Sorry for not updating since Sunday morning, we've been incredibly busy.
First the basketball tournament: We had 70 teams with around 250 players plus spectators for over 300 people altogether. Way more than we expected! We had quite a few people come and look at our table which we had loaded with tracks and other literature. Unfortunately we didn't always have a translator close by so we missed a few opportunities. But God knew and brought many people who spoke some English so we did have some good conversations. God answered our prayers for no rain on BOTH days...which was so amazing! There were no serious injuries, which is always a praise. Both nights we got home really late. Saturday the bus engine was burning up and so we had to find another bus. Sunday lasted late, but Don has able to share a good analogy of everything coming down to a free throw just like our lives come down to one decision. While we were not allowed to preach the gospel, everyone there listened intently to Don's words.
Our sports camp started yesterday and other than being just a tad sore (and by a tad I [Taryn] mean quite sore ), we all push through the pain and soreness to give the kids a great game. We haven't had too many kids but then again we didn't advertise it very well. It is all working out exactly how God wants it to and that is comforting! We did have some community kids join us for soccer today and we hope to bring more as the week goes on. Please pray for more kids to come, that we will have energy to play with them, and the gospel will be spoken while we show what it means to live as Christians.
Yesterday we were able to travel up to the top of a mountain overlooking the city and just pray for the people of Almaty, that we would have a heart for them as Jesus did. We also were invited to a local's house for dinner, meet his friends and had the best Mexican food I've [chris] ever had outside of the Americas. We got to experience the sardine effect on the bus ride as more and more people crowded into the bus. We had to literally push our way through the crowd to get off at our stop.
We're still all in pretty good health, just tired, but excited for the rest of the week.
Thanks for your prayers.
So good to hear from the Kazakhstan team! Thanks for the update. We will continue to pray for the team and what God is doing there in Almaty!!! :)
ReplyDeleteAngie and Gary
Good to hear that things are well and continuing to pray that God would be glorified in drawing souls to Himself! May He continue to be your joy and your strength!
ReplyDeleteJim (Dad to my Cinderella)
We have been praying, and will continue. May the work that has been started yield fruit in lives, and may Heaven be fuller because of it.
ReplyDeleteWe will be praying for more kids to come to the camp.
Hopefully, your day has ended, and sound sleep is on the horizon.
I will leave this off w/a verse that I love--disregard the part about the rain! : )
"So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD
His going forth is as certain as the dawn;
And He will come to us like the rain,
Like the spring rain watering the earth." Hosea 6:3
Cathy C.
PS Let Nat know that we miss her, and will be peppering her w/questions on the way home from the airport! She'll understand.