God did many amazing things this summer. I am still in awe of the many ways he answered prayers. Please continue to fervently pray with us for the children that have been reached. One amazing testimony of God’s work from this summer was in a story of forgiveness and change in a little boy’s life. Here is the story, written by one of our first year Summer Missionaries, Samuel Howard:
“There are nearly 1.9 billion children across the world and of these children 67% don’t come from Christian homes. This is why organizations like Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF) are important. CEF not only spreads the Good News of Jesus Christ around the world, but it strategically focuses on reaching unsaved children. Every year CEF aids in leading children to Christ, changing their lives forever, and allowing Christians the ability to witness amazing works from God. This summer I had an amazing experience like this with a little boy.
After arriving ready for club, one boy showed up eager to cause trouble. My partner and I tried to make the 5-Day Club fun and engaging, but it seemed as though there was nothing we could do. This little boy was hitting, spitting, and screaming at us. After an excruciatingly long hour, the boy left. I hoped and pleaded I would never see him again, but God had a different plan in mind for me. This boy returned another day and this time brought an extra surprise: his little brother. This was when I learned an important lesson. I thought I could teach these children about God without God. With a new mindset and God’s help, I saw the kid change from a crazy irresponsible boy to a child looking for God. As we read through the Bible story of the day, he wanted to learn more about God and heaven. He started acting friendly and wanting to know more about what God could do in his life. He wanted to know how he could change to be a better person. He wanted to understand what he could do to please God.
I remember one specific moment that really stuck with me. At the end of club the boy’s little brother slapped him across the face. I jumped up to stop the emerging fight, but instead of fighting, this little six-year-old boy did something that showed the change in his heart. He looked back at his brother and did nothing. He didn’t yell at him, or hit him back, or make any expression at all. As I walked back with him, he told me how he just needed to forgive his brother. By the end of club, it was hard for me to see this new boy leave. We don’t save children, God does. But a seed was planted in this little boy’s heart and I can’t wait to see how it will grow.”
Here is a picture of Samuel teaching a group of children this summer:
