It’s hard to believe I only have two more days in Warman, and then week three is over! Things have been going pretty well.
Club 1: I asked for prayer that the kids would be more excited about club, and the last two days they have been! They really have been enjoying the Little Rascal stories, although the youngest club member (a girl of 5) said that she liked the stories, and when I asked which one was her favourite, she told me the Bible stories were! I like hearing that.
This club has got up to 10 kids, so yay! I told them if they got to 15 they could pie me, but I may change it to if they get a certain amount of lessons done. They have been a fun club and they deserve to pie me.
Oh, and yesterday there was a decision at this club! This girl didn’t go to church but she said last year at 5-day clubs they gave her a Bible, so that is good. Pray that this girl would stay strong in her faith.
Club 2: After having no kids the first day, there were five the second day! Praise the Lord! The club went pretty well. But yesterday there were only three, and it didn’t go so well because two boys were kind of misbehaving and wandering around during the stories and goofing off. I may need to be a bit more stern with kids like that, especially since they are older and should know better. Pray that God would give me wisdom in this matter.
And pray that there would be at least a few kids today. Some who were there yesterday said they couldn’t come today. Pray that the kids would be engaged and listen well. Also, pray that they would want to do their lessons. I haven’t gotten any lessons back yet, and these kids are all unchurched, and they probably need to hear the truths in these lessons.
Club 3: This club continues to be fun with lots of African kids though I still struggle to keep track of them all and give them the right lessons! With such a big crowd, it is a little bit hard to keep them all quiet and listening, but there are definitely some kids who really want to hear the stories, so that is encouraging.
Since Monday, I’ve had a few more kids put up their hands to receive Jesus, but on Tuesday handing out lessons took so much time that I didn’t get to talk with them. Yesterday (Wednesday) a few more kids put up their hands, and in the flurry of getting them lessons and prizes the kids didn’t come talk to me after.
However, I did notice on one lesson I got back that a boy had written for when he had taken the Lord Jesus as his Saviour, he wrote “Now.” (I don’t know if this was a kid who put up his hand, I haven’t been able to remember names very well!) So whether or not I am able to pray with these kids, God is still working in their hearts. They are basically all kids who go to that church, so I am confident that they understand what they are doing if they make a mailbox decision.
Sometimes I struggle to know if when I lead kids to Christ is I am doing it the “right” way. But God keeps reminding me that He knows their hearts, and that childlike faith is precious to Him.
For this club, continue to pray that administration details would go smoothly and that the kids would be attentive.
Summary of it all: At that last club, God used a little girl remind me why I am doing this. I was explaining that they should bring friends so that they could get a pin, and a girl piped up, “You should bring friends so they can learn about God!”
As I thought about it after, I realized that I’m teaching clubs is so kids can learn about God. It’s not always easy, and some days are fun and some days I’m just praying that God will keep me going. This may be stating the obvious, but I’m doing it so kids can learn about God. Whether or not they make a commitment, whether or not they are sincere in their commitment, God knows. I’ve got five hours in a week to teach these kids the most important things they will ever learn, the things that can completely change their life. That’s something to take seriously. It’s not about me, or whether I’m leading them to Christ the “right” way, it’s about God working in their hearts. A verse I keep thinking of is Zachariah 4:6- “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.” God’s Spirit working in these kids lives is what is going to bring them to know Him.
So pray that these last two clubs would go well, that God would bring kids, that kids would be attentive, and most of all that God’s Spirit would be working through me and in the hearts of the children.
-Rose
