Posted By: Gwyneth Sichangwa
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So a couple of days ago I was doing my devotions and reading Genesis. The verse that caught my attention was Genesis 2:1 which says “And so the whole universe was completed.” I began thinking about the fact the that the world is not complete without God. Our lives are not complete without Him too, and it really got me thinking about these kids. They need to know who He is for there lives to be complete and this verse really kept me reminded of that.
Club 1: So the moment I walked in through the door, one of the boys said:
“Hey why are you wearing your pajamas?”
Now I was wearing some pants that had a pajama like design but you could tell they were pants. At least 3 times during the club the asked that same question but eve. With the teaeing this club was honestly amazing. We sang 3 songs at the beginning of club and had a great time doing different voices for the memory verse. At the end of club we even had a dance party to the Stop song and Do What’s Right. It was a great club to be at and our hostess even shared with us a bit about the amazing things God has done in their lives. This club was a super encouraging club and it was a great way to end off a Friday.
Club 2: So we got one more kid today so they were able to get the hackey sack which was awesome. There was a boy who was there on Thursday, but he went inside the host’s house because he didn’t want to be apart of the club. I was pretty sad to see that and prayed that God would bring him. Well that’s exactly what happened today and at the beginning he seemed like he could be more of a distraction but by the stories came around he listened well. He even told me a verse and it was awesome to see him opening up. This was a fun club and I’m glad we got the opportunity to teach it.
Club 3: With this one we ended up being about 10 minutes late trying to grab some dinner for later. It’s been such a rush from club to club so we hurried over and in the driveway were 2 new kids. One of the boys had invited them so we had club with the 3 of them. As we were going through the memory verse, the new boy began asking lots of questions like “Does God hate Satan?” and “If God could forgive Hitler?” We wanted to make sure we answered him properly and didn’t brush off his questions. It was a really good club and we had some awesome discussions with our hostess this past week, that have been encouraging. Honestly this was a hard itinerary but an incrediblely rewarding one.
Club 4: This club in Millet has been a bit challenging but the kids are lots of fun. We went through the club and it just felt like it was dragging. The kids were pulling out the lawn and wrestling one another at a point. I honestly wasn’t sure what to do, but we decided to head straight to the Bible story and everyone started listening attentively. At a point one girl even said how she really liked the stories. I was amazed at how I felt like not much was being accomplished, but in all reality things were. These kids were understanding more things about God so that was awesome to see. Afterwards we played Hide and Seek with the kids which was a great time to really hang out with them (since we never really had time for that). Even though last week was a hard week with lots of driving, these kids are honestly one of a kind, so it was totally worth it. (:
This week is busy once again with early morning clubs and late evenings, so please pray for energy to teach this week. Also big thanks to my CG for diligently praying for me this summer. I’m so thankful to have that support.
God Bless,
Gwyneth
Well, let me tell you. I want to start off by apologizing for not blogging near enough. Sorry Al! I’ll try to do better. Here’s a quick update on the past few weeks and some prayer requests for next week.
Athabasca
I had a lot of fun teaching this club! It ran from 11:30-5:00 on Calling Lake Reserve. There were 56 kids, and they were lots of fun. Best of all, I got to help lead 4 children to the Lord. Teaching with Willard as my partner was a blast! Thanks for praying for the kids in this club.
Fort McMurray/Anzac
This was a great week of 3 clubs with lots of church kids. This was the first time 5 Day Clubs have been held in Fort McMurray. Talking with church leaders after the club, it sounded like they were eager to repeat the process next year. Many of the kids were from solid Christian homes and had already made decisions. My job was primarily to have fun, provide additional teaching, and encourage them in their faith.
Elbow/Outlook
Because of the long weekend, this was a 4 Day Club. It was nice to have a bit of a break at home over the weekend. There were only two clubs in this week and the first one had plenty of adults helping, which made it really easy on me. The kids seemed to be really engaged, and I’m hoping the lessons they learned this week will stick with them in the long term.
