Surprise Kids Festival

Tonight, Wednesday, November 14, I ministered in Guatraché, a small town in the province of La Pampa.  I have to always be ready for surprises.  Monday I ministered twice in Doblas… first at the grade school and then at the church.  Then last night in the city of Machachin.  Tonight in Guatraché I was surprised to find the church decorated with balloons inside and out.  Without me being advised they had announced a “Festival para Niños” at 8 PM an hour before the 9 PM church service.  Now I am advised that tomorrow afternoon I also have a school event before the church service.

Although the church leaders had never seen me, they had seen videos of me with Felipe on Facebook and gave out printed invitations in the public school and even had the school teachers announce this “festival” to their classes.  We had 35 kids and parents come… almost all of whom had never been in the church.  I gave them the whole shebang: Hawaiian guitar, Perfume and Felipe. 

Then with the accordion I taught them the chorus, "I have decided to follow Jesus."  












The happy and sad face represented the "Good and Bad News": forming the short illustrated message. 


Both kids and parents joined me in the prayer to invite Christ into their lives at the close. 

 

At the final “Amen” I gave a “Libro de Vida” (Book of Life for kids) to each one. 

After most of them left we started the main service with a small group of adults.  One lady and her little girl, there for the first time, stayed through it all… and both knelt at the altar at the time of prayer.  Some of the people were sobbing heavily as often happens.  God sometimes does deep stuff at an altar of prayer.

So, including the kids events (that actually require much more effort than preaching to adults) that makes 9 preaching events in the past 5 days and I have two more tomorrow.

What an awesome privilege the Lord has given me to minister to the little people as well as the big people!  Every one of them is a precious jewel, worth dying for.   

Speaking of dying for something... Today I received these photos that I had requested from the Horacio and Mabel Zara, pastors in Henderson.  They stand by the tomb of Missionary Frederick Clements, buried here at only 46 years of age.

 

Jesus said, “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains sterile, but if it dies it brings forth much fruit.” (John 12:24)  Missionary Clements planted his life here in a small town.  He gave it all.  (Click on photo to enlarge.)

Now the Henderson church has produced at least 54 ministers and minister’s wives!  And through just one of those pastors, Jose Manuel Carlos in La Boca, another 87 more whose combined churches surpass 75,000 members! 

Ralph