Fruit of the Spirit

During Christmas break the Mexican church that supports the soup kitchen in the Rio decided to take a break for a season and invest in other areas of their church ministry. For a year and a half this church supported the soup kitchen with weekly groceries, Bible teaching, donations, and children's ministry. With them gone we knew their would be some gaps to fill. Cathy Huffer and I, the B2B ministers to the Rio, began praying that God would send His provision for these needs. We had no direct funding for the soup kitchen for the next few Saturdays but somehow God provided and we were able to serve a hot meal each week. This really caused us to trust and as a result was a huge faith builder for all of us. Soon we were told that some stateside donors had directed some money to the soup kitchen! Praise God! Each week God provides with more than enough.

Along with financial provision we also needed to see God provide spiritual provision for the soup kitchen. A friend of Meme's who is a pastor and likewise lives in a Rio-type community has been preaching the word of God each week. Praise Jesus! After prayer I felt led to help organize the children's ministry on Saturdays feeling like we needed to study the Holy Spirit with the kids focusing on the Fruit of the Spirit. This was confirmed to me by several others and we began preparing and teaching the classes each week. After introducing who the Holy Spirit is to the kids and how to have a relationship with Him, we began to target a different fruit each week. We have now done 4 fruits and we are teaching the 5th this Saturday - kindness.

I have taught children about the fruit of the spirit before, but never in Spanish. The Lord has really asked me (and helped me) step up to the plate with Spanish. Each week we practice Galatians 5: 22-23 with sign language. Then we review from the previous weeks and the kids share about their homework- usually an example of how they showed that particular fruit that week. Then we begin on the new lesson. We try to have a Bible story that illustrates each fruit of the spirit and an activity to go with it... whether it is a game involving patience or a craft of making valentines to show someone we love them. The kids love our class time!!! And honestly I DO TOO! I love that I am able to use my teaching gifts with the children I love so dearly. Each week it seems our numbers in the children's ministry are growing. I used to prepare lessons for 25 and now am preparing for 35! Praise Jesus!

Another cool thing that God is doing is raising up some of the teens on our property to minister to the children of the Rio. We have been trying to involved the teens as much as we can and as much as they are interested. While I can get through a lesson in Spanish it is so much easier (and empowering) for our teens to take the reigns. Often I prepare the lesson and let them teach it. It is beautiful to see our teens who have each come from a hurtful background pouring out and ministering to the Rio children. They do an AWESOME job and the kids absolutely love them. Please continue to pray for the Saturday soup kitchen at the Rio!

Here I am teaching the Bible verse to the children.

Some of the teens on our property teaching a lesson about Christ. These three have either graduated from the Hope Program or are currently in it. They do a great job!

Rio girls doing an activity with a Scripture verse.