Leader/Fox Valley/Burstall/Sceptre
This is where I’m going to be next week. Please pray for 1) Energy – This is going to be 4 clubs with lots of driving, but I still need to give everything I have at every club. Pray that I don’t get burned out. 2) Salvation – I haven’t had many kids make decisions since Athabasca because I’ve been with a lot of church kids. Pray that I would be able to lead some kids to Christ next week. Thank you very much for your prayers!
Posted By: Gwyneth Sichangwa
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So yesterday was a good day of teaching clubs. Grace’s bad headache passed over and we had a fun day of teaching.
Club 1: At this club it was an all boy club and they are a great group of kids. They are engaged in the stories and prizes. For some reason they all wanted God’s girl collector cards and I had to run to the car and search for more. I was only able to find one more and the boys were competing on who could tell the memory verse first. Grace and I were very amused and it’s going to be sad leaving them today, but I know that God had them in His hands.
Club 2: So we got to this club and had 7 kids come. They have all been doing their lessons and saying verses which is great to see. So as I was telling the Bible story of Philp, and trying to give the invitation they all started to have questions. One kid wanted to know if I was saved, another wanted to know if I’ve been baptized. So I tried to continue on with the invitation when I kid asked:
“Wait, are we going to get baptized after this?” Then one boy pointed to the kiddie pool in the back and said:
“There’s water over there.”
I had to explain to them that I wasn’t going to baptized them. Afterwards I got to talked to one boy who had made a mailbox decision and it was good just to go over some stuff with him.
Club 3: We had 3 kids come today so that awesome. There is a 4 year old there and as Grace was telling the Bible story she was craning her head to see where I was. Then she spoke up and said that she wanted to sit by me so I moved my chair and sat by her. These kids are very attentive and engaged, so it’s really encouraging to teach them. The 2 brothers didn’t come but one of the boys is going to ask them to go come today. Please pray that will go well, and for this neighborhood. Lots of Muslim families live there and they need to hear the Good News.
Club 4: We drove out to Millet and we had more kids come so that was awesome to see. The girls were a little less hyper at points but overall it felt like it went a lot better than some of these other days. Once I began the Bible story they all were quiet and began to listen really well at the beginning. Closer to the end of the story they all started asking why baptism is done with water and why we don’t use mud. Honestly Grace and I tried not to laugh and answered the questions as best as we could. We talked to the hostess afterwards and she said that there is only 1 girl there who hasn’t made a decision from what she knows. So pray that God will soften this girls heart to be receptive to the spiritual truths.
Today is the last day for this week and it’s crazy to think how much this week has flown by. The summer is going by fast but it’s amazing to hear about all the things God has done, and is doing in Alberta and Saskatchewan.
God bless,
Gwyneth
Posted By: Quin Sawatsky
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“Welcome to Calgary”, the kids tell me, as a bright sunny day has transformed into a torrential downpour of rain and hail in a matter of an hour. It was sunny when I was teaching the club, so I am now trapped in the entryway of the house without a rain jacket, about 30 meters away from my car. Rather than abandoning “the poor guy” to fend for himself in getting to his car for his next club, the kids kindly lend me a makeshift umbrella: the giant bucket they had been using as a boat in a massive puddle outside the house. By the time I make it to my next club an hour later, it is bright and sunny once more. Welcome to Calgary.
Club 1
We’ve had about 8 different kids at this club, largely from churched homes. There are lots of kids in the neighborhood, who the hostess’s kids have invited, but I believe they are also mostly Muslim families, and so we have not had a lot of them come. Please pray that God would soften the parents’ hearts to allow their children to come. And pray that God would just use the presence of this club as a light to the neighborhood, even if they don’t send their children.
Club 2
The first day of this club, we just had the hostess’s kid to start, but then he invited 4 other kids from around the neighborhood, who just kind of wandered in and out of the club as they felt like it. But at the end of the club, I had the opportunity to lead one of these kids to Christ! On the second day only the hostess’s kid and one boy from the first day returned… I guess there was some sort of event going on in the neighborhood. However, I was just hanging out with the kids after the club ended, and then many of the neighborhood kids came out and were playing sports with us. I invited everyone to join us today, so please pray that God will bring the kids who He wants there. And pray that He will give me opportunities to share His love and the Good News of the Gospel with these kids even if that’s only through hanging around after the club.
