"Can you pray for my dead grandma?"

"Can you pray for my dead grandma?" asked Peter*. Ms. Marilyn, the teacher of this District 86 school Good News Club had just asked this children what they wanted to talk to God about. Ms. Marilyn's first reaction, to herself, was "yes. these children are new to God's Word." Ms. Marilyn explained to Peter that we cannot pray for someone who has already died, but we can pray for you and your family. As the weeks went by Ms. Marilyn and her team faithfully taught Peter and the rest of the group from God's Word explaining who HE is, of His love for them, how He paid the price for their sins, and how He wants us to get to know Him better.

I was able to visit this club the very last meeting. Ms. Marilyn had previous told me that these kids were new to the things of the Lord and how excited she and her team was to share God with these precious children. As I observed the club, I noticed that one boy in particular was answering most of the questions and being very engaged with the club time. Later I realized it was Peter. Peter has come along way. He understands who God is and how much God loves him. Peter, who at the beginning of Good News Club, had little understanding of the things of God, leaves GNC with a firm grasp on who God is. I am not sure where he stands with the Lord, but Peter is getting closer to God. Pray with me for Peter and other children just like him all over our chapter area. Peter is proof positive that the need to reach and evangelize children is greater than ever before.

*name has been changed.

The Warmth of God's Love

A.O. Marshall Elementary School was adopted last school year by Faith Bible Church. The team from Faith does a Good News Club in the Fall and again in the Spring. There is alot of time in between for this children to forget what they learned about God. So, I one day early this Fall I was brainstorming with the team from Faith about this concern and I presented them with the idea of making Good News Club scarfs to give to all the GNC kids. They loved the idea. Soon the Faith Bible Creative Ladies group began making the scarfs. They did a beautiful job on them too.

So the last meeting of the Fall GNC, the team passed the scarfs out to each child explaing, " Each time you wear this scraf this winter remember what you have learned and that God loves you. Also remember that Good News Club will be back." The kids loved them and took this picture for you to see. Pray with me that as these kids where these scarves this winter they will remember the truths they have learned about our Great God who loves them and us too!

Proverbs 22:6 Comes to Life

Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

Tuesdays I am teaching a Good News Club with two dear friends at Troy Craughwell Elementary School. Each week a brother and sister come to the club. Along with this brother and sister come, mom attends with their 2 year old and an infant. It is so nice to see a family so supportive of this GNC and of each other. The brother and sister are always eager to come each week and tell us last week's memory verse. So yesterday, the kids walked in with mom and their 2 year old sibling in a stroller. The older two said Ephesians 2:13 very well. But, their two year old sibling started saying the prior week's verse Proverbs 3:5-6, perfectly. The mom says that she didn't directly teach him the verse, but he was around when she reviewed the verse with the older siblings. Imagine this two year old, learning this long verse perfectly. Wow! No one can tell me God does not work in the lives of children!

5-Day Club ends, but Lexi's desire to know God does not

I first met Lexi at 5-Day Club at her neighbors home in 2008 that I was teaching with one of our summer missionaries. Lexi came in and at first she was not sure whether or not she wanted to come. However, she stayed and came to club each day that week. As the week progressed, Lexi listened better but was very shy. By Friday of that week, Lexi responded to the gospel, but she was not really sure what she was doing. She prayed, but afterwards my teaching partner and I prayed and gave Lexi to God, knowing that He would help her understand more Himself.

The next year school, a friend invited Lexi to come to Good News Club. Lexi attended for several weeks toward the end of Good News Club. She seemed to really like coming and learning more about God. She was still shy, however. At the end of GNC that year she was still understanding more about God. I was very happy to see her come and that we were able to continue to minister to her.

This month, we came back to her school for GNC and Lexi was there the very first meeting with a huge smile on her face. She was talking and interacting more than I had ever seen before. When the invitation was given, Lexi responded. She told my teaching partner that she had never recieved Christ as Savior but she wanted to do so today. Afterwards, my teaching partner said she was certain Lexi understood and was now God's child. The next week we passed out Wonder Devotional books for the class to read their Bibles. Lexi was able to get a Bible too. Yesterday at club, Lexi comes running into Good News Club to tell me she had been reading her Bible and she found "the part about the burning bush and I highlighted it in my Bible." (We had used that passage as our Bible lesson the week before). Lexi has come full circle. She started not sure if she wanted to come, but now she came running into the arms of our Savior and is reading God's Word on her own.

I trust Lexi's story will encourage your heart as it does mine.

Silvia

Silvia came to 5-Day Club this week and the first thing that I saw was her smile. Typically in a club meeting, by God's enabling, I am able to remember most of the children's names. The same was true with this group, except for Silvia. There was just something about her that I could not remember her name. Today was the last day for the 5-Day Club that Silvia attends so I just had to call her by her name. Praise God I was able to remember her name.

Silvia responded to the invitation today and I was able to talk with her. She was already a believer in Jesus, however she lacked assurance. So I was able to show her some assurance verses from the Bible. She told me about her prayer life and by doing so opened up her world to me. This 9 year old girl is going through so much: separated parents, parents living with others and making difficult life choices, her brother living a life on the streets. As a result of this, she lives with her Aunt. In the midst of all this, there is Silvia is trying to live her life pleasing God. Her story broke my heart. Without God in her life and her Aunt and Grandpa, Silvia would probably end up in the same way as the others in the families.

I was able to enroll her in the CEF Mailbox Club. So now that the club is over, Silvia will be able to continue living for the Lord. Please join me in praying for Silvia. Silvia is a child I will not soon forget.

TJ: "I tried to pray but the gate was locked."

This week I met TJ at very well attended 5-Day Club this week. I first had a chance to talk with TJ when he came back to talk to me after responding to the invitation given to receive Christ as Savior. When I met him, I asked him why he came back, TJ said he wanted to talk to me about prayer. He said, "I prayed today but the gates of Heaven were locked and I didn't know the password." TJ really wanted to know how to pray but does not know how or fully understand. I had the opportunity to explain what prayer is and how to pray.

TJ is an example to all of us to never assume that children who attend church or other Christian clubs know or understand prayer. Let's strive to always teach children how to pray, because their maybe entire classrooms of "TJ's."

CYIA Training School Bonus Footage

Today one of our missionaries gave me a copy of the video I told you about from Talent at CYIA 2010. During talent night Dad, Dawn Wessell of CEF West Central, Glenda Dukey from CEF Northwest, and myself sang a quartet of "It's Me O' Lord." We had a fun time with this presentation. It was put together in about 20 minutes with no music. Dawn and I created our own harmony parts. So, as promised....here is the CEF of IL Staff Quartet or otherwise known as Dawn and the Pipps.