My husband and I have been praying for our neighborhood ever since we moved in about 2 ½ years ago. We didn’t know how the Lord was going to use us, but we felt He was going to do something.
We started a fellowship on Saturday mornings, providing breakfast for whoever showed up. We then met together to worship, pray and minister to one another. We had anywhere from one couple, to a couple dozen show up…we never knew. But those who did show up were not from our neighborhood.
Then a family moved in next door; Mom, Dad, and three young sons. The dad had just gotten out of prison where he had accepted the Lord. He had prayed that the Lord would lead him to a house to rent where he could find some fellowship to help him stay on the right track. Once he found out we were Christians, he was over every chance he could get.
Eventually, his wife and three boys all came to the Lord. It was very exciting. They began coming to fellowship on Saturday mornings too. Then, little 9 year old Robert started asking his friends if they knew Jesus and bringing them over. So we felt like the Lord was telling us to do a Vacation Bible School for all these un-churched boys in the neighborhood.
Melissa, the mom next door, and another mom, Alicia, had been having a women’s Bible study with me each week and we decided as summer rolled around, that we would prepare the VBS for the kids. We found a web site that had FREE VBS curriculum and chose the lessons on the fruit of the Spirit. We divided up the work so it would not be a burden on any of us and we chose a week in July to start. We would do one day a week for five weeks.
When we got most of the way through June we noticed that we did not see any kids running around the neighborhood AT ALL during the week days. Melissa asked her boys about it and found out that all of the kids went to relatives or babysitters during the day. We had to change our plans. We decided the only day we could do it and have kids able to come would have to be on Saturday. So we sent out invitations for the days and times we chose and started getting our supplies together.
Many of the kids said they wanted to come and sounded excited about it. But in the end, only one of the boys showed up. Along with the two boys from next door, Alicia’s daughter, a girl from our fellowship and my 4 grandchildren, we totaled 9 kids.
We had a really great time! All the kids had a blast, and they learned a lot about important concepts like the Trinity, Salvation, Assurance of Salvation, abiding in Christ and, of course, the fruit of the Spirit.
The thing is…I think the Lord had a different plan than we thought He had. We thought we were reaching the neighborhood kids for Him. He used these lessons, and the children to teach us adults a TON about being Loving, Joyful, Peaceful, Patient, Kind, Good, Faithful, Gentle and having Self Control. The teachers learned so much more than the students! And I believe the lessons we all learned will last us into eternity, where we will get to see the fruit of our labors.
Who knows…the one boy from the neighborhood may turn into many more as the weeks go on. We still pray for our neighbors and are listening to God’s leading.
Hope you enjoy the following slide show of our Neighborhood Vacation Bible School.
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