"Mud in the Jungle"

Everything
was ready: sing some songs, a bible story, and a game to end.

Of
course, God has a sense of humor. Being as it is the "dry season" in

the
Jungle, nobody expected the torrential downpour of rain that soon

interrupted
our plan. We also discovered soon enough that jungle rains

and
aluminum roofs do not mix. We made it through the singing and bible

story,
but how in the world would we be able to explain our game? The

sound
of the pouring rain was deafening, and there was no end in sight.

other
choice. We grabbed the hands of the children nearest us and ran

out
into the rain. The unexpected shower washed over our faces as we

ran
across the increasingly muddy terrain. As the downpour continued, a

natural
‘slip-n-slide' developed in the mud. The children began

encouraging
our guys to grab them by their hands and feet and sliding

them down,
what I would describe as the ‘jungle water slide'. Mud was

flying
everywhere, and the screams of laughter and joy filled the church

grounds.

Eventually, not one person was left without a bit of mud
covering his or

her clothes and face. As the laughter began to fade,
the rain stopped.

Now, we still had another service to prepare for,
for the coming

evening. The rain had halted, and realization
appeared on our faces.

We're completely covered in mud and not
nearly enough water is available

for bathing. As we circled up in
prayer for more rain, we all felt this

sense of giddiness. After
months of awaiting this trip, we finally were

all here, together. In
a way, I felt like a young child. I couldn't

contain the laughter
of how silly we all looked, and now we're praying

for rain to wash us
clean.

The rain came, but wasn't nearly enough. So as we made
our way to the

well, the children followed. They began pouring
water over each of us,

and wiped their fingers over our faces and in
our ears. I felt so

blessed: we all did. It seemed so symbolic to
everything we had

experienced since training camp. We all arrived
spiritually dirty. The

grime ran deep in many of us. In a small
amount of time, we became

completely broken, and Jesus washed us
clean. Many of us remember that

day and cherish it. The children
barely knew us, and they jumped at the

chance to serve. It sounds
silly, to be so blessed by feeling like a

kid again. But it reminds
me of the very passage of scripture we taught

about that day. Mark
10:13-16, when the children come to Jesus. We

were reminded that day
what it's like to be a child, and to have faith

and joy in the Lord.