Ending Wudu Camp

Hello faithful readers! It has been a very fun, very hot 3 days. Wudu has been an amazing experience, especially compared to last week. We are actually hosting our camp in a real school, meaning that each class gets their own classroom, and each child has a desk and chair. This in and of itself means that the kids pay a lot more attention, especially because they are students at Wudu Elementary, so they respect the school and the teachers more in this environment. The challenging part about being in the school is no air conditioning, only fans in the ceiling. In addition, Wudu is much hotter than Taoyuan, so many of us (especially Norman and Karen) have severe heat rash, and the rest of us are very uncomfortable during the day. Please pray that we can keep our energy levels up and that our skin problems would not be as severe.

This week Anna and Karen changed classes, so Karen is now working with Elean and the youngest kids in Dolphin Class, while Anna is working with April with the oldest children, Whale Class. Here is a specific update about each class.

1st/2nd Grade Dolphin Class: [Karen & Elean] The kids give great effort and are very enthusiastic. Their English isn't very good, but they are very affectionate. Several of them are even asking deeper questions about Christianity, which their 2 helpers (2 youth from the church here) have been answering.

3rd Grade Jellyfish Class: [Esther & Isaac] The kids are much more shy than last week's kids, but they are finally starting to open up and become very affectionate. The kids especially love to give their teachers massages! All is well.

3rd Grade Shark Class: [Norman & Vivian] Vivian was given a chance to teach this week and showed huge improvement in her ability to relate to the children and speak up when necessary. The kids are extremely quiet, but also very affectionate.

4th Grade Lobster Class: [Jacqueline & Victor] Their kids are great and really attentive, only it's sometimes frustrating for the teachers because their Chinese is a bit limited, so Jacqueline and Victor wish they could explain the stories and questions at a deeper level.

5th Grade Whale Class: [April & Anna] My class is amazing. They are very intelligent and participate well, and they also listen when told. They are incredibly affectionate. The only drawback is that during group time (when all classes combine), they never sing and dance with the other children.

We are so blessed this week because the church at Wudu is full of caring and compassionate youth members who have been helping out in our classes, eating meals with us, and being a huge source of encouragement and laughter. We also praise God for the comfort of the church here, having 2 separate rooms for guys and girls to stay in, and 2 showers. The air conditioning here is also very comfortable, so we are well taken care of.

Please continue to pray for our health and energy. As time goes on, many of our bodies are finally reacting to the intense heat and long days. Pastor Josh is starting to lose his voice, and many of us are feeling a little under the weather. We continue to depend on God for our strength! This week's camp is only 4 days long, so tomorrow is our last day. Pray that our final performance night would go well, and that we would really be able to minister to the children's parents. We are more unified as a team than ever, and we continue to depend upon your prayer and support from America!

Praise the Lord. From our devotions this morning: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God" 2 Corinthians 1:3-4