Reign Ministries' Royal Servants

I received an email while my family was here letting me know that there was a group of 27 people arriving in Salone July 7th. They had plans for the first few weeks but then were not sure of what they would be doing their last week here (last week of July). Well with me being so busy and their getting ready to go we didn't connect up again until a few days before they wanted to come. With less than one week we through together some plans, got the big house ready for a large number of guests, assigned my kids to specific jobs as well as the staff and we were ready for them when they arrived Sunday afternoon on the 25th.

For being a last minute trip and probably the largest team we ever had- the week was GREAT. We packed it with activities-

1. VBS Mon-Friday early afternoon for the middle and small children.
2. Youth Club late afternoons Mon.-Fri. for the teens.
3. Visits two mornings to nearby villages Towama and Gbongoma to walk around the village meeting people, witnessing to them, and inviting them to the church for a small program with dramas, dance, and puppets.
4. A visit to the prison here in Bo to do a couple dramas and speak to the inmates
5. A visit to the Government hospital here in Bo to talk with and pray with some of the patients.
6. A quick visit to the farm with a small group of us that turned into our own "safari".
7. Eating two African meals all together.
8. Having an awesome party with great entertainment, food, soft drinks, and dancing.
9. Lots of time laughing and hanging out together.

• oh and so much more.
  There is so much to say about the teams time here but with the Internet the way it is and my time schedule today I will just hit on a couple areas that really blessed me. The first is how much we connected with this team. We always love having teams come, but honestly there are times when we are ready to get back to our routine. This team blended so well- even with the large number- it truly felt like we were one family. I also was amazed at how well I meshed with the leaders. It felt like connecting with old friends. I needed a week like this.

  Laura (LB- or Mama B as the kids called her) and I

• All the different ministries that the team took part in were great but there was one that gave me chills and left an impact I won't soon forget. Wednesday morning we visited the prison here in Bo. That morning it was cold and raining. The prison is small and very over crowded and has no large place where the kids could do their dramas. That meant that the kids needed to perform in the courtyard- in the rain and in the mud. The two dramas they did were called "Sticks" and "Chains". Both dramas are set to just music playing in the background so they cross all language barriers. Both dramas in different ways show how our sins hold us down- keep us away from Christ. They demonstrated how demons are battling for us everyday- and Christ is the one who saved us from this battle- IF we choose to accept him. With the rain coming down- the kids having to get down in the dirt and mud- seeing the battle between Christ and the demons- inside the girl herself, fighting her sins, temptations, SHAMES. The kids gave it there all and the backdrop of the prison, the rain, and the mud- I had chills and was able to see again in a new way just how much I am loved by Christ- but even more than that just how much I have to turn to him.

• The last quick point I want to share is how impressed I was with my kids. I assigned many of them to jobs during the week and they did them well and showed how they too can be servants. We were also able to take the older kids into the village to be translators for the team- they amazed me. It is not easy to translate. It is one thing to be able to speak both languages but to be able to listen to our American slang and turn it into Mende- our kids are good. It was the perfect way to see that we are all part of one body in Christ. One family together.

Yes there was so much more and I always say I will try to write more later- but that is just not easy to do. At least you can get a glimpse of the week we spent together. Unfortunately my camera was on the fritz so I only have these two photos Laura sent me. I'll have to ask her for the large group one with all JCCM family and Royal Servants family- now one family.

The party the last night was the perfect ending to an unexpected blessing for all of us. Our JCC kids got up and sang, acted, read poems, and danced for our friends. The aunties cooked a ton of amazing African treats and we danced into the night together laughing and celebrating this gift we found together. I was tired before this week started- looking forward to meeting everyone but not sure what to expect and wanting the end to come- I ended the week uplifted and refreshed, encouraged by new friends and blessed and reminded how loved I am by my Papa God.

(by the way the connection happened when the team's plans fell through- my mom's freshman year roommate's niece was on the trip so my email was passed on to them)