Public Schools in La Pampa, Argentina

Occasionally I am invited to minister with total freedom in the public grade schools.  I always jump at the chance since the influence of atheist Madelyn Murray has not yet destroyed the freedom of religion in Argentina.  Here I am in the small city of Doblas, province of La Pampa in the southern central part of Argentina.  This particular school goes up through 6th grade. 

I had barely walked into the gym which doubles as auditorium when I witnessed something that I could not photograph, but deeply impressed me.  Some teachers were standing around and several times I saw a little child come running and throw himself or herself into the arms of one of their teachers.  These kids obviously loved their teachers and their school.

The word had spread that a ventriloquist was coming to town.  I was setting up my little mike system when a bell rang and within moments this gang of fifth and sixth grades swarmed me with questions and were wanting to take pictures with me.  They were so polite and friendly that they won my heart in an instant.

Then their teachers brought out the younger ones, lined them and had them all sit neatly on the floor.  One of the teachers chose a few kids to be able to pet Perfume the skunk.  There were about 80 kids, far too many to get to all of them with Perfume.

Felipe told the story of the Good Samaritan.  He got it all mixed up, but I straightened him out.  Then I taught them the chorus: "I Have Decided to Follow Jesus" and gave them the Good News and Bad News by drawing a little face that changes from a smile to a frown by simply inverting the picture. 

Good news: We are all the work of a loving Creator God.  He loves us so much he has prepared a place for us in His heaven to be with Him forever. 

But "Bad News":  A beautiful angel, Lucifer, created by God, became proud and rose in rebellion against God taking many angels with him in his rebellion.  God cast them out of heaven and prepared a place for them to spend eternity, a terrible place called hell.  I explained that Jesus tells us that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, not for us. But that Satan is soooo bad that he doesn't want to go to hell alone.  He wants to take you with him.  He lies to us and promises us his trinkets to lure us to follow him. 

But "Good News": God loved us soooo much He sent His only Son Jesus to give His life for our sins and now He calls us to follow Him to His heaven.  Then they sang it again: I Have Decided to Follow Jesus.  

I was recently donated several hundred copies of the Book of Life for kids and the teachers helped me give one to every child.

I was highly impressed with the quiet and order... and their loud responses to questions.  Some of the older kids displayed quick wit.  We laughed a lot. 

That night some of the school kids showed up in the delightful brand new AG church building designed and built by Pastor Adolf Campos and the men of their church. 

I have been very positively impressed with the influence that our AG pastors have earned in their local cities as they are blessing their city officials and neighborhoods with helps of all kinds... instead of asking politicians for hand-outs.  Congratulations Pastors Adolf and Natalia Campos!

Ralph