GFA World Newsletter

April 2022, Vol. 19, No. 4

Pelo listened to the story of a man who climbed a tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus. When Jesus called the man down, a life-changing event ensued. Would Pelo experience the same kind of transformation?

Invitation Becomes a Turning Point

Pelo’s parents didn’t have easy lives, and Pelo, 12, didn’t make their lives any easier. Pelo’s father and mother worked hard to send Pelo and his two younger sisters to school. But Pelo often argued with his parents and disobeyed them. Their hard work didn’t earn the boy’s respect.

One day, while Pelo was playing at home, a friend came by and invited him to join the Vacation Bible School program GFA pastor Raff was leading. Pelo walked to the church, where he saw a group of children singing and dancing to action songs.

Pelo came back day after day to listen to stories from God’s Word, learn about Jesus and sing. The story of Zacchaeus, a man whose joy at meeting Jesus led him to repentance, stood out to the boy. Whether he realized it or not, Pelo was starting to change, too.

At the end of the week, Pelo told Pastor Raff, “I will come to Sunday school … because I feel good and I like to know about Jesus, and I also like to learn songs and dance.”

Curiosity Leads to Change

After just one week of VBS, Pelo’s parents noticed changes in their son’s behaviour. He listened to and obeyed them instead of arguing. Amazed, they visited the church.

“After coming to your church, our son’s behaviour has changed,” they told Pastor Raff. “We really thank you for your classes and for conducting such a blessed program here.”

Pastor Raff told them about Christ’s love, the force that drove his ministry and that had sparked a change in Pelo’s life, and invited them to the church to learn more.

As Pelo and his parents began attending worship services at Pastor Raff’s church, Pastor Raff visited them to pray for them. After two weeks, Pelo and his whole family began to trust in Christ.

Through one VBS program, a child, like Zacchaeus, found a life-changing love that impacted others. Thank you for partnering with national missionaries so they can help children experience the grace of their Creator.

February 2020, Vol. 17, No. 2

Rayan, 10, and his little brother sat with empty bellies as their mother told them the news that would end their childhoods.

Although she worked tirelessly to provide for them, they had been starving for months. She told the boys they couldn’t go to school anymore. From now on, they would beg in the streets to pay for food for the family.

The word “beg” slapped Rayan in the face. The young boy knew that school was the only hope he had for a different future, a future that was slowly being swallowed up by despair and poverty.

Boys’ Future Traded for a Daily Meal

The brothers began spending their days in the streets begging. While other children were singing songs in school, Rayan and his brother haunted busy marketplaces and crowded bus stations. Humiliation smoldered in Rayan’s heart as he longed desperately to attend school with the other children.

One day, Rayan passed by a building where he glimpsed a man inside. Rayan hesitated, thinking maybe the man would give him some money.

The man, a GFA-supported worker named Kanish, spotted the boy just beyond the door, out in the dusty streets, and called him inside. Kanish winced at the sight of the boy’s chapped and bloody feet. He was the picture of pitiful—dirty, torn clothes; disheveled hair; and a stench that preceded him. With compassion, Kanish offered Rayan a bath and new clothes. Later, Pastor Kanish invited Rayan to join the other children for Vacation Bible School. Rayan happily agreed.

As Rayan left, he felt a sense of dignity that had abandoned him on the streets. On his way home, he bought food with the small sum he collected that day, as he always did. He couldn’t wait to tell his mother about the nice man he had met.

VBS a Respite for Depressed Rayan

Over the next several days at VBS, Rayan found himself in a room full of children dancing and singing. He joined them and felt joy for the first time since he left school. Rayan coloured, learned Bible stories, ate snacks and played games. He couldn’t remember ever having this much fun.

At the end of VBS, Rayan wanted to go to church to learn more about the Bible stories he had heard. He really loved the story about the boy named Samuel. He went the following Sunday and learned even more about God.

Boys and girls are often robbed of their childhood when they must drop out of school and beg on the streets to help support their families.

