Monday, May 25, 2026 Whenever I lead mission teams, I try to remind the team that flexibility is key. In fact, I have a quasi-Latin phrase I like to use: Semper Gumby – Always Flexible. Today tested that a bit. Last night, I wrote that we would do some light construction and repair work. To begin, we carried tables and chairs from the cafeteria to the gymnasium. Many hands make light work. This wasn’t so bad, as it was downhill.
Our team split into three major parties with three major projects. One team was outside and hand-sanded and stained several picnic tables. Another team sorted supplies in a huge supply closet. That’s about all the details I have from those two teams. I was on a team with Clint, Robby, Kyle, and Harold. I started out removing baseboards from around the cafeteria. Soon enough, all of us were using short-handled 2-pound sledges and chisels to bust up the concrete. We just needed to puncture the concrete about every 6 inches or so, creating divots, so that a bond will form for the new tile. I didn’t count them, but my best estimate is that I took 2,340 swings in about an hour and a half…Some while leaning over, some from my knees, and some from the seated position. (And yes, I multiplied the number of divots times the number of swings per.) For lunch, I had ibuprofen.
Actually, lunch was incredible. It was a strange combination that actually worked really well. We had a fried egg, a sausage link, guacamole, two potato cakes, rice with aji sauce, corn on the cob, some kind of beans, a slice of cheese, and blackberry juice. Very filling and very delicious. I don’t know if everyone did, but the concrete busting crew all took showers after lunch. I should mention that we did have two hammer drills. The corded one was used by the camp staff. The other one was battery-powered. Since it was brand new and the batteries weren’t fully charged, they ran out pretty quickly. We have more concrete busting to do tomorrow.
Around 2:30 pm, we left for the Bible club. It wasn’t far away, just a 10-15 minute drive. We met under a pavilion with a basketball court and a little enclosed room on one side. Kids just started showing up from the neighborhood. Some parents came, stayed, and watched. Some younger kids were brought by their older siblings. We sang and danced…I mean to say, we sang with some interpretive movements, because after all, we are good Baptists. Then we told and reenacted the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. (We cleaned it up a bit and didn’t mention that he was a eunuch.) I told the story, Liz interpreted, Brooklyn was the Ethiopian, and Amie was Philip. After the Bible story, another church from Carrollton led a few recreation games while some from our church led crafts. It was a rewarding afternoon in which the gospel was shared. We also distributed gospel tracts and copies of the gospel of John to every parent or adult who stayed. Every kid took home a New Testament provided by Harold and the Gideons International.
Before coming back to camp, we stopped at the town square in Patate where there seemed to be a small festival happening. We walked around for about 30 minutes and had our choice of snacks: ice cream, a bakery, candy, soft drinks, etc. We came back to the camp and had a cheeseburger and fries for supper. Honestly, lunch was so much better than supper, and it wasn’t even close.
After supper, we divided up and made final preparations for VBS tomorrow. We have two teams and will leave tomorrow morning for two different schools. The teams are not divided like we thought they would be or had prepared to be. But, you know…Semper Gumby! Anyway, tomorrow’s story is about Abraham and God’s Covenant Promise. How apropos! God is in control. Like Abraham, I can either trust God or try to take matters into my own hands. “Lord, help me to learn to simply trust you.” Amen? Amen!
We have a great team that supports each other. There is a camaraderie that sometimes looks like siblings with good-natured ribbing, and I believe that’s a natural part of the bonds of fellowship that happen when Christian brothers and sisters serve together. You don’t have to leave the country to witness this, though. This seems like a great time to mention that VBS at FBC Senoia is just two weeks away!
So, it’s Patate VBS in the morning. After lunch, I may be back on the floor making divots. We’ll see, but one thing’s for sure: I will not be predicting “light construction” work. As I write this, I’m sitting outside. The weather is beautiful, and I can hear crickets while looking at the Southern Cross. The temperature is perfect, but it’s getting late and time for more ibuprofen. Buenos noches!
Ragamuffin Warrior 