The VBS where the war for the teenaged boys was intense

Last week we held a Vacation Bible School for the children and teenagers in our community of Dow Village. Since we closed off Bible Club at the end of the school term, the children were asking when it would be starting back because home was 'boring'. For most of them, they looked forward to being able to come out and interact with the other children. However as the week progressed, we discovered that there were some who had ulterior agendas.

We had an average of 50 children in attendance

Mummy did all the preparations while I was at camp: renting the tent and chairs, organizing the banner and flyers, getting the materials for craft etc. Except for one day, she make refreshments for the children while catering for the teachers who came from the East and Central who were staying at our home. I thank God for giving her the health and strength to be able to do all of that, plus help with the transportation and distribution of refreshments daily.

My nephew was in training in the kitchen

We used the theme "Under construction" to teach the children that God is rebuilding us to be His image bearers on earth. They learnt that when sin came into the world God's perfect plan for humanity was shattered, but through Jesus' death and resurrection the way became possible for us to be restored into right relationship with Him. They were taught to follow God's blueprint, the Bible, for any situations they would face in life. Another lesson focused on teamwork, and the importance of encouraging and building each other up. They were also taught to beware of the enemy who would come to steal God's Word from their hearts before it got a chance to take root. Finally, they were encouraged to share their faith with others.

Each day the teachers put on a skit to introduce
the lesson for the day

On the second day of VBS while we were organizing transportation for the children to go home, a fight broke out among the teenage boys. This is the first time we have had so many of them in attendance: the 13+ class had an average attendance of 20 persons each day. They come mainly from two communities: Church Street and Aripero, and it seems like they came with the intention of provoking each other so that it would result in a physical fight. The timing of this fight seemed like a direct attack because the lesson for that day focused on using God's word to guide us in how we respond to situations we face, and fighting was one of them. The teacher also referenced 1 Corinthians 10:13 and encouraged them to take the way of escape that God provides when we are tempted, which they clearly did not. Thankfully the bruises were minor even though one of them fell into a drain.

Antonio teaching the lesson to the teens

On the following days, the instigator of the fight did not return, but the verbal heckling between the two groups of boys continued. On the last day he showed up, and it seemed like the boys were intent on finishing what they had started. Thanks to the vigilance of the teachers, two male teachers were in place where the fight was brewing and were able to quell it before it began. We know it is a spiritual battle for the lives of these teenaged boys: one of them had raised his hand to accept Christ; another one was able to recite all five memory verses at the end of the week. They all listened attentively while the lessons were being taught and could answer all the questions. The challenge came when it was time to put into practise what they had learnt.

Doing their item for the Closing Program

In spite of these challenges, we have much to give God thanks for. Neighbours from our community gave donations in cash or kind when they found out that we were having VBS. There were four teenagers who were a part of the teaching team and they did an excellent job communicating the biblical truths to their classes in an engaging way. On the second day there was a thunderstorm just before VBS was due to start and I was concerned about the attendance, but the children came through the rain and the storm did not last for very long. All the other days the weather was favourable when it was time for VBS. Throughout the week we had ten professions of faith, so we give God praise for that. For the Closing Program, we had a record number of parents who showed up and heard the gospel being clearly presented.

One of the teenagers using an object lesson with her class

One of the memory verses for this week was 1 Peter 5:8 and we continue to be alert because we recognize that the enemy is roaming around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Many of the teens who were involved in the fight come from fatherless homes and are searching for a sense of identity. Please pray for divine direction for us going forward; we don't want to stop them from coming to Bible Club because we believe in the power of the Word of God to transform lives but at the same time, they need to know that fighting at Bible Club is not acceptable. Pray that the seeds of God's Word which were sown this week would not be stolen by the enemy but would grow and produce much good fruit.

The next generation is looking and learning

 

The camp where we walked by faith

ISCF Camps 2024 was truly a testing of our faith. Up to two weeks before the start of camp, there were only had 29 campers registered for Primary/Junior and 39 registered for Senior camp. There are certain expenses that must be covered regardless of the number of persons on camp, so there was a concern about the low numbers. However within those two weeks, the numbers kept increasing and by the time Senior camp started, there were 65 campers present, and just over 60 for Primary/Junior!

