Getting Your Kids Involved in Missions

An excerpt from...

Getting Your Kids Involved in Missions

By Robyn Moore, Kenya
October-December 2013

1. How can your child help by praying? Imagine my delight when Elizabeth exclaimed while standing near my home at Tenwek Hospital, “I can’t believe I’m here; I’ve prayed for you and Tenwek all my life!” Elizabeth’s parents, Dawn and Wayne Smith, had made a photo album of many of us missionaries from our home church. Elizabeth prayed through that book often. The visual helped her “know” us and pray for us.
   
   ACT: Create your own family photo album of the missionaries your family is praying for.
   
2. How can your child help by giving? Giving is so important to teach children at a young age. When I was preparing to return to Kenya after homeland ministry assignment, my sister, Jan, brought her young son Jacen to me with a bag of 20 of his Hot Wheels cars for me to give little boys who were my patients at Tenwek. One little guy was still holding his car the next day when I went to take a picture to send to Jacen to thank him. Maybe you can’t send something, but it could be sold at a garage sale and the funds sent to help others. The Least of These ministry is blessed when children raise money for a peanut butter party or a pizza party that we bless orphans with. Only $25 to $50 creates a peanut butter party and $100 makes a pizza party!
   
   GIVE: Help throw a peanut butter party for kids in Kenya. Make a list of chores your kids can do to earn money toward a donation for a party. Send a check, payable to World Gospel Mission with account #21197—CALL on the memo line, to: World Gospel Mission, P.O. Box 948, Marion, IN 46952-0948.
   
3. How can your child help by doing? When I was on homeland ministry assignment and in grad school, my parents were not able to keep up with all the yard work. One Wednesday evening, Greg Miller and his son, Dexter, arrived at our home to mow the grass and trim around the trees. Greg told me, “I could have taken Dexter to church tonight to learn about sharing Jesus’ love and helping others, but I chose to bring him here and show him.”
   
   ACT: Who is near you that would be blessed by you and your child spending time with them or serving them?

What do you have? We have little girls.

An excerpt from...

What Do You Have? We Have Little Girls.

By Billy Coppedge, Uganda/South Sudan
April-June 2013

We have little girls. Our family, whether officially or not, is involved in loving little children, both ours and those around them.

Joanna’s mother sent a children’s magazine for our two oldest girls, Elsie Jayne (4) and Lucy Mae (3). It had a picture of a children’s Bible club. The girls immediately wanted to do a Bible club with their friends. Joanna decided they could plan something for the next school holiday. The girls told me all about it, but I was actually quite insincere in my enthusiasm and expectations.

My conviction came when they assembled the invitation list. They wanted to invite two Hindu boys, Kitron and Hersh. Now, Kitron had been previously very mean to Elsie Jayne. I felt uncomfortable with him being at our house. But Lucy Mae said Jesus had put Kitron on her heart, so Kitron was invited.

The week for the Bible club came and anywhere from 40 to 60 kids came daily, including Kitron. Organized chaos would probably best describe our “program,” but at the end of the week, 19 kids prayed to make the decision to follow Jesus!

What do we have to offer Jesus? We have little girls.

Those little girls are being used by Jesus, not only to stretch their father’s faith, but also to share Jesus with other children. Did I mention Kitron was one of those 19? Hallelujah! Praise God forever! The kingdom is a little more crowded because of two little girls’ desire for a Bible club.

ACT: Does this story inspire you to get your little ones involved in missions? WGM can help with ideas at www.wgm.org/kidsworldgo.

GPS: Give So They Can Play—It’s Simple!

An excerpt from GPS: Give So They Can Play--It's Simple!

Kids helping kids be kids
By Rachel Elwood, Support Staff
October-December 2012

When the group of kids from Indian Springs Holiness Camp in Georgia decided to give their offering to a missions project, they knew it had to be for something special. When they heard from missionaries Billy Wayne and Jenny Fuller that kids living in Samfya, Zambia, had no safe place to play, the children decided that they needed to have a playground.

The only problem? Gym sets aren’t easy to find in the remote town of Samfya, where Billy Wayne and Jenny serve at Samfya Bible School. Although they never dreamed that the skill “can design playground equipment” would be added to their resumés, they were up for the challenge! After drawing diagrams of a slide, swings, a sandbox, and monkey bars, the Fullers hired local craftsmen to construct the pieces, using what materials were available. The children’s offering covered all construction costs. Swings were attached to a huge tree that offers great shade, and a fence around the area completed the playground.

WEB: Kids really can make a missions impact. WGM’s Kids Helping Kids catalog lists specific missions projects that kids can get involved with to help other children around the world. Gather your Vacation Bible School or Sunday School class and download a free copy of the catalog at www.wgm.org/kidscatalog.

Pure Love

An excerpt from Pure Love
By Larry Overholt, Honduras

July-September 2012

Throughout our years of ministry in Honduras, my wife, Angie, and I have witnessed a vast outpouring of love, both from the Hondurans with whom we work and from people in the U.S. who encourage and support us in ministry. I cannot imagine getting through the tough times without the encouragement of fellow missionaries, work teams, family, and the local church. There is no scale with which to measure the depth of love that springs from a genuine heart.

Our most recent encounter with unreserved love has come from our grandchildren, Quinn and Colin. As grandparents, we wanted this trip to have a positive impact on their young lives. We were concerned that they might be turned off by the heat in Choluteca, get bored, or wouldn’t like the food. We wondered, “How will they act around the Honduran children?” Upon their arrival, we quickly realized that we had no reason to fear. Quinn and Colin immediately became new little short-term missionaries. (Quinn had accepted the Lord when he was 4 years old and later led Colin to the Lord.)


But all too soon, the end came. Goodbyes, I have found, are the hardest part of missionary life. Upon leaving, Quinn said, “I sure am going to miss my best friend, Marvin.”  Even now, however, we realize they will impact children in the U.S. by sharing about their experience here and their new “best” friends.

MORE: You can teach your kids more about missions through WGM Kids’ World. Visit the activity pages at www.wgm.org/kidsworld.