Inquisitive Minds

Today was our 3rd day of the Summer Fun Program and we have seen the Lord moving among the kids who are attending! Many of them are shy and timid on Monday, but today we saw a big breakthrough! Some of the children, even through the language barrier, are much more comfortable with our team members. Pastor Travis even told us tonight that he sees that the kids are comfortable with our team.

Our lesson today was God Provides, and we taught through the story of Jesus feeding the 5000. The kids are loving the stories we have been teaching them, and being able to see the character of God through our first three lessons. God’s Power Overcomes (David and Goliath), God’s Power Protects (fiery furnace), and today, God’s Power Provides (feeding the 5000).

A couple of praise reports!

1 - A mom came in and asked what “The battle is the Lords’s” means. This was our memory verse on day 1 and her son went home and told her. She even looked up the Scripture reference, which the boy memorized as well, online! She also had questions about why 3 men were thrown in to a fire!

2 - One of the kids asked what the name of the songs are that the team is doing hand motions to. Vicente not only gave him the name of the songs, but also recommended Hillsong Kids worship to him.

This has been such a huge boost for our team as we see the Lord working through us, even if sometimes we feel like the language barrier is keeping us from being as effective as we would like to be! One of the things that both Vicente and Pastor Travis have encouraged us in is how we love on these kids. He said that when we go home, they will still talk about us and the time they had with us. They might not remember the stories or lessons or the crafts or the games, but they will remember how they were treated and loved. Our prayer is that we love them as Christ does and we are a picture of Him to these kids!

Tonight we had a prayer night at the church. It was such a sweet time of worship and prayer, a time of recharging as we head approach the final 2 days of the Summer Fun Program! It is incredible how fast time is flying by here in Japan, but we are all so thankful that the Lord has called us to be here. Our heart is that we would finish the Summer Fun Program well, and that these kids who came during the week would come on Sunday to church!