An update on Jayme

Last week, Jayme received Christ as Savior at Good News Club!!! Sometimes, when a child receives Christ, you never can tell if it was sincere or not. Yesterday proved Jayme did receive Christ as Savior. Early on in the Good News Club, Jayme said that she could never remember any of the verses that we taught in GNC. All that changed yesterday. When we asked the kids who could say the memory verse, Hebrews 13:5, Jayme stood up and said the verse perfectly. What is the difference? The Holy Spirit living in her life! Praise God!

A glimpse into reality

Part of CEF's mission statement is to establish children in a local church. In the past, we as a chapter have not done so well in this area. So, I endeavored this year to change this. I developed a flyer for use in the Good News Clubs to help make this connection, once the GNC is over. After River View Elementary GNC ended last week, our office contacted the parents of the clubbers thanking them for allowing their children to attend and to see if there is any interest in their children attending a local church on a regular basis. One parent gladly received the information, others were left messages. But one GNC boy's father said he didn't need any flyer. This single father is opening up his 10 year old son up to all religions. He told us he believes in God and that we need to learn to communicate with Him. But, this parent feels the need to expose his sonl, a GNC clubber, to all religions. He expressed that he plans on taking his son to catholic mass, buddist temples, muslim mosques, Jewish temples, etc. Once the boy is older, it is his parent's wish to then let him decide what religion he wants to follow.

This conversion was a wake up call to me. I realized this belief is prevalent in society today, but not so close to home. This makes me even more inspired to reach the kids for Christ. Kids are searching for answers and they are getting them in all the wrong places. So, yes even GNC kids are prone to this. Pray with me for this father and his GNC son.

Ariana: GNC Clubber and new missionary

Before Good News Club came to her school, Ariana knew nothing about God. When the opportunity to join GNC came to Lynn Thigpen Elementary School, Ariana signed up. At GNC, she began to learn about God and what He has done for her. Ariana prayed to receive Jesus as her Savior. GNC is now done for now at Lynn Thigpen. On the last day, Ariana wrote a note to her teachers "Thank you for teaching me about God. I never knew Him before but now I do. And now I want to tell others about Jesus." Ariana has already witnessed to her parents, who are unsaved, and plans to tell more. When I spoke to the GNC teacher today she said "This is why we do what we do!" Yes, I concurr this is the reason we go and teach GNCs in the public schools.

"Why does God want me to be His child?"

That is the question that Jayme asked me yesterday at Rockdale Good News Club. All through out this club there were interruptions in the hallway adjacent to our meeting room. Despite the interruptions and distractions, we continued on. Throughout the club, we talked about being a child of God and how much God wants you to be His child. Plus our memory verse was Hebrews 13:5.

As the Bible teacher gave the invitation to receive Christ in her soft spoken voice, the blower/vent system kicked on and was competing to be heard. At that moment, I knew the Holy Spirit was up to something. Jayme came back for counseling and asked "Why does God want me to be His child?" After several weeks of God working on her heart, Jayme was finally ready to receive Christ. Jayme know understands that she is God's child. Her thank you prayer to God was so precious. IF you ask her, Jayme will tell you that Jesus will never leave her now that she is God's child! Praise God for this precious new little sister in Christ.

Good News Club impacts Nathan and Joe in powerful ways

In Good News Clubs you know God is working and moving in the lives of the kids, but sometimes we just don't know how. It is a different story in the Peotone Elementary GNC. I just got a phone call from the lead teacher here. Get ready for a moving story.

Joe. When GNC first started, Joe was the last child enrolled. Prior to GNC, Joe never wanted to do any after school activities. Joe's parents insisted that Joe attend because "Peotone needs to know there are Christians here in this community." Joe came home after the first club and loved it. Joe has not missed one meetings since. Today in GNC, Joe shared his testimony how he received Christ. Now in GNC, Joe is growing in his faith.

Nathan. Towards the beginning of GNC, Nathan told us that his father passed away. At the time, we assumed this had happened a long time ago. We learned today that in October 2008 Nathan's dad passed away in a helicopter accident. This was the medical helicopter that was all over the news in October that crashed outside of Aurora. Since attending GNC, Nathan comes home with a smile on his face after each club. His mom says that she has not seen Nathan so happy and smiling since her husband passed away. Nathan knows that his dad is in heaven and that knows he will see his father again one day.

