Hey everyone! This week I’m teaching 2 clubs and VBS in Melfort. It’s kinda halfway between Tisdale and Kinistino so this is the third week I’ve been up here, so I’m getting to know the area pretty well.
My first club is from 9:00-10:00. Yesterday we had 9 kids, and today we had 15. The kids seem to be pretty into it, and I know this hostess has been hosting for quite a few years now so lots of the kids have come in previous years, so they’re excited to be back and having a good time.
At my second club there was 15 kids yesterday, and 7 new ones today, so a total of 22 registered. Yesterday it was kind of rough because the club was really hot, and it was super sunny, but today was a little better because we were able to go into the shade and so it that was nice. It was really fun today, because some of my kids from my club in Valparaiso two weeks ago came today, and so they remembered me and were excited to come back, so that was fun.
The VBS didn’t have any kids yesterday, but I was so glad when one little boy came this afternoon. It was kind of weird, because he really didn’t talk at all, so it was interesting trying to get him to engage and participate, but he did seem like he was listening and having a good time, so I’m hoping he comes back tomorrow, but I’m also hoping he brings some friends too.
So far, this week has been pretty awesome, and it’s been lots of fun. I’m excited to see what God has for the rest of this week. Thanks for praying for me!
Posted By: Gwyneth Sichangwa
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Hey so today was a good day of teaching and I’ve been pretty tired, but it’s been fun. These past couple of weeks have been really hard and challenging, but they have helped me to trust in God more and to rely on Him for all I need. (:
Club 1: So at this club yesterday there were lots of kids who had come to 5-Day Clubs and were distractions. Well today they weren’t here today and to be honest that was a good thing. I had 13 kids with 2 of them being new, and I was able to get through everything. So there was a girl there and her parents have no religious background at all, but they have nothing against it. But last year her dad took her to a VBS and this year she came to this one. Well when I gave the invitation she put up her hand and I got the chance to talk to her afterwards. In the end she made a decision which is super exciting! Please pray that she will grow in her faith. I know without a doubt that God will place the right people in her life to keep that seed growing. (:
Club 2: So we taught this club and the kids actually listened super well today. I was happy to see that this was the case with this club. It honestly was a fun club to teach and I’m excited to go and teach there tomorrow. We had 10 kids come today with 11 already signed up. There is a brother and sister there who don’t go to church but are listening so well to everything we say. Clearly God is doing something in these kids lives and that’s really exciting to see. Continue to pray that God will soften these kids hearts.
Club 3: This was the new added in club and we had 8 kids come today. They were awesome and were super engaged. During the contest Shamus decided to tell the kids they could pie me if they got to 20 kids. So we will see if they are able to reach the goal. Because we couldn’t go home for dinner we got to hang out the hostess’ kids and that was really fun. These kids seem to really be having fun during this club and that’s always exciting.
Club 4: This was the VBS that we teach in a park. Today had 3 kids which was super awesome and from the sounds of it they have some church background. As we went through the Bible verse one of the boys was saying how he had a dog. Then his friend said:
“I only have a pet fridge.”
Honestly, I tried so hard not to laugh about that comment, but that really made my day.
This week has been hard so far, but I’m really happy about the kids I’ve met, and I honestly would never take it back. We were able to move the time of a club so now we can go home for dinner but it’s still lots of travelling. Continue to pray for energy and enthusiasm during these clubs, and thanks to everyone who has prayed for me this summer.
God Bless,
Gwyneth
Posted By: Quin Sawatsky
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Since I apparently forgot to give a wrap-up post for last week, here’s the quick version: One of the clubs had to be cancelled, unfortunately, due to weather and hostess’s business with renovations, but the other clubs went pretty well, and we had another boy ask Jesus into his heart–Praise the Lord! There was a lot going on with weather and other things getting in the way of the clubs, but it was a good week overall.
Now, on to this week’s clubs:
Club 1
This club has had a pretty good turnout… there were 11 kids the first day, and 10 today (one of whom was new). Club 1 is a lot of fun to teach because the kids really get into the stories and songs, and I get to do snacks and games and just build relationships with the kids, which is always a good thing. Also, although the club is in a church, there are a lot of kids from unchurched homes attending… Please pray that God will speak through me at this club to speak the words they need to hear, and that He will soften their hearts and draw them closer to Himself.
Club 2
To be honest, this club has been a bit discouraging… I met a local Christian, who told me where all the children lived, and we even went to some of the acreages outside of the town to advertise, but there were no kids either yesterday or today. There’s some kids getting back from vacation and there’s a possibility they will come tomorrow, so please be praying about that. I don’t want to diminish the fact that this can all be a part of God’s plan… I had some decent spiritual conversations with some of the locals… but I would really like to be able to reach the kids here! Please be praying that God would soften the hearts of the parents so that they would allow their kids to come, and that God would give the kids a desire to come and check the club out.
