John 3:16

"Have you ever heard this verse before?" I asked the wide-eyed, wiggly little guy, a new visitor to our church's AWANA program. He shrugged and shook his head, and we began to work together on memorizing the words of John 3:16. I was just filling for an absent leader for the evening while Nate visited a men's Bible study, but the opportunity was ripe to communicate the good news of Jesus' death in the first grader's place.

Later, as I gathered up Noah from Cubbies (flying high on sugar and excitement) and Tim and Elias from the nursery, I reflected on the privilege of the evening. Our AWANA program is structured in such a way that every child will have the opportunity to hear the Gospel the very first time they visit! I shifted gears mentally to the folks we have been preparing to go and reach - how long will it take me to be able to share John 3:16 in a tribal village? Years of learning the language, learning the culture and teaching Biblical truth (i.e. what is their picture of God? What does it mean to perish and why do we perish apart from God?) before we could even begin to communicate. What a privilege to be a part of seeing God's Word go out in the U.S., and what a privilege to be preparing to go where it isn't yet known.

Prayer points for this week:
-we are gathering our last few items for shipping (i.e. anything we don't want to carry in a suitcase.) As of this week, we hope to be all done buying items like sunscreen, shoes, an air mattress, etc.
-for opportunities to share God's heart for tribal people in churches and with individuals.
-for encouragement for our hearts as we are sometimes discouraged even as we pray for finances and visas.