some men of the village in a gunny sack race. I was making a good closing push at the end of the race before falling on my face due to increased speed and my usual tendency to be clumsy. We also had our pictures taken many times with the children, as they were intrigued by our presence.
I feel good steps were taken towards forming relationships with the members of the community. It will be interesting to see if the breaking of the ice that occurred today will continue during the upcoming workshop sessions. Pray especially for the meetings with the adults and adolescents, as they are not always as comfortable with the strange new visitors to their area.
Cory Sarver
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