Update from Ann

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O.k. here I am again. It's been a few days since I've written on our travelblog, but I am glad that others have been able to. It seems that whenever we get a chance to be on the computers I am just too tired to be able to write (type & think). Part of it is probably all the go - go -go and when I stop, I wilt. We have been having such a wonderful time here. The Salt & Light Campaign is starting to wind down. We only have the remainder of today and tomorrow left. It will be sad when we are done with this aspect of the trip. There are many that we have gotten to know over this time period that we probably won't be seeing again until maybe next year. Yes, we are all wanting to come back next year. We could be so much better prepared now that we know a little bit about what is going on. We will see what happens next year.
One of the things that I've been able to do during the spa time, is french braiding the girls' hair. Many have long beautiful hair, but it doesn't seem like many do anything with it other than putting it back in a pony tail. As I was laying awake one night I got to thinking - many of the girls who come to the spa are not very clean. The little girls often have very dirty fingernails which are impossible to get clean with the supplies we have, and many of the girls whose hair I braided had very dirty hair. Uncle Matt has said that many of the children have at least one parent who have to work outside of the country to be able to support their families. With the lack of finances and parental input it is probably very hard for these children to learn proper hygiene. But even with the oily hair and dirty fingernails, we are more than happy to do what we can for them. All this got me thinking of how "dirty" we are when we come to the Lord. How much more He loves us. How well He know us, all of our faults, sins and He still loves us. He has what it takes to make us clean no matter how dirty we are. Thank you, Lord!
Many of those around here believe in a works based faith. When asked how people are to get to heaven, most answer along the lines of "If we are good enough we will be able to get in". They don't understand or have not heard of God's free gift of salvation. One of the illustrations we were given was if you were given a very expensive gift, such as a car, if you tried to pay for part of it then it wouldn't be a gift anymore; you would have just gotten a very good bargain. We try to explain that God's gift is completely free, you only have to believe and accept it. Ephesians 2:8 & 9 -" For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that none should boast. " In thankfulness, we respond, desiring to do His will and to obey. With many of the services we provided for the community, people would come behind us and explain to those who expressed interest, the message of grace, although that specific term was not used.
Well, I guess this entry is long enough. More to come at a later time.
Please keep praying, wonderful things are happening!!

Ann














































































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