What a blessing it has been to be able to serve this community! Just yesterday we had the opportunity to have a Valentine’s Day party at the trailer. We invited all the children and just had fun! There were over 15 children in attendance, which was amazing to see.

At this event, we did word searches, made cards, played games, and even had a fun snack. More than anything, we spoke of the character of God.

One specific story I want to share was between Beth and I and a child who is active with our ministry. While he was filling out a word search on the attributes of God, we had the chance to explain these words. It is one thing to find a word or phrase and check it off. It is another thing completely to understand words like attribute, holy, and gentleness.

Here, we got to clearly explain the character of God to a boy who has expressed high activity in our ministry and an interest in exploring an active faith. After completion of the word search, we then challenged him to write a list of different attributes of God that he could come up with himself. The sweetest moment came when I asked him, of the words on his new list, what his favorite word he had come up with was. Surprisingly enough, he said his favorite characteristic of God was that God is our helper. This made me think of the following promise given to us by Jesus:

John 14: 25-27

These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives but as I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

It is always nice to have fun with the kids. Seeing them light up and enjoy themselves is amazing. Seeing children who usually do not interact with us come and open themselves up is amazing. However, there is nothing more awe inspiring and encouraging than to speak truth with these children in even small ways like this.

Beyond anything else, this interaction forces us to remember the mission of Beside the Road, to make Christ known through the platform of education.