Club 3
Club 3 has been a smaller one… both days’ attendance have been the hostess’s two daughters, and different one of their friends each day. All of these girls come from church backgrounds, so just pray that God will use me to encourage and challenge them to continue to grow in their relationship with Him.
Club 4
We have yet to actually meet for this club, as both evenings have been quite rainy and the hostess is renovating her house and doesn’t have any space indoors to have the club. In a normal 5-Day club setting, we probably would have cancelled the club by now, but this might be the only chance some of the children in this neighborhood get to have the gospel clearly proclaimed and be invited to accept Jesus into their heart. So please pray that the weather will cooperate and that we’ll be able to have a club, even if it’s only for a couple of days.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for praying. God bless.
-Quin
Posted By: Gwyneth Sichangwa
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Hey so today was a good day of teaching and just wanted to say thanks for everyone who prayed for us. Grace and I weren’t even tired heading to our club in Millet so that was great. (: Today I didn’t feel sick at all and I’m really happy that was the case.
Club 1: So today the club went from 2 kids to 5 so that was really exciting. They were all really engaged and listened super well. One of the boys who came, Grace had taught last week. Even though he was already familiar with the material, he still got in to everything so that was great. This club has really been encouraging as a teacher and even though these kids are churched, it’s always great to see them excited about stories they already know. At one point Grace as she was telling the story of Noah said:
“So Noah and his family got on board with his plan to build a boat”
Boy: “Haha I see what you did there.”
He honestly was so amused by that unintended pun. They are a great group of kids and I’m glad we get to go back tomorrow.
Club 2: So here the club went from 5 kids to 8 kids. At the beginning I was a little sad that one of the girls didn’t come back. Then 10 minutes into club she came with 3 friends so that was exciting. She brought her brother and it was great that he came because he was outgoing. That really helped the rest of the kids. Also we had a mailbox decision so that was super exciting!
Club 3: With this club the 2 Muslims boys didn’t come today. But we found out that they actually weren’t really strong Muslims, and that one family member had actually gone to church a couple of time in Lebanon. We were glad to hear that but continue to pray for these boys. Today we had 5 kids so that was awesome to see and 2 of them were siblings who we had advertised to. Apparently they had guests over and couldn’t come yesterday but were able to come today. The kids all listened and were engaged and I know 2 of them should be coming back tomorrow. Prayer that more kids will come, especially since there a lot of Muslims in the area.
Club 4: Thankfully we made it on time for this club today. All 6 girls came, but they were way too energetic today again. We moved inside because it had rained and it felt like they were all over the place. However they did calm down for the Bible story which was good. But closer to the end they got distracted and it began pretty difficult to get through the Wordless Book. At a point one of the girls said God was made of money, and as I was trying to correct her theology one girl said:
“God isn’t made of money, but He is valuable.”
It was encouraging to know that even with all the stuff happening that these kids are still getting stuff from the club. But continue to pray for this club and for Grace and I to have the energy for this club.
Also on the way back from Millet Grace began having a hard time seeing properly and now she is on the couch with a bad headache. Pray that this won’t be a problem and for good health to continue driving and teaching.
God Bless,
Gwyneth
Posted By: Grace Sichangwa
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It actually blows my mind that the first day of Week 4 has concluded! Today we were blessed to have kids come to every single club this week! 🙂 This is definitely a privilege that I am grateful for.
CLUB 1: Gwyneth and I had advertised the night before, and to be honest it was one of the weirdest experiences I have ever had in advertising before. We knocked on a few doors, and at one of the houses, it seemed as though they were pretending to not be home (even though the kids saw us… and yelled it out a couple of times). We ended up with two kids during this club. Even though it might have seemed disappointing that the kids who came were related the hostess, it was still fun. And more importantly, time is never wasted when the Word of God is being taught to others. Total attendance is 2.
CLUB 2: This group was so much fun! They were very respectful, fairly quiet, but also engaged in club. After talking with this host on the phone, I was initially nervous at the thought of whether or not there would be kids – and there were! Our total attendance is 5.
