Verse Club

For the past few weeks I have had the priviledge of helping out with a Bible Verse Memorization Club. The teacher I am currently working with, Mrs. Lisa Bartels, runs this club out of her front yard/covered driveway. Twice a year for the past two years, she has invited local children to come, memorize verses, and receive much needed prizes. This year the number of participants was cut off at 100! Money for prizes was donated by the Bartels' church in the States and include such necessities as: pencils, paper, notebooks, rulers, shampoo, socks, underwear, flip-flops, backpacks, or even a school uniform or pair of shoes! Each child earns a photo album for their frst prize where they place print-outs of all the verses they can memorize with the corresponding prize listed. Children can come every Monday and Thursday and recite two verses. There are a few people who come to listen to the verses being recited, pass out prizes, and keep record of everything. All the verses are recited in the children's language, Cebuano. It's so fun to listen to children reciting God's word in their own language! It's also a joy to see children lined up outside the Bartels' gate waiting to recite. Passing out prizes brings an equal amount of joy as you hand a child a new pair of flip-flops and watch their face light up.

The children who come to the club come from poor families. A lot of them live in squatter/shanty villages. These children are able to go to school, but each school has a uniform and requires specific school supplies. Uniforms are not terribly expensive, but for a family who is struggling to put food on the table, school uniforms and supplies are not top priority. By providing these important supplies, basically for free, parents often send their children to the club. Even some Muslim families have participated just for the prizes. The club leaders claim the promise that God's word will not return void. By sharing with these children, we are showing God's love and helping them hide His word in their hearts.

This session, we had a tremendous amount of children recite almost the entire chapter of Matthew 5 to win a pair of school shoes or a school uniform. This is the biggest prize! These kids knew what they wanted and worked hard to get it! Since shoes were in such high demand, we needed extra funding! Thankfully, my mom's Sunday school class stepped up and sent me $100 to buy enough shoes for everyone! We are so greatful!

You might be wondering how do you fit kids into shoes without dragging them all the way to the store with you? Simple! Just trace around their foot, cut out the drawing, and take that with you to the store! The kids get the choice of either school shoes, which are typically black dress shoes, or "rubber" shoes, which are like Converse tennis shoes. I love being able to give kids a new pair of shoes, it truly brightens their day and mine! Often a whole group of friends will come with the child to pick up the shoes, smiling and giggling as the wait. Typically, a simple "thank you" is all we recieve, but then we watch as they sit down right outside to try on their shoes again for a crowd of friends, a huge smiling across their faces. But it's not just shoes that bring a big smile though. Even crayons and socks bring exitement.

It's truly been a blessing to particpate and I thank God for such an opportunity!