The biggest news of March was the 20th anniversary of Talita Cumi. It was a delightful night full of worship songs, special messages from children and adults, a skit, a dance, and a quartet from the children, and people from the U.S. joined us via Zoom. One of the most pleasant reflection points was considering how many people, by the grace of God, have given so much to the home in its 20 years: the numerous aunties, directors, volunteers, short term missionary groups, long term missionaries, board members, donors and prayer warriors. Talita Cumi exists by God’s mercy and it was astonishing to consider how collaborative the effort has been. My sense of the home now is that it is on track for more profound spiritual growth for the children and more exciting educational opportunities as well. For example, the home recently built a serigraphy room for the children where they can learn and develop the skill of silk screen printing: putting logos on hats, t-shirts, and coffee cups.

The children continue to learn by Zoom, and are receiving a burdensome amount of homework. Fortunately, we’ve been able to take them on trips to the river and the park on the weekends so they can run around, explore, and enjoy nature.

My ministries at El Alfarero (The Potter) continue to march forward virtually. I’m currently team-teaching a course called “Transformational Discipleship.” It’s a two-month course that I teach every year. It focuses on what it means to be a disciple of Christ and how to disciple others. It also includes a rigorous, inductive study of 1 Thessalonians, which is one of my favorite components of the class.  

In the spirit of the 20th anniversary celebration, I’d like to thank all of you who continue to pray and support the children’s home. Thank you, and grace be with you.