“A Fly on the Wall”
Hey there, I’m Jerusha! I’m relatively new here having begun working in the CEF office in the Spring of 2021. I’ve been learning so much through the last few months; everything from teaching a Good News Club® to coaxing our finicky folding machine. One of the impactful lessons God has been teaching me through CEF® has been the necessity and power of prayer. More and more our office staff is burdened by the prayer needs of the children in our clubs. I wish you could be “a fly on the wall” at our Good News Clubs to see the children for yourself. I’m sure many of you would be blessed, but also burdened to pray for the children living in our county.
Since you can’t be “a fly on the wall” (volunteering is the closest you’ll get to that) I’d love to give you a brief glimpse through my eyes into the three Good News Clubs I’m a part of. It’s so much easier to pray when you have specifics.
At the GNC in Shenandoah Elementary school we meet with the children in the school cafeteria. They listen intently and often ask thoughtful questions like, “How did God save people in the Old Testament?” and “Who made God?” When we sing the songs, the kids follow along with hearty singing and their best attempts to follow the motions. They’re an easy group to love. Yet many of them have hurts in their pasts; separation from both parents, separation from siblings they love or tragic loss of a parent. They need prayer for godly role models in their lives that can pour into them regularly.
At our Pottsville GNC the children meet in a church sanctuary. We go to the children’s houses to invite them and then drive them to the church on a bus. Sometimes the kids run out excitedly to meet us forgetting their coats, other times they’ll start coming with us, but will turn back because they’re afraid of missing supper and they know there won’t be leftovers when they get home. Their Biblical understanding is very limited. All the Bible stories Shelley has been teaching are
totally new to them. The more we learn about their lives we are heartbroken by the situations and backgrounds they come from. Please pray that the children keep coming and that God will ground them in Biblical truth.
The GNC at our office is attended by roughly 10 children that live in the neighborhood. We’re really thankful that we can reach the children that live close by. A Christian family recently moved into the neighborhood and are so excited that their kids can be a part of GNC. All the kids love to sing the songs and it’s such a blessing to hear them belt them out even when it may be a little off tune. Unfortunately, some of the kids have stopped coming for no particular reason. Please pray God gives them a thirst for Biblical truth.
All the children have their own unique lives with their own burdens. But we’re so thankful that they’re hearing God’s Word whether it’s in a school cafeteria or a church sanctuary. I hope that this has encouraged those of you who pray so faithfully already and will spur each of you on to consistent prayer on behalf of the children of Schuylkill County. God is moving and it’s a privilege to be part
of it!
-Jerusha
For the full version of this months newsletter, click here.