Kids Clubs Report

Here's the emailed letter I sent out to all our volunteers after last week's Kids Club (those are bi-weekly clubs to follow up with the kids who came to our VBS back in June):

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WE MADE IT!

Thank you SO much to all of you who were able to help with the Kids Clubs this summer! It was definitely not a task for the faint of heart or weak of body! :) Ryan & I really wanted to let you know how much we appreciated your commitment and initiative in coming-- it takes guts and stamina to face an unknown number of children!

Our prayer and desire in these clubs has been to keep the Truth of the Gospel which we taught at VBS a little bit fresher in the minds of these children. About half of the kids who came were from Somali [Muslim] families. We had the privilege with them of reinforcing and building on the foundation they are already receiving through the ESL Child Care program at IBC, and their relationships with many of you! The other half of the children came through our VBS contacts around our neighborhood. Many of these children have heard the name of Jesus, the terms "Heaven," "Saved," "God," and "sin" but have very little idea what they meant. We pray that they have a little more understanding of it now. I could tell that several of the older children were really thinking about what was being taught during the Bible lesson times. Please pray that God's Spirit brings His message of hope and salvation to their minds again and again until they are driven to cry out to Him for mercy!!

This past class we had 27 children come, about 1/2 Somali and 1/2 neighborhood (no church kids this week). There was a lot of discipline issues, so please pray that Satan will not be allowed to snatch the Seeds sown. I'm often amazed at how much children hear when they appear 1000 miles away, and I would not be surprised if that were the case with some of these kids.

May God give each of you strength to persevere in your ministry to all in your path. If you'd like to try and keep up contact with any of the kids you met through Kids Clubs or VBS, please ask me (Christina) for that child's contact info!

Persevering in faith,

--Christina Szrama