Wow.  The end of all 6 weeks is already here!  I didn’t think they would go by this quickly!!  I had a good, but long and tough week, and here’s an over-review of how it went.

Club #1- This club reached 10 kids, but 5 of them were 1-year-olds who never really listened.  The other 5 were 3-year-old girls and my 10-year-old sister whom I brought on Friday.  On the first day, it was just the hostess’ children and I, and the girl was shy and didn’t really want to listen at all.  At first, she kept trying to run away during the songs and verses, but then she came and paid great attention during the stories!  Apparently she talked a lot about me and the clubs after I left every day!  The second, third, and fourth days were harder because more kids came, which meant their focus was more on, “Let’s go play!” instead of listening to me.  But on Thursday, their listening improved as they listened to the verses and the stories.  I also did a lesson with the two 3-year-old girls that were there, and they did really well and were a lot more interested!  Friday was the day when the club did a 180 and turned around.  The moms took all the 1-year-olds outside to play, and I had two 3-year-old girls inside.  Instead of the usual one song, one verse, and half story I usually get through with their attention on me, we did 4 songs (2 of which we did twice!), the Tony story, 2 Bible stories (Philip and Saul), the Wordless Book, and a lesson!!!  Of course, I simplified details for their understanding, but they paid attention the entire time, learned a lot, and had a lot of fun!!  I’m glad that God allowed me to plant seeds in each of their hearts over the week, and that after persevering they are starting to germinate! 🙂

Club #2- This club reached 8 kids, and it was quite fun to teach with ages varying from 3-10.  All of them were churched, and at first I was worried because they seemed a bit unexcited and quiet at the first club.  But as the week went on, their smiles grew bigger as I told the stories and sang the songs!  Thursday was particularly neat because I stayed an extra half hour to help the kids memorize their verses.  Three of them finished all of their verses that day!  I really enjoyed teaching this club, and I hope their passion for God continues to grow.

I had a few hour break in between clubs, and three of the days I spent reading my new Bible and highlighting verses.  The first time I went to a park that I thought was beautiful (off Regina Avenue and Montague Street), and read through most of 1 Corinthians.  However, I made the mistake of bringing a Sprite with me (funny/embarrassing story here), and when I took a sip, two wasps went straight into my mouth!!!  I quickly spit them out and stomped them before they could get away, but I could feel that one of them had partially stung the top of my mouth.  It wasn’t a full sting, but there was a little pain where the wasp tried to sting me…not sure exactly how that happened.  But it didn’t seem to swell up, and ice cream cooled the pain.  It seems to be fine now, as if nothing happened.  I feel that if it had been recorded though, it would have been one funny video! 😛  That’s why the second time I stayed inside DQ instead and read all of 2 Corinthians.  The third time I read Galatians and part of Ephesians while helping my sisters memorize verses.  It meant a lot to me just to find some quiet, alone time to spend in God’s Word and encourage me to keep going through the long week.

Club #3- This club reached 14 kids, and I got to bring my 6-year-old sister all week to this one!  11 of these kids were unchurched, and 6 of the unchurched kids lived in a foster home across the street.  Some of them have been coming to 5-Day Clubs for years, while it was some others’ first time.  The first club was tricky because the kids who have been to clubs before were saying things like, “I don’t like this song,” and “The Tony story is lame.”  This made the other kids feel as if the club wasn’t great either, and I prayed that they would all come back.  They all did come back, except for one girl who always has to leave before the club starts, and they became a lot more excited about the club and did lots of verses and lessons!!  On Thursday, I also had two kids accept Jesus- a young boy and a young girl!!  On Friday, I was able to give those two and the foster kids Gospel of Johns, because none of them had Bibles.  Please pray for all of these kids, that they will continue to be encouraged by the hostess’ family who invites them to VBS and other activities, and that they will continue to grow spiritually and learn more about God.  This morning, I also was able to help my 6-year-old sister accept Jesus into her heart!!  It meant a lot to me to do that with her 🙂

This week was tough because I was out all day every day, and there’s a lot going on at home and personally.  But God helped me finish my clubs strong, and I am excited to see everyone tonight at Welcome Home!  Let’s all pray that the rain and wind lets up more so that I have an easier drive into the city this afternoon.

