Our biggest event yet...!

Hey guys,
Well, Steve and I - with God's help - have pulled off our biggest event yet this weekend.
We did nothing this week but work, eat, sleep, and CARES stuff. By the day of the event, we felt like we had already done the event!
The Back to School Bash for kids was so much fun. We made up a school themed obstacle course and handed out 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prizes. Then we did a slip n slide. I was afraid the obstacle course would be to juvenile for some if not most of them. But it was a challenge to just about all of them. It was just right. Some of them got good mini-lessons in looking up words in a dictionary, putting shapes in order for geometry, and eating fruit! Most of them were intimidated or grossed out, but they all accepted the challenge and succeeded : )
A lot of new kids showed up, which was exciting. Only a few parents, which, sadly, we expected. We did meet a few parents, though, and Steve had more of a chance to connect with them than I did. I was too surrounded by twelve roudy children.
All of the kids and their parents heard about the college event we were having at the pool an hour later and so they all waited for us. We had a total of three college-aged people show up. It would have felt more like a failure if so many others had not shown up who were not technically invited : ) I couldn't be frustrated with our uninvited guests; they were so fun and enjoyable. I decided quickly that it didn't matter who was there as long we talked with whoever was there. So I found one of the moms and we talked for a long time.
We ended a little early because only a family of three was left and we had spent an extended amount of time talking with them. We finally called it a night, cleaned up at the pool and in our apartment, and then collapsed in front of a movie.
We are encouraged because we have completed a full month now of CARES. We have planned the events and used up the budget and handed in the receipts. We are also encouraged because we have completed all the fliers for September's events, which sometimes take a considerable amount of time, causing us to get the fliers out later than they should be put out.
We have already learned some good lessons in organization and in how to read how each event goes.
Thanks everyone for your prayers and interest. We'll be back with September's update. Soon, I will begin taking pictures so you can see what is happening here. I am waiting for the comfort level of a camera to arise. I think it will be soon.

- Rebekah