Today started off in darkness…we woke up and found our power out. It did help those who were able to sleep in for a little, since most of the group had a late start. The rest of us headed down early to get a start on the construction and painting projects. We were grateful for a little cooler weather, especially those who were finishing up the roof project!

Andy, Tim and Mike were hard at work all day finishing up the roof, putting the tin up, and it looks awesome! Meanwhile Chris had her crew of painters busy at work. This trip we're bringing color to the kids' dorms, and it's already looking great. The kids absolutely love the bright colors on their bunks, and they were so quick to take us to their personal space to show off the new artwork in their personal space. Ali was hard at work on the mural she's painting in the boys' dorm. It's a huge colorful painting of planets, stars & galaxies…simply amazing! You should have seen the boys just standing there watching her paint. For those of us who aren't quite that talented, we were busy rolling stripes on the bunks and walls, and once we got to the girls' room, we let them help us out. They were so pleased with themselves and kept looking up to us for approval on their work, which was pretty easy for us to give! Have I mentioned that these children melt our hearts?!?

While the projects were going on, the Sports Bonanza was continuing from yesterday. The girls won their second netball game, so they came in third place overall. There was a huge crowd there to watch the boys' final soccer match. Both yesterday and today the boys were wearing the soccer jerseys people from our church had donated. Nate Maust & Mike Crawford had gathered uniforms from Dublin Jerome and the boys proudly wore them yesterday. Today they all came out on the field sporting their new jerseys that Nelly Akwari had sent from his team in Vancouver. I'm sure you can imagine how cool it was to see our boys, all dressed in their matching uniforms and cleats on their feet, rather than beat up tennis shoes or barefoot. If you've ever been to a soccer game in the states, then you know stoppage time is part of the game…only here it happens when you need to stop the game because of a stray dog and chicken rushing the field!

When the final whistle was blown, the Passion team won 3–1. To say the crowd was excited is a major understatement. The kids charged the field and started dancing with the team, thrilled with the victory. The cool thing is that every participant in the Sports Bonanza received a shirt, and trophies for the winners. Mike (Dayton) gave a talk about the purpose of the event…for kids to make wise choices and stay abstinent. But, knowing many of the people present had already made wrong decisions, he told them the importance of getting tested for the AIDS virus. It's so prevalent here, and yet, it's almost taboo to even talk about it, which is why people are dying with it left and right. Overall it was a great event, and many thanks go to Chris (Dayton) for helping put it all together.

After that it was time to head back up the mountain. And crazy enough, the lights were out once again when we arrived. So, we had a candlelit dinner again and a candlelit team time and candlelit hanging out time, with flashlights and candles all around as people hung out or played cards. It's something you kind of get used to quickly when you're here…

One thing shared at team time last night that was also true of today was the fact that wherever our team goes, we gain anywhere from 2–10 followers. Little kids come up slowly (well, some run up!) and take our hands or touch our hair and climb in our laps. It's impossible not to fall absolutely in love with these special children. They are so full of love and joy that you can't help but respond with the same. Seeing their little smiles absolutely brightens your day, no matter what.

Well, it's late and tomorrow morning is church, and we're dividing into four groups to visit the local churches. Tim, Chris (Dayton), Mike (Dayton) & Nick (California) will be preaching, while the rest of us will be the special music (a challenge for some of us!) and testimonies. If the services are anything like they were last year, we're in for quite a treat!

Thank you for all your prayers! We'll miss worshiping with our church family tomorrow, but worshiping with our brothers and sisters here in Africa is going to be awesome!

—Brooke