Today in Sabile, things started to click.

The kids who were shy yesterday started to open up a little more. Our team, still adjusting to the new rhythm of this location, found a bit of groove. And after spending some time in God’s Word yesterday afternoon, it became clear: the lesson for today—Courage When We Face Something New—was not just for the campers. It was for all of us.

We taught the story from Joshua 3–4, when God led the Israelites across the Jordan River. They had wandered in the desert for 40 years. And now they were about to enter the land God had promised—but first, they had to cross a river during flood season. The Jordan wasn’t something they could handle on their own. God told them to have the priests carry the ark of the covenant and step into the water first. Then, and only then, would He stop the river. And that’s exactly what happened.

There’s something about that moment that hits home when you’re in a new setting, doing something unfamiliar, with people you’re still getting to know. Whether you’re a kid trying to learn English, a volunteer learning how to cook camp meals from scratch, or a local pastor opening your church to outsiders—it takes courage to step forward. It takes trust.

The kids heard this story today and then spent time creating their own journals. The idea is simple: give them space to write, draw, and reflect throughout the week. Some were hesitant at first. A blank journal can be as intimidating as a river at flood stage. But once they got going, they were drawing pictures of themselves crossing rivers, writing prayers, and even jotting down the memory verse from Joshua 1:9—“Be strong and courageous… for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

One boy wrote a single line and underlined it three times: “God helps me.” 

That pretty much sums up the day.

We’re beginning to see more confidence in the classrooms and more laughter during some of the rotations. Kids are starting to remember our names. They’re picking up new English words, but more than that, they’re learning that they are seen and valued. Some of them have probably never been asked to reflect on what courage feels like. Now they’re not just talking about it—they’re living it. The team is still experiencing their own unique challenges so I asked for your continued prayers as we adjust to the every day unexpected. That is the norm of life on a mission trip.

At our team meeting tonight, one of our volunteers mentioned how this story from Joshua reminded them that sometimes God asks us to move before we know how things will work out. That’s how this whole week feels. We said yes to Sabile before we knew what it would be like. And now, here we are, watching God do something—maybe small by the world’s standards, but important. Faith-building. Good.

It’s easy to underestimate what happens at camps like this. It’s just songs and snacks and stories, right? But the courage to try, to speak, to trust—it gets built brick by brick, journal entry by journal entry, handshake by handshake. And the kids aren’t the only ones learning that lesson.

For us, too, it’s a reminder: we follow a God who goes ahead of us. He stopped the waters for Joshua and the Israelites, and He still makes a way for us today—not always dramatically, but faithfully.

Thank you for being part of this. For praying. For supporting. For helping us get here. God’s at work in Sabile, and we’re grateful to play a small part in that.