Halfway Mark! (already...)

It's hard to believe that it has already been one week since we left the US. This trip is going by insanely fast. I think we might be having a little too much fun. The food is DELICIOUS, the people are VERY friendly and hospitable, and the kids are (for the most part) really fun.

I must say this mission trip is different than any other trip I've been to. We're not roughing it up like we expected. We get great meals, nice beds, and great weather. It's hard to complain about those, even on a mission trip :) But the best part of this trip has definitely been connecting with the kids. It has been so much fun/exhausting to pour ourselves into them, play, teach, and just hang out. Every moment with them is an opportunity to teach english, and to love on them. They may never know our real intentions for coming, but as long as we have shown the love of Christ to them, and they have felt this love, this trip will be a success.

We met with the man who started the Tennis Academy here in Casablanca. He is a practicing Muslim, so we got to ask him questions about his faith and what his vision and goals are for the academy. I think all of us were blown away after talking with him. We all expected this huge Tennis star who was somwhat full of himself. Turns out he is a man who loves his country and has a heart for its people. He uses tennis as a tool to educate and build character in people and children that may not have the opportunity to otherwise, whether rich or poor. Jesse asked him what he thought about us as a group coming from a Christian church. He responded saying it was a blessing from God. I think we all felt very encouraged by him and that we could probably all learn from his humble heart.

Well, this is the halfway mark. We'll see what God has in store for us next week :)

-Tim