VBS for children in a catholic neighborhood

In years past, we have offered VBS to different neighborhoods around Chiapas. When we've been in a village, we invite children from that village. When we're in Ocosingo, we've invited kids from different barrios or neighborhoods every week. In the past, hundreds of children got just a taste of Christian education by participating in 2 days of bible school. This year, we decided to do something different in Ocosingo.

All summer long, we've been bringing in children from the same barrio for VBS 2 days a week with different groups from around the country. Instead of getting just a taste, these kids have learned multiple stories from the bible, learned teaching songs about those stories, made crafts, blown bubbles and kicked soccer balls every week. All it takes is a little intro and they know to scream back to us...

Dios creo, a todo el mundo! Te ama a ti, y me ama a mi!!!!
(God created the whole world! He loves you and He loves me!!!)

All I have to do is drive our green Land Cruiser into the neighborhood, and children start running! When I'd drive them home, they'd sing the day´s songs all the way home, making sure to be loud enough to be heard all around the barrio. The next day, their excitement may keep them from being able to wait for my arrival, so they walk to the bible school, knowing that they can play and hang out until the VBS activities start. In short, just like God, they've come to love us and we've come to love them.

Last week, when I drove around to announce the schedule for the week's VBS, we stopped to share with an adult man who was working in his yard. He answered that, although he didn't have children, the barrio had met together and decided that they'd rather teach their own children, so not to expect many kids to come. Hmmm.....

Retired missionaries Jim & Sharon Heneveld have a house in this neighborhood for their 4-month long visits (see, they couldn't leave either!) They had told us that this was a very catholic neighborhood. Apparently, the catholic neighborhood was feeling threatened by our stories, games and songs. Later, we learned that there had been an announcement on the local radio about Americans taking children to some place near the community slaughter house and that, since no one knows what the Americans are doing with them, to please be cautious and keep your children at home. Hmm.....

Fortunately, our friend and sister in Christ, Hermana Luisa, heard the announcement on the radio and called in to make her own announcement, explaining about VBS, encouraging folks to feel safe sending their children and generally discounting the earlier announcement. It´s always nice to have friends in the community.

We proceeded with the VBS for the week, conscious of the fact that some of our "regulars" weren´t there when I went around to pick them up. Nevertheless, many other regulars and lots of newcomers were in attendance....singing, praying and listening attentively to stories about Noah and Joseph. Perhaps the community is keeping kids back but others are coming in their places.

We have to trust that God is at work in this seemingly unfortunate turn of events, but it has certainly reminded us of the subtle ways that discrimination works. We are not encouraging these children to leave their churches and come to ours. We are not teaching them anything that is not in the Holy Bible, presumably the same bible that should be in use in their churches and homes. Apparently, that has become threatening in some way. For us, we are only sharing love, laughter and joy with them in the name of Jesus Christ, and we will continue to do so as long as the kids come running.