Answered Prayer

 

Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them.

Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” When he had placed his hands on them, he went on from there.

 

Matthew 19:13-15

 

It was lunch time on Monday and the Cadet Center, a large warehouse-like building in Cross Lake, MB, was all ready.  That’s where we would be holding the first LAMP VBS of the year.  The 11 team members had made the long trip, all the way from Indianola, Iowa for the first time and were brimming with excitement in their matching shirts. 

They had everything all set up and ready to go, prepped for plenty of children to attend.  Craft supplies were all laid out.  Bins of crayons and colouring pages were neatly arranged across a dozen tables.  A hundred chairs or so were set up in front of a projector screen and sound system, ready for a time of songs and the Bible story.

They did everything they could to get the word out.  They had made announcements on the local radio station in the preceding days after they had arrived, to let everyone know about the VBS that week.  They had spoken with our contacts in the community and given them the details.  They had put up posters and had an announcement posted on the community Facebook page.  And now the moment had finally come.

The clock struck one and Aaron, the team leader opened up the doors to the center.  Outside there was… nobody.  Just an empty field.  Five minutes went by and still no one arrived.  Then ten minutes, then fifteen. 

Day 1 at the Cross Lake VBS

One team member leaned over to me and whispered, “I thought we were going to be swarmed by kids.”  The disappointment on their faces was obvious.  All that preparation for nothing.

Finally, after 20 minutes, one child poked their head in through the doors to the center.  They registered and received a nametag and then sat down at one of the tables and started colouring.  11 volunteers, as well as Pastor Randy and myself, and only one child sitting there colouring.

A few minutes later, a couple more children arrived.  This time a brother and sister.  A few minutes after that, a fourth, then another.  One by one, as time passed, more children showed up. 

By the end of the day, they had 22 in total.  It wasn't the number the team had hoped for, but that day 22 children heard the story of Christ’s birth and how the wisemen came to visit, perhaps for the first time in their lives.

That evening, during the team’s time of devotion, three younger girls on the team prayed that they would have more children the next day.  Be careful what you pray for. 

By ten to one on Tuesday, there were a dozen children lined up outside the Cadet Center doors.  Children flowed in, one after another, continuously for the first 30 or 45 minutes of VBS.  They ended up with 105 children that day.  By the end of the week, as word got out, they had 192 children in total.

Day 2 at the Cross Lake VBS

It was great to have that many children, but even if only that one initial child had come, the preparation, time and expense would have been worth it.  Children are precious to God and the LAMP VBS may be the only opportunity these children have to hear about how much God loves and cares for them.

We do everything we can to not hinder the little children from coming to Jesus.  Your support and prayers have helped to bring the Gospel to the children and residents of Cross Lake this year, as well as countless others all across Northern Canada.  Thank you for helping to make this all possible.