Two passages that stood out from my Bible reading this week were 1 Corinthians 1:26-31 and 2 Corinthians 6:4-10.  The first one reminded me to give everything to God’s glory because I cannot be doing all of this for my own glory, and the second one was a great encouragement to persevere through the week.  I won’t type them out, because that would take a while, but I encourage you to look those up and see what God wants to show you through that.

God bless y’all as we reflect on what He has done this summer!

So Week 5 ended off very well for me!  Here is how it went:

Club #1- This club continued to be very energetic with 8 kids, often so much that the hostess and I would have to be firm on them listening.  But they especially focused in on the stories, and did 30 lessons total!  Also, on Thursday when I mentioned that there would be a surprise if they memorized more verses, they whipped out their bookmarks and started helping each other memorize as much as they could!  Yep, I was pied with whipped cream the next day 😛  I was also able to give the two kids who accepted Jesus each a Gospel of John.  Hearing that their family backgrounds were non-Christian and Jehovah’s Witness meant so much to me that they came all week to hear about God and accept Him into their lives.  Pray that they will not be hindered in hearing more about God as they grow up!

Club #2- This club had the same 3 kids all week, who were all churched.  On Thursday, I prayed that if they hadn’t accepted Jesus yet, that they would today.  God answered prayer once again, and two girls made a decision!! (The boy already had)  These three were full of energy and always had verses and lessons to tell me!  On Friday, we also worked together to memorize a lot more verses so that they could earn more cards and pie me in the face.  It was hard to see after they pied me…on Thursday they were already telling me how they were going to put whipped cream in my ears and nose.  Thankfully that didn’t happen! 😛

Club #3- On Thursday evening, I was at the nearby park eating an apple and swinging.  I saw two girls playing together, and they seemed quite bored.  So I went and told them about the club, and they got excited and said they would probably come, because their parents weren’t going to pick them up for three hours.  That shocked me a bit, and the hostess made sure to call their parents and make sure they knew that their girls were at a club for an hour.  I was excited to share the gospel with them, because they were unchurched and didn’t show any indication that they knew about God or Jesus.  This club came to 15 kids, and 11 of them were unchurched!  I also had one more decision on Friday by a young boy in the neighborhood who came all week and was more energized in the club as the week went on!!  The hostess also had a draw for an Action Bible, and it went to one of the boys who accepted Jesus earlier in the week.  He was very excited to get it!!  Also, I thought the first two clubs whipped creamed me well….at this one, I ended up with a mountain of whipped cream on my jeans, and it also was all over my face and shirt!!!  But they definitely enjoyed it 🙂

I am greatly encouraged by how the people in this neighborhood put a lot of effort in building community and having the kids spend time with each other.  Every evening, the kids pull out their bikes and scooters and play together on the street, and they go to each other’s houses and are always kind to each other.  There is a great mix of personalities, cultures, backgrounds, and ages in this area, yet they are all friends, laugh together, comfort each other, and find joy being with each other.  I know that the four kids who accepted Christ, as well as all the other unchurched kids, will have support and love from the Christian families who are doing so much to reach out to them and be a part of their lives.  You rarely find communities like that, and it is a beautiful blessing to see. 🙂

This week also amazed me by how many decisions were made- 2 at #1, 2 at #2, and 4 at #3….8 kids who made decisions to follow Christ!!  At my other weeks, there have only been 1 or 2 per week, and most of them had a lot more kids.  I am greatly impacted by what God has done in my life and in the lives of so many children this week, and I am excited to see what He has in store for the last week of clubs.

“My brothers, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone brings him back, let him know that whoever brings back a sinner from his wandering will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” -James 5:19-20

God bless y’all!

So….hi again!  I have blogged every day this week so far, which is strange because I usually don’t have much to say.  But I felt that I should share about what happened today.

I was a lot more tired today because I got up at 6:30 (that’s very early for me!) so I could help my dad clean up his jobsite before the homeowners could move in.  So I was quite tired when I got to my first club, which was challenging because they were overly energetic and off-the-wall during the entire club.  However, two of the girls gave me a tissue paper lantern and a card that said “You’re the best” and “You have a good heart.”  So that was an encouragement to me, but I was very tired afterwards!!

McDonalds has been my place for cool drinks because they’re cheap in the summer, so for the second day in a row I went through drive thru to get a $1 large pop.  It was the same lady who I talked to yesterday, and she gave me a big smile and said, “How are the kids’ clubs going?”  I was able to explain a bit more about them to her! 🙂

My second club went pretty well, but I ended up cramming in the Bible story in 8 minutes.  These kids paid more attention than the first club, but they loved to talk so much that I would sadly have to stop their conversation to continue with the story.  That happened every three minutes or so!  At times, it is quite tricky to balance teaching with listening!!

