July 28, 2008 Monday

• Vale volunteered to wake us up at 6:30.


• Breakfast- french toast and oranges


• Pastor Joel's group= "The Phillies-Liza, me and Ms.April", Stephanie, Sylvia, Philippe, Summer[Verano], Liz, and Adrian

On the way out we chanted "Joels, Joels, Joels" which then turned to chanting "Best Team Ever", but then we saw a stray dog and chanted that. Now if you think that's weird... we saw a dirty mattress and thanks to Summer we chanted "Dirty Mattress!" And that's how we got our construction team name. We became "Team Dirty Mattress." You really had to be there. Oh, Philipe isn't apart of the team. He's our 'manager, he books us.'

So yeah, we roofed the church! Ya know, pull nails, take off old, tar on new, nail down. Oh, I did a mini interview for GI, Pastor Joel, who remembered me, bought us all sodas. Then we took an amazing picture of us with our feet hanging off the roof.

Lunch was "pizza." Then we just hung out for a little bit waiting for VBS.

At VBS Pastor's daughter and Lisette were the first there and they both greeted me and Vale with tight hugs. Pastor Paciencia, some kids, and moms remember us! We played volleyball with the kids to kind of break the ice. The 3 yr. old from last year came and found me right away. Beautiful. Again, she wouldnt talk to anyone but me. Just plopped down on my lap. This year I could make out her name though. Niellie. (pro. Ni-elly) The lesson was the story of the 10 lepers and how only one came back to thank Jesus. Then the kids had draw something they were thankful for.

Another cool story.Well, its cool for me anyways. A mom of a 13 year old girl who came both years remembered Vale and I. She had gotten a cellphone during the year and wanted us to take a picture with her on it. So we did. Yeah, big deal right? Well, the next day she told her daughter to take a picture of someone. I just so happened to be sitting next to her so when she flipped open the phone, I saw me, her, and Vale! Its amazing that she care so much that me and Vale came back, to put us, 2 girls from USA as her cell phone background so that's who she looks at everyday. It may not seem important you,but it really makes me feel.. I don't know. Special, worth it, like I'm doing the right thing. It was an awesome day with an AWESOME team!

My Niellie