CLUB 3: Last year, Gwyneth and I had the pleasure of teaching this club, and we were unsure of whether we would have kids. We arrived, and waited about 20 minutes in the backyard, while our hostess went to find the kids. Remember how I asked for prayer, that God would raise my expectations? Well, two kids ended up coming! … and the first thing they explained to me was that they were not Christians. Even though I recognize that we intend to reach the unsaved child, I became really self-concious about explaining everything properly, and giving the gospel in detail… Well, to cut a long story short, one the kids ended up coming to Christ today! 🙂 (We’re going to do follow up with the other child tomorrow as well). I was really encouraged, knowing that he came from a Muslim family, but when I saw him pray to receive Christ, his sincerity was encouraging.
I wish I could say that I was completely encouraged afterwards, but thoughts of doubt, and the lies of the enemy began creeping into my mind – it was overwhelming. But the awesome reality is that God is good, and hopefully He will give us the opportunity to continue to disciple these boys. Our total attendance is 2.
CLUB 4: When I first saw this club in Millet on the itinerary, apparently I had google mapped it wrong – I had the wrong direction, and distance. Might I say it was a far drive, but a drive that was well worth it. And to cut another long story short, surprise I got lost. Apparently we had tried to find an address that did not exist, which ended up leading me on a skinny, gravel road. Ultimately we ended up finding the house, and these kids were so high energy, it really put me on my toes. They are such a great group of girls, and during “Let’s Get Started”, one of the girls did (arguably) the most impressive dance move I have ever seen – she did a cartwheel, leading into the splits! And if that wasn’t awesome enough, she got up immediately and continued the actions. That’s merely a glimpse of the energy that we were keeping up with. Our total attendance is 6.
Prayer/Praise Requests:
– Praise God for the boy who chose to accept Christ today! 🙂 Pray that God would continue to plant people in his life that can foster his spiritual growth. Also we could prayer for that neighbourhood – we discovered during advertising that there were quite a few people who were Muslim in the area.
– For driving safety – the commute is extensive, and far this week.
– Energy.
– Love for these kids.
– This might seem silly, but I seem to be a medical basket case as of late. This morning I had a sore pinky toe (yes, pinky toe), the nerves in my head are still off, and my eyes have been overly watery due to allergies (not just my overly emotional disposition).
– Ulimately that His will would be done, and that He would give me the strength and courage to be obedient to His will.
Posted By: Gwyneth Sichangwa
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Hey so today was a happy day but at the same time tiring. For the past couple of days I’ve been feeling really sick and that seemed to affect me during the clubs today. So pray for tomorrow that won’t be the case.
Club 1: This club we advertised for yesterday and Grace and I did out best but sadly no kids in the neighborhood came today. There are kids but the neighborhood isn’t very open so pray that the parents hearts would be soften. So today we had the hostess’ sons and they were awesome. Even though there was only 2 of them, it honestly was lots of fun and they got into it. I’m looking forward to teaching there again.
Club 2: So we had 5 kids come today and that awesome. When we got there, 2 boys and their grandma were looking for a house so I asked them if they were looking for the 5-Day Club. In the end they were so that was super exciting. The kids all listened and were engaged which was awesome but they were a quiet group so hopefully they will open up more.
Club 3: So last year Grace and I actually taught this club so we were really able to connect with this hostess and clearly they have such a burden for their community. Yesterday we advertised with her and for the first 15 minutes we had no kids. The hostess went and brought back 2 brothers so that was awesome. At the beginning of club they actually told us they weren’t Christian so we just made sure to go over the basics thoroughly. After the invitation they showed interest in accepting Jesus and they did that today! We found out they were Muslim and even when we advertised at their house we weren’t even sure if they would come. We gave them Bibles so please pray that they will come again and also for the seed there. So please pray these kids.
ChangChang Adventures: So Grace and I are teaching in a small town called Millet. We thought at first it was only a 30 minute drive. However that’s not at all the case; it’s a 74 km drive from our house. We literally had 15 minutes at home after our third club and had to head out. We got there and we were so excited because we thought we were going to be on time. Apparently I put in the wrong address in my phone and we started driving on this township gravel road. We honestly could not figure it out so I called our hostess. After the second call we finally made it and we were about 20 minutes late in the end. But we had 6 kids come and that was great see. I also began feeling super sick during this club and it just felt like lots of opposition was happening. But that’s probably because God is going to do some amazing things with this club. We got there and it was an all girl club. But they were the most energetic girls I have every taught. But they were a great crowd so just pray that they won’t be too energetic for tomorrow.
