We’re three days into camp here in Sabile, and the rhythm is starting to feel familiar. Mornings begin with smiles and shy hellos. By mid-morning, the music room is humming with energy, the sports field is full of kids calling out new English words in between games, and the craft table is surrounded by little hands at work. There’s a certain momentum building.

But today’s lesson reminded us that even when things seem to be moving forward, obstacles still stand in the way.

We focused on Joshua 6—the fall of Jericho. It’s one of those stories most of us remember from Sunday School: marching, trumpets, shouting, and then walls tumbling down. But today, we took a closer look at the courage it must’ve taken for God’s people to follow that plan.

Imagine being in their shoes—walking around a fortified city once a day for six days, with nothing happening. Just walking. Watching. Waiting. And then doing it seven more times on the seventh day before finally shouting. It must’ve felt foolish. Maybe even pointless. But they did it anyway.

They obeyed, even when it didn’t make sense. And that’s the kind of courage we talked about today—the courage to trust God’s way, even when it seems unlikely or slow.

In many ways, that lesson hits close to home this week.

Our team is feeling it today. A few are nursing sore muscles and joints, some are battling sniffles, and energy levels aren’t what they were on day one. It’s the midweek dip we’ve come to expect on these trips—but that doesn’t make it any easier. We’re grateful the symptoms are minor so far, and we’d love your prayers that nothing progresses and everyone bounces back quickly. We’re still fully engaged, but running just a little slower.

The students, however, didn’t seem to notice. They came ready. Ready to shout (which they did, loudly and often). Ready to laugh. Ready to keep learning. In the story of Jericho, we saw them connect to the idea that God helps us face problems we can’t solve ourselves. One student said, “God made the walls fall. The people didn’t even touch them.” Exactly.

Obstacles take many forms—some of them are obvious, like fear or language barriers. Others are more hidden: loneliness, insecurity, doubts. Some of the children we’re serving carry more than we can see. But the same God who brought walls down in Jericho is still working here, even if the results take longer to notice.

Today’s vocabulary words helped bring the story to life: trumpet, march, collapse, obstacle. The students learned that an obstacle is something that gets in the way—and then we asked them to name one they’ve faced. The answers were simple: “math,” “talking in English,” “being alone.” One boy paused, then said, “being angry.” That led to a quiet, meaningful conversation about how sometimes the biggest walls we face are inside us.

We also made space today to talk about obedience—how trusting God’s instruction matters even when it’s uncomfortable or unclear. The Israelites didn’t win Jericho because of strength or strategy. They won because they followed God’s voice. There’s something humbling about that. And something freeing, too.

In crafts, the students continued working in their journals. Some added drawings of walls crumbling or people shouting praise. Others simply glued in new vocabulary words or wrote, “God helped Joshua.” These journals are becoming more than just an English project. They’re slowly becoming a place where these children process what it means to have faith.

Later this evening, we’ll head out to a small village about an hour away. There’s a local youth ministry gathering there, and our team has been invited to join. It’s not part of the camp schedule, but it’s one of those bonus opportunities that could open new doors. Please pray for energy, for good connections, and that whatever happens tonight would be an encouragement to the young people we meet—and to our own team as well.

We’ve been thinking a lot about walls today—not just the ones in ancient Jericho, but the ones we carry: language, fear, distance, sickness, exhaustion, even cynicism. Some of those walls are starting to show cracks. Others may need more time. But we trust God is at work, and that obedience to Him is never wasted.

Thanks for continuing to walk with us. Your prayers and support are part of how the walls come down, one day at a time.