GNC is ending for the year next week. So far, four parents have approached us asking if it is possible for us to come again this school year!!! We are so excited to have such a great response and for God to give us a look into what He is doing in the lives of these precious kids at Peotone Elementary. Plans are in progress to come back in the Spring for another GNC term.

God is truly at work! Praise HIM for what he is doing in the lives of Nathan, Joe, and the many other kids attending GNCs accross the Will County Chapter.

Christian: the boy who loves lizards and God too!

Yesterday, I visited River View Elementary Good News Club. What a great club! The location of the GNC is not ideal, in fact it is the hallway next to the gym and the bathrooms. Despite this location issues, the kids come faithfully each week. There was one boy that I met yesterday that just touched my heart. Christian was the first child that walked over. As he interacted with the GNC teachers, I noticed their was a sparkle in Christian's eyes: it was the excitment of learning more about God. During the memory verse, the was one thing that peaked his interest and brought excitment. No not the review game, the verse itself. HE really loved learning the verse so much that the game was not important. During the Bible lesson, Christian was listening intently to what God was saying in His Word. This was Christian's last day in GNC, because he will be out of town for the last week of GNC. He hugged his GNC teacher and left from home. After the kids were gone, the GNC teacher told me that young Christian had testified that he was already God's child and that he has cancer. This young boy who is dealing with so much, puts God first and loves Him. This young believer was forever impacted in his Christian walk because of GNC.

Waiting for God's timing

I just got off the phone with Mary, one of my committee members. She now works at the Morning Star Mission here in Joliet. It is her desire and of the mission, to have a Good News Club at the new Women and Families Center on Tuesday nights. Mary is so excited and eager to see a GNC at the mission, as am I. In the past, we have had monthly outreaches, but never a weekly outreach. The potential to reach many kids is here, since there is a high turnover rate at the mission. Mary is all set and ready to teach the Elijah series. But, (you knew that was coming) there is no one at the moment to go with Mary and teach this club. I have done all I can do at present to find someone. I have prayed and now am waiting on God's timing. Please pray with me that God would raise up somone so this club can begin and the kids and be reached for Christ.

Awesome Happenings at Peotone Elementary GNC

Boy, what a club we had yesterday at Peotone Elementary. To start with, Dad and I almost never made it. Bad traffic and snowy country roads made it very hard to get to club. When we finally arrived at the GNC, 25 minutes late, our other GNC teacher had started club and done alot of the club already. As I walked in, the room was filled with 11 kids, a first to have that many at one time. As I listened to the lesson, I saw the kids really interested and engaged in the lesson on Naboth's vineyard. I haven't seen a group of kids so engaged and interested in a Bible lesson in a while. In fact at the end of the lesson, one child asked if Ahab and Jezebel ever received Jesus as Savior! This group of kids is really starting to understand! The kids are already asked if the GNC was going to come back after Christmas! Words cannot express what a change and a joy this GNC is! To God be the Glory!

Jesreal: the 10 year old has learned what it means to trust in God

I first met Jesreal three years ago at Central Elementary Good News Club. That first day of GNC, Jesreal prayed to become God's child. For the rest of that year, Jesreal was at every GNC. He loved bringing friends, completing his Wonder devotional book, and everything. Last year at GNC, Jesreal stopped coming. When I called his mother to find out about him, I learned that Jesrael had a very serious medical condition that has the potential to be life-threating. This condition is a genetic disease that can cause blod clots. Jesreal underwent several surgeries and months of special care.

Now this year in GNC, Jesreal has returned to GNC. He tells us that he had to learn to trust God in this situation. Jesreal gives all the credit for his recovery to God! What a testimony. His faith in God continues to grow. Jesreal continues to undergo tests every six months, because this medical issue will never completely go away. Jesreal knows his God and has learned to trust HIm. In fact Jesreal has told me two things 1) he wants his kids to go to a GNC when he has a family, and 2) He wants to be a GNC teacher when he grows up!