In my last post I briefly mentioned the work that God is currently doing in Benllina. Above is a picture of Benllina during one of her MANY tantrums. Insert the wailing coming out of her mouth and please notice that she kicked off one of her shoes during this particular scream fest.
However, today? God is moving in wonderful ways. Today I took this picture:
She is a different child!
In Ezekiel 36:26-27 it says, ” I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.”
God is working like crazy in the heart of this family. Just earlier this year, Lisela, Benllina’s sister, was presented the gospel during Bible time in her class and asked to pray with her teachers after school. During this time, Lauren and Marnelia talked to Lisela more about who Jesus is and that He is God’s only son who died on the cross as a payment for our sins. Lisela at this point trusted in the Lord! More so, she went home and started telling her PARENTS about who Jesus is and how he loves them and died for them and that because of this they can stand before God, forgiven of their sins in heaven. Lauren Widman (Lisela’s teacher) wrote about this in her blog:
She said, “This past week, the Makarios School had an Open House. Parents came, visited with teachers, asked questions, and explored their children’s classrooms. Lisela’s mom and I sat down together and talked about Lisela, and as I brought up the topic of Jesus, Lisela’s mom began to tell me how she and her husband had become Christians! She said that one day last fall, Lisela came home a different child, a changed child, and that Lisela began singing songs about Jesus that her mom had never heard before. She said Lisela would come home from school and talk to her parents about Jesus. Her mom told me that after a few months of this, she realized that she was proud of her daughter for being a Christian, and she knew it was time for her to walk in her daughter’s same path. So, she and her husband took their kids, went to church, and confessed that Jesus is Lord!
The vision for Makarios is that we raise and teach children that are not only educated but also Christian leaders in their communities. We pray that these students will go back into their homes, serve their friends and families, and share Christ. Often times we persevere knowing that we are “planting seeds.” We hold fast to the truth that God will do a good work in these children’s lives and in this community even if we don’t see it. Hearing Lisela’s family’s story is a great blessing from God – a reminder that God is doing His work! He is real! Alive! At work! Despite what weakness I bring to my classroom, despite how tired I am some days, despite my often grammatically incorrect Spanish, God is showing His face to these students. He is calling to His children, and they are hearing His voice!”*
Praise God He is at work in the lives of our students. He is changing hearts, touching the lives of our students and families. I pray that God’s glory would continue to be told of throughout the streets here in the villages that we serve. I thank God that we have the opportunity to serve these people and show them the love of Christ.
*quotes taken from Lauren’s blog: http://laurenwidman.blogspot.com/ Please read it for many other great posts
Like a child 