As I sit here on our last night in Rock Point and attempt to blog, I realize that words alone cannot possibly describe this week or this mission.  This year’s trip was an unbelievable experience unlike any other year.  We added an extra day to the trip this year, so we were able to spend Saturday sightseeing, developing friendships and immersing ourselves in the Navajo culture.  My family joined a group of 22 heading up to Monument Valley.  Pastor Lynn generously offered to be our tour guide, so we loaded into two vans and spent the entire day seeing not only the “tourist” sights, but parts of Arizona and Utah that we would not have ever known existed.  It was a wonderful way to start the trip before jumping into the real work.

This week, our incredible VBS team of 27 served a total of over 155 Navajo children.  Through music, arts, games and Bible lesson, we shared the Word of God using the theme “Armor of God”. The kids learned about putting on the Armor to keep Satan away. And that was what was most fitting – as usual, we come up here to teach, and we learn.  We come up here to serve, and we are served.  Although there were so many “God Moments” that I would love to share if I had the time (and space) right now, what I will share is that this week, we ALL put on the Armor of God to keep Satan at bay.  In previous years, our team was quite literally attacked by Satan to wreck havoc in some way.  Whether it was vehicles breaking down to try to keep us from reaching the mission, frustration or tension among our team or other major and minor “inconveniences”, Satan has always worked hard to stop us from spreading God’s word.  Just three months ago, we barely had enough volunteers to make this trip happen.  I felt Satan was at it again and our trip might actually be cancelled.  This year, with nearly 50 of us ready to battle him, he simply gave up.  I cannot possibly describe the feeling of knowing that the power of prayer, faith and God quite literally beat Satan down and kept him away from Rock Point.  Of course, there are always minor issues on any mission trip – head injuries (thankfully minor with prayer overcoming it), contaminated water (but thankfully not until our last day), virus in the laptop holding our entire closing program – but not once did our team lose faith or trust in our God.  I felt as though our entire team was saying “that’s the best Satan can do?” and laughing in his face.  We would not be beat, we would not give up or give in.  No one fell for Satan’s tricks.  We marched on, wearing the full Armor of God, and taught, played, sang and danced with the Navajo people. And in doing so, we showed what it really means to wear the Armor of God.  Our carnival on Wednesday was a HUGE hit with the kids, and I was once again brought to tears watching the kids having so much fun with our teens and leaders.  The closing program even had Navajo Grandmas singing along in the pews as the kids performed on stage and sang of Jesus being their superhero and raising their white flags.  TRULY, the war was over.  Love had won.  I am in tears again sitting here typing this just remembering 147 children, 27 VBS leaders, and countless Navajo family members all together, all in one church, worshipping one God.  Satan cannot keep us from this place and from teaching these people about the love of Christ.  He will continue to try, and we will continue to battle, and God will continue to see us through.

Sally Rochotte