We’ve done A LOT here in Colombia this month: we’ve run VBSs, we’ve held coffeehouse worship nights and invited in the local community, we’ve bussed up to the displacement communities and distributed food and school supplies, and we’ve done so much more.
One cool opportunity we’ve had just fell into our laps. The pastor at the ministry here, Pastor Douglas and the missionary Rebekah felt the call to walk into a nearby public school and talk to the principal. At first, the secretary said she wasn’t available, but they kept praying and the principal eventually met with them. Pastor Douglas and Rebekah wanted to come into the classrooms and talk to the students (8th-11th graders) about identity, purpose, prevention, and other important topics that these kids need to hear. Surprisingly, the principal said yes!!
Enter World Racers.
There are 40 of us and 8 classrooms, so 5 of us would be in each classroom, along with an interpreter. We would talk on the topics of the World Race (what we’re doing and why), our ministry the City of Refuge, identity and purpose, the power of words, prevention, and we would even teach them a tool to be able to map out their future and to practically be able to list the steps they need to take to get there.
We took an entire day to prepare.
I had the topic of the World Race, so I had the pleasure of talking about our organization, our mission, and why I personally chose to do it.
On the power of words, we had each student write down a word that had been spoken over them negatively in their life (not smart enough, will never amount to anything, fat, etc.) We then shared with them verses of who God says they are, and then on the count of three, everyone ripped up their words, signifying the tearing down of the lies spoken over them.
At the end of the two hours, we prayed over the classroom. Verbally.
In a different classroom, Pastor Douglas got permission from the teacher to share the gospel openly.
15 students accepted Christ.
Over three hundred students heard the good news, encouragement, and a message of hope, all because two people followed God’s voice into a principal’s office.
That’s our faith.
