you are strong and you are brave

SOME of you, like me, may have Awana as part of your childhood church memories. SOME of you have never heard of Awana (but you might want to check out their website here), and then there are SOME kids in a small village on the coast of the Dominican Republic who LOVE Awana.

*Fun fact I just read on Awana’s website: “Each week, more than two million kids ages 2 to 18 participate in Awana. This includes more than 1.1 million in 102 countries outside of the U.S., the most children that Awana has ever reached internationally.”

Caraballo sent a team this weekend to participate in a competition with other Kids Alive teams from around the DR.

I could go through every detail of the day for you but instead I just want to write about one theme that stood out to me. Strength from Struggle.

This particular competition involves games- relay races, batons, beanbags, balloons, you get the picture! But it involved something deeper too…strength from struggle. These kids from Caraballo are some of the toughest, strongest, bravest, most resilient kids I think I will ever meet. Their strength comes out of a life of struggle- from many fronts…poverty, broken families, abuse, hunger, racial tension, violence, sickness, etc…

But in the midst of their trouble, the Lord is their strength and their hope. Their very present help. Their rock on which they stand. The one who hears and answers them.

So whether it’s a beanbag relay or the daily fight of the faith in Caraballo, these are the strongest kids I know. I kept encouraging them during the competition, “YOU ARE STRONG AND YOU ARE BRAVE.” I am delighted that many of them have trusted in Jesus and are looking to God for their strength and hope. And I pray earnestly for those who haven’t….yet.

Oh and by the way…they won! J Check out my Facebook page for photos or click here to read about last year’s competition.