|
|
God's Children at The Castle
December 13 2009 / ShareHim in Jamaica - Quiet Hour, Nov. 6 - Nov. 21 '09 #397by Elfriede Volk
Campaign Site Narrative from Asia, Manchester in Jamaica - Quiet Hour. The speaker assigned to this site was Heinz A. Volk.
When we went to Jamaica, my sister Ruth and I planned to assist my husband at his site in Asia, Manchester, but God had other plans. I was asked to take a site in Newport while my husband and sister went to Campbell’s Castle.
It was Ruth’s first mission trip. She had always wanted to go on one, but felt that there was nothing she could do. When I suggested she could do a children’s program, she eagerly accepted, as long as I would work with her. Ruth excels in compassion, and children, old people, and even animals are drawn to her. But because of the war she had only two or three years of education, none of it in English, and always felt inferior. That’s why she was afraid of doing the program by herself. But God had better plans, not only for the children, but also for Ruth, to give her the confidence she needed.
Although Campbell’s Castle had a large room downstairs, the church was not prepared for a children’s program. As there was no flannel board, Ruth improvised. She bought a large blue towel and tacked it to the wall so that she could display the Bible story felts on it. The first night she had only about 10 children, but they loved the program. She found she could hardly move, as all the children wanted to be near her and touch her. Some even asked if they could go home with her.
Ruth had thought ahead and brought along material for crafts to go along with the Bible lessons. One member from the Castle church photocopied the masters for her and commented that the children never had such an interesting program, except for at VBS. Word must have gotten around, because attendance swelled to more than 40, with a corresponding increase in the adult presentations. At the end of the series, 12 people were baptized. Only God knows what persuaded the people to make their decisions for Him.
Ruth started the program with a lot of fear, but she learned that, with God’s help, she could do it. Now she is eagerly looking forward to her next mission trip, as well as possibly doing a VBS program in her home church.
It was Ruth’s first mission trip. She had always wanted to go on one, but felt that there was nothing she could do. When I suggested she could do a children’s program, she eagerly accepted, as long as I would work with her. Ruth excels in compassion, and children, old people, and even animals are drawn to her. But because of the war she had only two or three years of education, none of it in English, and always felt inferior. That’s why she was afraid of doing the program by herself. But God had better plans, not only for the children, but also for Ruth, to give her the confidence she needed.
Although Campbell’s Castle had a large room downstairs, the church was not prepared for a children’s program. As there was no flannel board, Ruth improvised. She bought a large blue towel and tacked it to the wall so that she could display the Bible story felts on it. The first night she had only about 10 children, but they loved the program. She found she could hardly move, as all the children wanted to be near her and touch her. Some even asked if they could go home with her.
Ruth had thought ahead and brought along material for crafts to go along with the Bible lessons. One member from the Castle church photocopied the masters for her and commented that the children never had such an interesting program, except for at VBS. Word must have gotten around, because attendance swelled to more than 40, with a corresponding increase in the adult presentations. At the end of the series, 12 people were baptized. Only God knows what persuaded the people to make their decisions for Him.
Ruth started the program with a lot of fear, but she learned that, with God’s help, she could do it. Now she is eagerly looking forward to her next mission trip, as well as possibly doing a VBS program in her home church.