I am not even sure where to begin. Christian Youth in Action
in Ranomafana was amazing. The ‘teens’ were between 11 and 15 years old and
they worked so hard during the training. As we were out wandering around they
would point out places they thought would be perfect for doing open air
ministry. As we went to the market in the morning they would invite any child
in sight (and adults) to their afternoon 5 Day Clubs. During lunch break they
would rush to practice their Reader’s Theater missionary story, all talking
excitedly and figuring out what characters they would be. The mornings during
the week of 5 Day Clubs, they had time to practice what they would be teaching
by themselves. I explained they needed to practice out loud, but not just read
or go over things in their head. Each morning they would spread out over the
grounds and enthusiastically begin teaching trees, rocks, grass, and any number
of things. After practicing for a certain tree, they would announce that they
were pretty sure the tree was saved and went to find a new tree. And they didn’t
just whisper, they taught loudly and I wasn’t sure how anyone was able to
concentrate, but it seemed to work for everyone. One of the boys, after
excitedly and loudly teaching a tree that wasn’t too far from the road, goes, “Tara,
I think the people walking by think I am crazy...” Not that this stopped him I
noticed… J Then one evening we had a practice time and
since it was dark, I explained that they needed to find a place inside the
church and go over their lessons IN THEIR HEADS but not out loud because they
couldn’t spread out. Yeah…..everyone just begin teaching out loud to windows and
benches. That church was so loud, I could hardly answer questions and help, but
hey, it seemed to work for them.
As I watched the little 11 year old on my team (who was so
tiny and seriously came up to like my elbow) teach her Bible lesson at club, I
couldn’t help but wonder what God has planned for these enthusiastic kids. The
kids would occasionally tease the only 15 year old boy (the rest of the boys
were around 12 years old) and call him ‘pastor’ which he was just fine with.
Henriette asked them why they called him ‘pastor’ and they were like because
when the teacher at school asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, he said
he wanted to be a pastor. When the Bible teacher spoke one morning, she
explained that what you become when you grow up is something that God chooses
for you and gifts you for. And by the look on his face, I knew God had already
called him. During the week I watched him grow as he taught the kids. And I
couldn’t help but wonder what plans God had for this boy’s life. These were the
kids I have been praying for. A new generation of leaders who love the Lord
with all their hearts, are true believers, and who know their Bibles and won’t
just follow whatever they hear from others.
The club my team taught was a good walk away and our club
consisted of many, many adults. The adults would play all the games with the kids,
laughing as they used a magnet fishing pole to catch a fish with points on it
for their teams or being blind folded to pin the tail on the sheep. And after
club when the kids who had responded to the invitation stayed to be counseled for
salvation, many of the adults also responded to the invitation and accepted
Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It was amazing to see not just children or
ladies but the men also being counseled by the teens and accepting Jesus. Each
day, the teens left club so excited about what God had done.
Friday evening, we arrived back in Ranomafana where the teens
are from, and Henriette and I were soooo tired!!! Not only was there only the
two of us teaching and doing club demonstrations, but as a group we all pitched
in to cook meals (over a fire none the less), clean, and fetch water. I had a
few hours before I needed to get on the bus back to Tana, so Henriette and I
were sitting at her house talking over the week and two of the girls come
running up the path to her house (where do they get all this energy???) And
Raozy excitedly asks Henriette what time she is leaving the next morning to
teach a Good News Club and meet with a pastor (this as I am imagining a day of
sleep….). Henriette says she will probably leave and 7:30am. Both girls, with
their eyes shining go, ‘can we go with you??’ I sat their watching the three of
them planning who was teaching what the next day and once again I couldn’t help
but praise God for the work He was doing in these girls’ lives. When they left,
Henriette said, ‘these kids are the hope for the work of CEF here. I am getting
old and can’t do what I used to do, but now I can with them.’ And for like the
millionth time over those two weeks, I was completely in awe of what God was
doing.
I wish you could experience it first hand. A blog post just
can’t describe it. Cooking over camp fires, bathing in the little rivers that
run between the rice patties, no internet or phone service, a night sky so jam
packed with stars it isn’t even funny, sitting around talking and laughing with
the teens, how it takes all 12 of them to go with me to make photocopies, rice
three times a day, how my mattress somehow mysteriously got pushed up against the line of girls’
mattresses and after the first night you could not longer tell where my
mattress supposedly began or ended, the teens giving me little barrettes for my
hair (and being totally thrilled when I wore them) or giving me part of the
snack they had just bought, walking out to club each day with my team, never
ever being alone, and best of all, having a front row seat watching God work.
Thank you so much for the huge part you played in CYIA through your prayers and financial support! I am so thankful for you!