By this time, I was feeling very discouraged from how the first two clubs went, and was praying to God that the third one would go better.  Well, God answered prayer again!!  There were 9 kids total- one who was new.  He was biking nearby and decided to join us for the club.  They listened very well and were attentive for the most part, which was hard because we were being eaten alive by mosquitoes!!  But afterwards, three kids accepted Jesus!!!  One was the new boy who had come, and two were a boy and a girl who have come all week so far.  They were all older kids and pretty much understood what they were doing.  I had a chance to pray individually with each of them and explain what their decision meant, and I could barely keep myself from exploding with joy in front of everyone!!!  It is both exciting and sobering to think that their lives are now saved eternally and that they are safe on “the ark” of God.  How many more lives can we save from the wide road and help do a 180 to the narrow road?

Today encouraged me to never give up: no matter how tired you are, no matter how much the kids drain your energy, and no matter what lack of progress it seems like you had.  God is the one who grows the seeds, so long as we continue to water them and pull the weeds away.

“Do not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” -Galatians 6:9

God bless y’all immensely!  If you have the energy and the time, I hope you enjoy some of the meteor shower tonight!  I mean, even Tony read about them 😉

So here is a quick over-review on how today (August 11) went.

Club #1- All 8 kids from yesterday were there today, and most of them did their lessons!  Some of them also said verses, and when I left the Tony story in a cliff hanger, all the kids said, “NOO!!” and wanted me to go on.  Also, one young boy who is unchurched accepted Christ today, and he completely understood what he was doing!!!  The young girl who accepted Christ yesterday also seemed to be more excited and attentive about the club 🙂

Club #2- The joyful girl who came yesterday brought two friends today!  They paid attention to everything and were always smiling during the club except when they were focused intently on the stories.  Also, these club hostesses were very kind to me and offered to have me stay for supper.  It was very delicious! 🙂

Club #3- The club started a bit late because the kids were going around the neighborhood asking even more kids to come!  In the end, there were the original 7 kids with 3 new ones, and all the adults joined in again!  During the club, there was another boy who often biked past and glanced at what we were doing.  At the end of the club, he came up and asked if he could be part of the club too, so I gave him a package and told him to come next time.  Pray that he and all the other neighborhood kids will come!  Out of all of these kids, only 4 of them are churched, so pray that these kids’ hearts will be softened and accept the gospel, and that it will continue to spread in their neighborhood!

As I was driving home, there was a beautiful sunset, and it helped me look back on the day and see how brightly God shined through me today!!  I saw the kids’ joy grow as well, and it is an encouragement to see.  Pray that the light of God will continue to shine out the devil, and that God will continue to provide me strength for the rest of the week!

“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16

God bless y’all!!

Well, today was definitely the most interesting Monday I’ve had in a while….this is how it went.

I’m scheduled for two afternoon clubs and one evening club, so I was glad to sleep in a bit and get some rest.  Right before I got out of bed, I asked God to lead me where He wanted me to go.  Nearly 10 minutes after that, I got a call from Andra asking if I could take her first club, because she wasn’t feeling well.  So God certainly gave me an answer then!  Within 10 minutes I washed up, grabbed food, and was off on the highway to get there!!  It was a great club with 8 kids total, most of whom were energetic and were attentively listening to the stories.  One girl even had her first lesson done by the time I was leaving, so I gave her the second lesson as well!

So after going home for lunch and back, I got to my first official club.  This club also had 8 kids, and they were very energetic and attentive.  When I was showing them what the reference means in my Bible, the kids started asking, “Can I see what it looks like?”  So I showed them my Bible and how to find the verse, which was very neat!  Also at the end of club, a young girl accepted Jesus!!!  She is unchurched and had a shocked look on her face when I told her that the angels in heaven were having a party for her!  So praise God for that, and pray that she will keep coming and learn more this week!

My second club only had one young girl today, but she plans to bring at least two friends for the rest of the week.  She was very attentive to everything and rolled over laughing after every PIO card I showed her and after every funny voice we did to the verses!  She is a ray of sunshine, and I am excited to shine more of God’s light on her over the week!

