Hope Club

(Hope Club on Saturday Morning)

From Kimberly:

"Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature"

Mark 16:15

This is the verse that spoke to my heart and challenged me to begin the first Hope Club at Okada School over two years ago, and then the next one at the Village of Hope as the children began to arrive. Now, a new Hope Club at Aralussa Farm, where we lived when we first arrived has begun. The Pattys, one of our missionary families, is currently residing there and June, their three children and Precious (one of our school teachers) are leading the club.

This came about when June shared about her desire to reach out to the children on that farm in some way. I shared with her my desire to begin another Hope Club, but not knowing where it should be. We both both became very excited when we realized that the Lord was directing us to begin a club at Aralussa with June teaching. The only challenge facing us was the need for a godly translator that could be trusted to reverently and accurately relay God's truth as it was being presented. This was extremely important as we had recently experienced a misrepresentation of what was being said during an outreach that had been held in July. After praying together and asking God to provide someone, Precious, the newest teacher that had been hired came to mind. June began to discreetly ask her questions in order to get an idea if this could be the person that God was leading us to. The response from Precious when asked if she was interested in participating in a weekly outreach to the local children, was an enthusiastic "Yes!"

(Roman with Kimberly during the review game)

Meanwhile, another exciting development was taking place at the Hope Club at our village among our children. Since the club began, I have been careful not to ask for a show of hands of those who may have wanted to receive Christ as Savior, out of the concern that some may be doing it for reasons other than truly wanting to invite Him into their life. Instead, I have been explaining the message of salvation during the Bible lesson and why we need Jesus in our lives, then I instructed them how to speak quietly to the Lord in their hearts if they wanted to make a decision to receive Christ at that time.

However, during one particular Hope Club, I felt that God wanted me to give an invitation during our club time for those children who wanted to speak with me about receiving Christ, to stay behind after the club was over. Eleven children remained and Kamau, Rose Mungoma, and I counseled the children as they received the Lord that day! Since that time, ten additional children have made a decision to receive the Lord.

(Eager hands are raised to answer Bible questions)





(Captivated by the missionary story!)

Now, some of these children are accompanying June to the Hope Club at Aralussa to lead the singing and teach new songs to the children there. They are our very first group of missionaries that have been sent out from the Village of Hope!

(June & Precious teaching at the Hope Club Aralussa)

(Presenting God's Word to the children of Aralussa. Our own missionaries from Village of Hope are in front)

When our Village of Hope missionaries returned from Aralussa the first time, we were having our Hope Club and I had just completed teaching a series of lessons on the life of Paul and how God used his life in a remarkable way. I was in the middle of explaining to the other children that it was important to put the Lord first as we developed our talents, gifts and abilities and use them for serving the Lord in ways that honor Him. Our missionaries were full of excitement and eagerness to tell their friends of their experiences in witnessing to other children!

These children have themselves been brought out of the kingdom of darkness into the the Kingdom of Light and now they are going out into their "Jerusalem" to testify of the good news to other children who are currently dwelling in darkness.

Will some of our children be sent into their "Samaria" and then to the "ends of the earth sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ?

Only the Lord knows how He will use their lives, but we are greatly encouraged by this wonderful beginning!

We are deeply grateful to all of you who are praying, giving, visiting and helping in so many ways. Truly God has enabled us to be able to share in this harvest together!

Prayer Requests

• Pray that God will prepare the hearts of the children at Aralussa and the new children that will be very shortly arriving at the Village of Hope.
• Pray that the Lord will remove any hindrances that would prevent them from hearing and responding to God's truth.
• Pray for the Patty Family and Precious as they teach Hope Club at Aralussa.
• Pray that many, many children would receive Christ and become faithful disciples.
• Pray for Jesus to send laborers that have a heart for children's ministry and godly translators to hold clubs in more locations.
• Pray that we would all remain faithful to what God has called each of us to do, and to not grow weary in well doing!
  

(After giving an invitation to receive Christ, this group stayed after Hope Club for counseling. Front row from left: Little Gift, John, David Sharp and Terrence; Back Row: Maggie, Brighton, Issac, Big Gift, Moses)

The Kamaus