It's been a while I know....

Sunday June 6th – Sunday June 13th 2010

This last week was the busiest week we have had since I have arrived by far!! Let me start from the very beginning….it’s a very good place to start.

Sunday June 6th – We had a high school team arrive all the way from Nigeria to have some drama training with us. This team consisted of 4 boys, 7 girls and two female chaperones. This day was spent getting all the last minute details imto order for their training time with us. The training time was planned to happen on the 7th to the 9th. Before this however, we went to meet up with them and make sure they were all settled in to their hotel rooms. This in itself took quite a bit of time, but by God’s grace we got home in the evening to get a few hours of shut eye before our next three crazy busy days began.

Monday June 7th- Wednesday June 9th- We jammed packed each of these days with tons of training for the kids. Starting at 9:30 in the morning we would gather the team together and brief them in the events for the day and then after it was down to business. In the three days they were here, we trained them in 5 dramas. We also had time with them to do a little bit of evangelism training where they learned how these dramas can be used to share the gospel and how they could share the gospel with these dramas using their own personal stories and experiences to tie into their ministry time. It was very nice for all of use to be able to train in English again! Apart from training, we also took time out for team time where we played a lot of games with the kids and bonded with them. It was such a pleasure working with them and being able to see how the youth of Nigeria have a heart to minister to their peers. We were told that there is already a scheduled time for them to perform some dramas at their chapel a week from now! All we can say is praise God for working through these kids in those three days. They were such a blessing to have around and on top of that they nearly made us cry as they expressed their feelings about the mini workshop we gave them. One of the chaperones expressed that they all had so much joy in their hearts that if you were to cut them open we wouldn’t be able to contain the joy that would pour out. Another thing said was that for some of the kids, it was the best thing that has ever happened to them! Janna, Jamie and I don’t believe we deserve what is being said but we receive it, and give it all to God. Without Him we would not have made it through the three days.

On top of the training time we had with the team from Nigeria in these three days, we also had two leaders meetings which took place right after the training time on Monday and Wednesday. As this was the last week before bootcamp (the first training time for the newly formed DRIME Benin team) the DRIME Benin leaders had many things to do and therefore so did we. As many of you who read the midway report know, we were having difficulties finding a place for bootcamp. Thank you all for your prayers because on Monday (5 days from bootcamp) we finally got a place. Other things needed to come into place however like the food, electricity and sound systems.

Thursday June 10th- Things for the food and electricity were beginning to work on but we still needed to buy a boombox/ sound system for the Benin team so that they wouldn’t have to lug out the MASSIVE (seriously it takes two people to lift it) sound system out during every practice, and because we would be training the new team in more than one group, we needed another system to use during boot camp. On top of this, electricity is different here. Even though we had to work things out and pay for electricity while we used the space, the electricity only came from one room so we also needed to buy extension cords that would stretch down this long hallway we had and into each of the 3 spread out rooms we would be using. So on Thursday, Janna headed out to find a new sound system and extension cords To make a long story short things were not successful and we needed to head out the next day to try again.

Friday June 11th – This was a long hectic ay of errands that all needed to be done before bootcamp. But to spare you all the boring details, all went well with the three of us and the four leaders all getting in pretty late with an early rise in front of us.

Saturday June 12th – Sunday June 13th – IT FINALLY CAME!!!! I cannot express enough how proud I am of the Benin leaders for getting things all together. It has been a stressful and frustrating last few weeks but all has come together. Bootcamp was such a hectic but fun time. The leaders really gave it their all and put their whole hearts into it. It was such an amazing time watching them lead, and train THEIR DRIME team! During this time however there was a bit of worry rising up in us. We worried that the team would not be ready enough to do ministry on the Sunday evening and that the team in itself may be too large for the team to handle right at this moment. I love it when God speaks loud and clear, and even more so when He rebukes the thoughts of His children to show Himself bigger than what we know. Ministry time finally came and as the team stepped out to perform, the dramas were done as best as possible, but not as great as we had wanted them, but as Janna, Jamie and I looked up our attentions were taken away from the dramas to the conversations being had by the members with the audience members. God rebuked our previous thoughts and had to reshow us the real reason why we even use the dramas. They are just a gateway to open up the hearts of those who watch them. The new Benin DRIME members were deep into conversation with those watching and we were reminded, it’s not about how perfect the dramas are but instead about God and God alone. At the end of ministry about 25-30 people came up for the alter call. Because of how busy things have been lately, it has been easy to focus solely on the job on earth instead of the work from heaven. Thankfully God gave us a little love slap to bring us back to having His heart and being under his guidance.
After the ministry time the leaders did debriefing with their new DRIME team and we could see that God was working even more than we knew in this two day bootcamp. It was such a blessing to hear all the things the members learnt or enjoyed or experienced. It was a blessing to see that they were blessed. The very first comment made touched the hearts of each of the leaders as well as Janna, Jamie and I. One of the members named Aldo said in response to the question of how their DRIME bootcamp experience was:

“I have never experienced such joy or felt such a sense of family than I have in these last two days.”

This one comment set my heart into complete ease. This team will be JUST FINE when we leave because they are now a family and God is their father.

I wanted to thank all of you who have been praying for the bootcamp event as well as this whole trip in general. I can see God moving in Benin with such a gentle force. For now, these are the quick details as to what all has been going on. I wish I could express things better, but I shall be home soon enough to explain things, to those who wish to know, face to face. Thank you again for all your prayers!!!!!

Random Things:

- I have a flip-flop tan. I came home one night and I was quite filthy. I got into the shower and looked at my feet and thought…ewww my feet are soooo dirty. Turns out they weren’t that bad, but instead….I had a really bad flip-flop tan.
- Um I found out something quite disgusting at the end of bootcamp. RATS CAN CLIMB VERTICAL WALLS! We came in from ministry to the building we were using and in one room a mouse scurries out. I jump a bit but not as much as when I shortly after see a rat run in the opposite direction. Then I was sitting there across from Jamie and my eyes got big and Jamie turns around and both of us experience the same rat crawling up the corner of the wall!!!!! A vertical….VERTICAL cement wall!!!!! And it wasn’t a short wall either!!
- I think I am going to buy EVERY John Eldredge book out there! Jamie is stocked up on the here and they are often set the topic for our devotional times together. Right now I am reading "Walkig with God" and I am desperately wanting to get the wokbook when I get home because it's such a good,uplifting and challanging read! I just finished "Epic" and I plan to read "Desire" next. It's been such a great thing having his books here. I STRONGLY encourage EVERYONE to pick up one of his books....it will challange you to work with God more closley!
- We have less than one month left here...and every night...we have decided to share our "Africanisms" for the day. These are the things we loved from the that day that we wont get back in Canada. Last nights Africanism I would have to say is....the thunderstorm. We had such a CRAZY thunderstorm last night where the thunder shoock the whole house and the lightning lit all of our rooms....but the poswer and sense of fear we experienced was the best part! I LOVE African Thunderstorms!!!!