My third club was especially fun to teach!  We had seven kids, one of whom I taught last week, and he happens to live next door, so he’s coming again!  What made this club particularly fun was that a few of the parents joined in too!!  They were doing all the actions and listening to the stories, and also helping the kids be more engaged in the club.  It was very neat to see God working through all of us in that way 🙂

I was constantly tired throughout the day, and it was hard to keep myself alert at times, but God provided me strength when I needed it today.  From getting out of the house to finding my way to clubs to being enthusiastic with the kids….that was all God’s strength I was acting on.  And what kept my passion burning was seeing the joy that was spread like wildfire in each of these clubs and seeing these kids through Christ-like eyes.  Please pray that I will continue to find the energy to do whatever God calls me to do, and that I will have sufficient rest and time with God to restore my soul for each club.  Also, praise God  that driving so much by myself went well, and that I will continue to do even better as I get lots of practice!

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.  That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecution, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.” -2 Corinthians 12:9-10

God bless y’all!!

So another week has come and gone…wow, I didn’t expect the summer to go by this quickly!!  This week I was teaching once again with Danae, and it was a pretty awesome four days!  Here’s how it went:

Our first club reached 8 kids, and most of these kids were churched.  At first they struggled with paying attention, but over time they started becoming more engaged with the stories and the songs.  It was encouraging to see them do quite a few verses and lessons, and to see their knowledge and interest in God grow.  For example, one boy had received a free cartoon Bible (The Picture Bible) during the weekend, and he is almost finished it now because he is very excited to read it!!

Our second club reached 11 kids, and most of these kids were younger…around 3-6 years old.  Despite this, they paid lots of attention to the stories and liked to ask questions.  Today as I was over-reviewing the Tony story- at the part where he was reading about astronomy and was amazed by God- one of the girls asked me, “Where is God?  Does He live in outer space?”  I explained to her that God lived in heaven but was everywhere, and she asked, “Well, there’s only one God, so how can He be everywhere at once?”  It was inspiring to share with her and everyone else how God was truly everywhere and watched over and loved every single person in the world at the same time, but sadly I also had to be brief because we were short on time.  Did anyone else struggle with squishing the Tony story into four days?? 😛

Our third club reached exactly 15 kids, and it was especially fun to teach.  Most of these kids were older, and it was encouraging to see kids calling their neighbors over so that they could hear about God.  One boy who was unchurched was invited over from next door on the first day, and he came every day after that!  This club was pretty fun to teach because a lot of these kids were over-energetic and often off the wall, yet made our day!  One certain 12-year-old boy was so hilariously sarcastic that at times Danae and I would double over laughing with the kids because he was just too funny!!!  At other times, though, we had to be firm and make sure that they were listening to the club, which they usually did well.  Two kids got their comic books, many kids did their lessons, and there were quite a few verses said!  Also on Thursday, a younger girl raised her hand to accept Jesus, but I didn’t get a chance to talk with her afterwards.  Today, however, she said during the Bible story that she had accepted Jesus, which was such a blessing to hear!!  For some reason it slipped my mind to talk to her again, but Danae had gone over the Wordless Book with everyone, so it definitely wasn’t a lost opportunity.

Another highlight of the week was that I GOT MY LICENSE!!!!  I was quite nervous because I had the same examiner as last time, who was quite picky, and I was letting Satan’s doubts about my driving abilities get to me for a while.  But when I was praying with my grandma and she prayed that God would be the driver, I realized what was happening and literally let Jesus take the wheel from there!  I passed with exactly 9 points off, but for little things such as a bad shoulder check and not turning sharply enough into a lane.  It was also a blessing to have one of my best friends surprise me afterwards with a delicious chocolate shake from good old Tim Horton’s! 🙂  I believe I’m teaching by myself for the last two weeks, unless plans change, so I’m looking forward to it.  It’s a bit scary, but also quite nice to drive by yourself!

Prayer Requests for the next week:

• That the weekend will give me time to relax and recharge for my next clubs
• That God will guide me as I start to drive by myself
• That my vehicle would be easy to control (although it has been fixed up, there are still some issues that some mechanics have not been able to figure out…I can still drive it, but at times it’s just tricky to handle)
• That I will have love, energy, and insight from God to pour out to these kids
• That lots of kids will come to these clubs!!

Thanks for your prayers and support everyone!  God bless y’all!!