Full house for Senior camp

The theme for camp this year was #nofilter, acknowledging the role of filters on social media to distort reality. During the chapel and devotions sessions, the campers were challenged to remove the filters they were hiding behind and to embrace the reality of who God made them to be; His image-bearers. They were also encouraged to put off the filter of worldly living and put on godly character so they could reflect Christ in all their daily lives.

Using an object lesson to illustrate the old man vs. the new man

The response to the chapel sessions were powerful. Many campers came up for prayer afterwards when the invitation went out for those who wanted to be assured of God's love for them despite the times when they messed up. In other sessions many responded when asked for those who wanted to surrender their lives to Jesus. Campers were prayed for after chapel, and then they met with their dorm counselors afterwards to further discuss how they would apply what they learnt at chapel to their lives.

Praying with campers after chapel

Apart from chapel and devotions, there were other sessions on camp with sought to reinforce the message of the theme #nofilter. One such session was entitled Social media vs. Reality, where the facilitators showed how much of life that is portrayed on social media is not an accurate indication of reality. They showed the negative psychological effects of social media and encouraged the campers to guard their heart. It was encouraging to hear the campers' views on this topic, as this made the session very engaging and relevant to the teenagers.

Campers sharing about the impact of social media on their generation

Another session that took place was called "The truth unfiltered". This took the format of a panel discussion on topics that are normally taboo in church settings, but is very much a part of the campers' lives. They were encouraged to write questions about homosexuality, masturbation and pornography and the panelists did an excellent job answering these questions using truths from the Bible. After the session, many campers stayed back to speak to the panelists one on one so it was clear that they were impacted by what was shared. For the younger ones, the speaker focused on the different types of abuses children experience, and what they should do if they or someone they know is suffering abuse.

"Sunshine" getting the children pumped up before
presenting her session on child abuse

Talent night provides the perfect opportunity for the campers to demonstrate what they have learnt on camp. This year was no different; the songs that they wrote, the spoken word pieces that they gave, the dramas that they performed were wonderful applications of the messages they learnt throughout the week of camp. Here is an sample from one of the pieces:

I have been told I'm not pretty

Them boy them on camp does call me Big Nose Bobb inno

So I go on Tik Tok, Snapchat and Instagram

Download Photo editors

And hide my blemishes

I download Zesser Pro

And on Zesser Pro mi a de gyal them bubble gum

Have de gyal them running round

Zesser Pro does turn me into a real bad man

I post something on Instagram and get real likes

Even Rajah like my post

And now I start to ghost people

But I went a ISCF camp and they talk bout no filter

So I know I had to kill dat

Feeling doubt and pride

All de likes, filters and sweet boys 

Friends and comments wasn't the right choice

Boy is best now we take off de mask and roll with no filter

One of the skits during Talent Night

Another example was a skit in which a funeral was portrayed. When Natalia's friends got the news that she died they were in shock since she was so young. At the funeral there was much dramatic bawling as persons gave their tributes to their dead friend until suddenly, she appeared! After the initial shock wore off the question was asked, if Natalia was alive, who was in the coffin? When they opened the coffin they saw Natalia's sinful nature that she had put to death. I found that to be a profound way to illustrate one of the verses they learnt about putting to death the desires of the sinful nature.

Sports Day is another opportunity for campers to
illustrate what they learn from the sessions

We give all glory to God for a successful two weeks of ISCF camp. At one point when the number of counselors was low, there were doubts about if we would be able to have a camp this year at all. However we had a prayer core who prayed consistently every week in the lead up to camp and God heard their prayers and sent forth enough labourers into the vineyard so when the numbers increased, we had the capacity to serve them. In addition to this, we give God a high note of praise that all our expenses for camp for this year were covered! Only He could have done it. We also thank God for His protection over the past two weeks as there were no major incidents on camp.

Primary camp chapel with Cosy Bear is always a vibez!

Now that camp is over, we trust that the biblical truths that were instilled in the hearts and minds of these young ones would remain with them as they return to their home environments, and that they would share it with others as well.