After a few weeks, Kanish met with Rayan’s parents and helped get the boys back in school. Rayan relished the second chance at a real childhood.

Rayan’s mother found a new job in a rice mill that paid enough to support the family. The boys were able to stay in school, which opened new paths for their future. Although the family had to move because the rice mill was in a different town, Pastor Kanish visited and helped the family find a new church.

Rayan continued to attend church, joined by his mother and brother, and drew closer to the Lord. Love and gratitude have replaced despair and anxiety. Rayan knows that if it weren’t for Pastor Kanish and VBS, he would still be begging on the streets.

“I grew up in poverty, my life was very miserable, and I was good for nothing,” Rayan shares. “When my parents told me to go for begging I was really embarrassed and worried a lot about my future.

When I met Pastor Kanish, for the first time in my life, I wore new clothes and was loved and taken care of so much,” continues Rayan. “Now, I’ve stopped begging and am going to school. My fate has changed, and my destination is made clear after coming to [VBS].”

With a strong sense of new life, Rayan asked Pastor Kanish to give him a new biblical name to mark him as a child of God. Rayan is now called John, after the disciple whom Jesus loved.

August 2019, Vol. 16, No. 6

August 2017, Vol. 13, No. 5

It was early in the morning, and excitement filled the air—Vacation Bible School (VBS) had finally commenced! There had never been any activity like this in Ketaki’s village before, and the seventh grader was about to gain a new perspective on life.

Old Stories, Young Hearts

The theme for the VBS program was “Run to Win,” and the purpose was to impart to children the importance of having a goal in their life—something some of the children in Ketaki’s village may have never considered. Throughout the programs, Ketaki and the other children were prayed for, encouraged and inspired to grow and pursue their dreams.

As they—and other children across many nations—learned lessons from the Bible, like the story of King Jehoshaphat, who relied on God’s strength and found victory in his struggles, many children recognized how God can carry them through their own difficult circumstances when they rely on Him and His strength. Other children were inspired by the story of Joseph, who persevered through many years of hardship and never stopped trusting in God.

A Few Days to Inspire a Child Forever

“I am blessed personally through this program,” shared 14-year-old Ketaki. “Through this program, I learned to give priorities to my studies. I have an ambition to become a well-known nurse in the society as well as in my community, and I took the decision to move forward, relying on God’s strength.”

Proud mothers and fathers could hardly contain their joy to see their children growing in the knowledge and fear of God. They expressed their gratitude to the teachers who set aside their time to patiently teach their children. As VBS came to a close, people in Ketaki’s village were already talking about and wondering: When can we have another one?

April 2016, Vol. 12, No. 3

School was out. Children gathered. More than 200 youngsters filled the hall. Smiling adults in bright orange shirts wove their way through the crowds. Vacation Bible School was about to begin.

For one week, these joyful ones sang songs, made crafts and watched skits, puppet shows and videos, all to help them learn about what it means to be a “true friend.” The theme verse of the year’s VBS program was John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.” Teachers prayed and hoped the children would be blessed by their time—a prayer God answered.

Learning About Friendship

Every day, after spending time together learning songs, stories and history, the children, ages 4–12, broke into small groups to make crafts and learn more important lessons from the Bible. Different days focused on different aspects of friendship, including helpfulness, joyfulness and faithfulness. In all this, the children learned how Jesus is the truest friend of all. “From this VBS, I learned that God is watching over me,” shared one boy named Anik. “So I don’t have to be afraid.”

Since that day, Anik has started living with the awareness that Jesus is with him always.

Be a True Friend

On the last day, parents gathered. Tables displayed the children’s crafts. Through songs and skits, the children shared what they had learned about friendship.

A local ministry leader addressed the crowd. He encouraged the parents and spoke to them about being good examples for their children to follow.

The children, some from Christian backgrounds and others from non-Christian backgrounds, walked away from the week with a greater sense of joy in their hearts. Many of them decided they wanted to be a better friend, and some became friends with Jesus, the truest Friend of all.