Club 3
There were no kids at club 3 yesterday either… today I went advertising around the neighborhood, and half an hour after the club was supposed to start today, I had pretty much given up hope that kids were going to show up. However, it turned out there was a group of them who had been waiting for me to open the gym doors, where I had been expecting them to come in through the front door. In any case, it was a case of God showing me not to give up hope too easily! So we had a super-short club with the 4 boys who showed up. They were very high-energy and very low-attention-span, so we pretty much just got through a song, a Bible verse, and the Bible story. However, they seemed to enjoy playing games afterwards, and said that they would invite a friend. Please pray for me, for wisdom as to how to best teach this club, and that God would use what little I am able to say to them to really impact their lives. Please pray that these kids would enjoy the club and bring their friends so they can hear the life-changing news of Jesus Christ, too.
That’s all from me today! On an overall note, I would appreciate prayer for energy to keep on teaching these clubs, and for continued focus on living completely sold-out and surrendered to God and His will for me as I do these last couple weeks of clubs.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for praying.
-Quin
Posted By: Nekaelly Sandstra
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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!!
Posted By: Gwyneth Sichangwa
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So this week is really going to stretch me, because I am teaching with Shamus and we have 2 VBS’s and 3 clubs. In the morning we teach by ourselves then afterwards we teach together for the rest of the day. So it’s interesting and tiring but I’m really blessed for this opportunity of getting to preach the Good News. (:
Club 1: Since Shamus is teaching in Calmar at 9, I have to get dropped off at my 10:30 club about two hours before it starts. I got to the church, and had a good time of prayer and devotions. There were 22 kids who came which was so exciting. I taught 3 of the kids my first week and some of them have been at 5-Day Clubs before. As a result many of these kids were distractions during the club, so please pray that they won’t be tomorrow and that I can find ways to keep them engaged too.
Club 2: Shamus and I taught this one together and we had 10 kids come. There were 2 brothers that I taught last week with Grace last week. So during the club one of the brothers said:
“Hey where’s Grace ? I thought you guys taught together all the time.”
Haha I’m pretty sure everyone thinks that. The problem was these 2 boys was they were a distraction at points during the club, however they listened well during the stories. So just pray that we will do our best to teach them, including the churched kids and encouraging them in their faith.
Club 3: So this one is a VBS so we came to this one in the evening. It’s at a park, but when we got there the park was empty. So we prayed for the VBS and for that community specifically. It was a good time, and later a family did come. Even though they were invited they didn’t come, so that was pretty disappointing. So pray that kids will come to this club.
We are going to be having another club this week, so it’s lots of driving for Shamus. So pray for him having energy during the clubs, and just for kids hearts to be soften to the message.
God Bless,
Gwyneth
Posted By: Nekaelly Sandstra
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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!!
Posted By: Rose Williams
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I didn’t quite finish write about week 4, but my clubs in Moose Jaw finished up well! Just the one mailbox decision this week, but I was able to get the girl a New Testament and give ones to the other unchurched kids in the club too.
Today and for the rest of the week I am in the towns of Caronport, Briercrest, and Avonlea, a club in those first two, and a VBS at the last one.
Club 1: Since I live in Caronport, I knew a lot of the kids at this club, which was fun! And I got to meet some new ones too. I think there were 15 there today. Most of them are younger, under 10. They did really well in paying attention during the Tony story, but some were not listening well to the Bible story. So pray that their attention would hold up and that I’d have wisdom in shortening the Tony story a bit.
Club 2: This one was in the town of Briercrest. I think there were 10-15 kids. It was held at a church, but the majority of kids did not regularly attend a church, and they didn’t know most of the questions I asked about the Bible stories. Again, most are younger kids except one 12-year-old girl. I think she felt a bit out of place. Pray that she would keep coming! And there was also one girl who showed up at the very end, just in time for the last song, and when I wrote her name down for attendance and asked if she usually went to church, she said no, and that this was her first time in a church! She is planning on coming for the whole club tomorrow. Pray that her heart would be soft towards the gospel!
There was one girl in this club who was really talkative, and when I was telling the Bible story of Zacchaeus and talking at the beginning about the bad stuff he was doing, she said, “I just wanna pray for him right now, that he wouldn’t do those bad things anymore!” And she folded her hands and closed her eyes are prayed silently for a moment. It was kind of adorable! After the club I explained to her that we didn’t need to pray for Zacchaeus because he did meet Jesus and stop doing bad things, and he wasn’t alive anymore. And I told her it was good to pray for people who do bad things. She was so sweet in wanting to pray for others!
Club 3: This club was a VBS in the town of Avonlea. I had never done a VBS before, but it went well!. 19 kids today, and hopefully more will come. They did a good job paying attention, more so during the Tony story than the Bible story. So pray that their attention would hold out and that they would bring friends!
When I got home today I was pretty tired after driving a total of 190 km. Please pray for safety and alertness on the roads. The highways are single lane and narrow, but fortunately there is not much traffic. When I finished the day I did have a headache, so pray that wouldn’t happen tomorrow.
That’s all for now! There are really sweet kids at these clubs who really need to know about God. Pray that they would do their lessons and learn the truths through them, and their hearts would be soft towards the gospel!
-Rose
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!
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