Page 49 - RiseUpWarrior

Chapter 21 48 paper!” God was! It was exciting, and I worked away on the computer in our little motor home. It took me about 1 Now we buy paper by the pallet! month to fnish. (Incidentally, I have not been able to do But back then, for that frst material, it seemed to be a 13-week program in only a month since! Now every- a huge task, but the churches loved it. I had a blast thing has to have a website and a CD with music, crafts, going to each church to see them put on the different and more! The work always seems to go on and on!) programs. One church out in Yavaros (a beach village) had made an awesome ship’s wheel, and all the leaders As I was inserting the last little bit of Spanish into my little design for this detectives book, I felt God’s pres- But Kristi, that is going ence fll the room. I spent some time combing thru it for mistakes, found a few and fxed them. When I could fnd to take a whole box of no more mistakes, I decided the project was fnished. I felt an urge to dedicate the material to God. And so, I paper! actually audibly said to God, “Here you go”, as though I was lifting up the material and physically handing it to Him. I felt Him take it and then thank me. Then His wore fshermen’s clothing. When the captain turned the presence became so strong I could hardly breathe. wheel, all the children would lean in their wooden pews God said to me, “Kristi, this is what you are going to to the left or to the right. Then all of a sudden, some do for the rest of your life.” I was in shock! I wasn’t a teachers would squirt water into the windows (using 2- writer, and especially not qualifed for writing curricu- liter coke bottles flled with water), getting the children lum!!! I struggled for a while to accept it, but in the end wet! Those were large waves, of course. The whole I said, “OK Lord, you are the boss. I’ll do whatever you church was having a blast, and I could hardly believe I want me to do.” Even though I was willing, the job was had written this little program for them. still very diffcult for me. I didn’t have any training as I just had to do another. an author. But I did have lots of experience as a teacher. I had no formal training on how to write curriculum, but That night I excitedly shared my new calling with my I did have a lot of experience doing children’s ministry. husband who was thrilled for me. The very next day, I I didn’t realize it at the time, but I had actually taught sat down and wrote a Christmas program in 1 day, from children in one form or another for 18 years straight! start to fnish called “Alabale” or “Worship Him” with From Sunday school to VBS, from kids clubs to camps, 4 lessons. A couple of weeks later we added coloring from pioneer girls to awana and “chapel on wheels” (a pages and a nativity scene the children could color and program that allowed us into public schools.) Without make. I had a new calling, and it was easy to do. I could meaning to, I had accidently taught every age group, ask God for an insight, or something special from His from nursery and kindergarten to Jr. High and youth. Word, and He would just give one to me. After all, it wasn’t for me, it was for the children! God had been training me all along for this work of writing curriculum, but I hadn’t noticed. I actually was I had already received my calling as a missionary, but doing children’s ministry “in the meantime” since it now I knew what I was supposed to be doing with my was the only place I could minister, as I prepared to be- time on the mission feld. God had asked me to write come a pastor’s wife or missionary’s wife. But God had children’s ministry curriculum. It was a challenge, but I a plan, and as long as I followed Him, I had remained was excited and willing to learn something new. on that ladder of training for the calling He was about to give me. Sacrifce 303 I dove into writing another material, but this time I want- ed something deeper, something for Sunday school. I Then His presence wanted to get the students reading the bible. So I wrote on the parables of Jesus, and did a 13-week program became so strong I with a detectives theme called, “Detectives, fnding the kingdom of God.” Each kid would receive a special de- could hardly breathe. coder, and they would be able to study each parable to see what Jesus meant, and what the real kingdom of