We ate lunch in town today at a little café whose owner has children in our camp. There wasn’t room for all of us at once, so we split the meal into two shifts. I really liked the idea of a local business handling our lunch. The lady who runs the cafe has two children in the camp.

In class the children worked through David and Goliath. It’s a story about a boy who walked toward a challenge far bigger than himself, not because he was brave but because he was sure of who was already in the field with him. I keep coming back to that.

A good number of our students are not Christians, and several have said so to our faces — they’re here for the English, full stop. I don’t find that discouraging. I find it honest. I actually get a little excited to see what the Lord does with this. They’ve told us exactly where they stand, which is more than a lot of people will do. We’ll see what the week does. God was at work in these kids before our plane landed, and He’ll be at work in them long after we fly home.

Pr. Maris and Ilze have been a gift. When the ordinary friction shows up — and with this many children, it does — the two of them step in and sort it out with a patience our team is learning from. They know these kids, and they know this place. Most days we’re following their lead.

So here’s what you can pray with us: that we’d keep showing up at the table without needing to see the whole story; that the English would be taught well and the children loved honestly; and that God would keep doing what He’s already doing here in Sabile — with or without our nervous help.

Thank you for sending us, and for praying us through these days.

Blessings, Mark.