This is a busy itinerary and lots of driving for Grace so prayer for her and having the energy and enthusiasm for this week. I’m sure this is going to be a week that will stretch me but I know how much more I need to rely on God’s strength to get me through. (:
God Bless,
Gwyneth
Posted By: Grace Sichangwa
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This long weekend, I had the great pleasure of going to a wedding (don’t worry Mr. D, not mine). After all of the busyness that came with that, here is my update from this past Friday.
The first two clubs that we had in the morning (so Grace’s first club, and my club one) ended up having no kids to end off the week. But God is good, and gave us time to spend with the kids that did come.
Club Two: Throughout this week, I really struggled at points. “Conveniently” the weather would get really hot during the hour, and get better later (resulting in kids who struggled to pay attention), and at points if seemed as though some of the kids were very distracted. As Grace was finishing the story of Tony, she explained to the kids that God has given us all talents, and abilities that we can use to glorify Him. At this point, one of the boys (who had seemed pretty distracted) said, “God gave me the gift of silliness.” Man, God really convicted me through the simple words of this little boy. For that girl that had something to say about everything, it might just be that God has uniquely wired you to be attentive to details. To the boy who seemed pretty stubborn, maybe God has gifted you to be a world changer – someone who is willing to go against the grain of “normalcy”. It was a sobering, simple, yet important reminder that God cares about every one of these kids… And to end off this club, all of the kids had the chance to throw water at us, which was chilly, but so much fun. The final total was 15 kids.
Club Three: This club was so much fun! Since these kids loved dancing so much, at the end of club we had a dance circle. It was so funny because Grace had decided not to dance in the circle, and when the kids asked her to join we ended up explaining to them that she was Mennonite, and that was why she couldn’t join in. These kids had energy, and it could be distracting at times, but it was so encouraging to see that so many of these kids have hearts that desire to please God. The final total for this club was 7 kids.
As I began my post from earlier today Gwyneth and I did advertising for a couple of clubs today. I know I asked for prayer for expectation, and God exceeded it! As we were advertising this morning, I walked down the street, and saw this little girl, sitting in the window. I ended up talking to her family, and they sincerely seemed interested in attending tomorrow! He is awesome!
I have come to realize that I have been so content with my low expectations of what God will do. I’m not trying to say that it’s God’s right to show me revival because I ask, but instead of recognizing His sovereignty in situations that are disappointing, I feel relief because I didn’t have high hopes in the first place. This is horrible! God is good, He is awesome, and He’s been slowly, but surely, destroying this skewed view that I hold of Him. I’m nervous, but excited to see what He will do next.
Prayer Requests:
– That the families we spoke to would attend club tomorrow.
– For travel. Monday’s are my worst because I frequently exercise my Lauren Ryan giftings… (I get lost).
– For energy.
– And that I would see the people that I work with through His eyes.
Posted By: Grace Sichangwa
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Later today I will do a blog post about the end of last week. However, I just wanted to quickly post a prayer request. Gwyneth and I are going advertising for our clubs 1 & 3 today. To be perfectly honest, I’m feeling a little hesitant about whether or not we’ll find kids. BUT God is good, so let me give you the requests here:
1. That God would raise my expectations of His capabilities – it’s the Holy Spirit, not my savvy words that will bring children to these clubs.
2. That God’s voice would be really clear, and that he would point us to the houses, and people that we should give invitations to.
Posted By: Anna Pederson
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Beth and I have seen 5 children come to Christ so far! We are, however, quite tired, and feeling a bit unmotivated. Please pray that we are strengthened by the Spirit, and that we have the discipline to do devotions and take time to pray through the day (something we haven’t been doing yet). Praise God that we have already seen some fruit from this ministry!
Ephesians 6:19
– and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel –
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