Casa Hogar

Finally, I have a chance to tell you all a little about what I did last week. I worked for four days at a local orphanage called Casa Hogar, which literally means "House Home." I spent most of the time either painting or hanging out with the kids. I got to know the team pretty well, especially the four high school guys who came. I also had a couple impromptu ESL classes with a wonderful elderly lady named Marta who cared for the kids. She would read the Bible in English, I would follow along in a Spanish Bible, and I would correct her pronunciation and explain any words she didn't know. Apparently she reads the Bible in English every day, which was encouraging to me on two levels (that she found time to do it despite her busy schedule and that she was able to have a quiet time in another language). I also had the privilege to sit in on several of the team's devotions, in which one person would share their testimony and something that God had taught them.
This Sunday was another good worship experience. The service was much shorter and the sermon was more simple, but it was still a good experience, and I'm really coming to appreciate worshipping in Spanish, since I have to concentrate in order to understand what is being sung or said.
Ben, my friend from NCSU, was here for a few days over the weekend, and we had a good time catching up and sharing with each other. Right now, I'm in the middle of a four-day break, and will head down to a place called Saltillo on Saturday morning for a week of working with another team on a construction project and an after-school program (or something like that, I'm not exactly sure!). I would appreciate prayer for my health, which has been spotty this past week, for the work of this next team coming in, and for peace about all the changes that I'll be coming back to in the fall. God has really confirmed my direction towards medical school, but my priorities are going to have to undergo some major shifts.
And as always, pray for the Kingdom.