Saturday Post -- 06/10/12

With classes finishing at the end of November, we are now very much into the tail-end of the school year here in Trinidad and, as anywhere, there are crucial moments ahead for these students. Exams will be sat, classes passed or failed. But I can say without any bias that the closing weeks of the R.E. curriculum will see many pupils approach the most critical juncture of their whole lives.

As you may already be aware, I teach gospel-themed R.E. lessons to three secondary-level classes, using books from the Emmaus Bible course, in this case, a book based on the gospel of John. At the end of this book is a short questionnaire asking questions such as, “Do you believe Jesus is the son of God?” “Do you believe that you are a sinner?” and offering students the chance to respond by putting their faith in Christ. Having completed the main section of the course, students were required to complete the questionnaire as homework.

This week, KC and I met with the first group of students who had completed the book and the questionnaire, discussing with them, as individuals, their answers to the questions – and, let’s just say, it was the most productive lesson I’ve ever been involved in. One of the girls KC interviewed, Francis, trusted in the Lord while completing the homework assignment. Meanwhile, I spoke with four boys. Marco Antonio had been a believer for a few years. José told me he’d become a Christian as a result of his first communion. When I explained the Bible’s teaching on this, he asked for a week to think about making, let’s say, a faith-based decision. However, it was my privilege to pray the sinner’s prayer with two boys, Joselito and José Alfredo. Joselito had thought he was already a Christian by believing in Jesus’ existence; I explained the wider significance of becoming a Christian and he decided to do the necessary. José Alfredo was another who had placed his faith in his first communion, but he too was determined to rectify this.

By reading this you’ll hopefully get a greater sense of the real confusion there is here. In a culture like the UK or Canada the main challenge we face is that of simple unbelief – but then, at least most people are certain as to whether or not they are saved. I am convinced that, if anything, the excessive religiosity of this culture, presents us with far more significant barriers, as millions firmly, and wrongly, believe they are on the right path with God, and simply won’t hear otherwise.

Nevertheless, much moreso, I hope you’ll be encouraged to read of what God is doing through the work in schools here. We spoke to a mere seven pupils of a class of 35 this week, so there may be many more such opportunities in this class alone (the other two classes haven’t quite reached the end of the book yet).

KC and I really emphasised the proximity of our church (just half a mile down the road from the school) to those who came to faith – after all, ultimately, we’re all about making disciples. On that note, Amanda has, in recent weeks, taken a teenage girl from church under her wing. Grecia, 15, is the younger sister of FT worker Elizabeth. She is undoubtedly a young woman of potential and she is meeting with Amanda on Friday mornings to simply spend a little time with an older Christian (activities thus far seem to have centred around cooking and baking, both of which are just fine with me). Further down the road, depending on Grecia’s receptiveness they may start to delve into their Bibles together, but it’s very much still feeling-her-way territory for Amanda right now.

Much to be thankful for, then, and much to be prayerful for.

Prayer

• For Francis, Joselito and José Alfredo as they take their first steps in this new life. Pray particularly that they would be able to be plugged into Bible-teaching churches/youth ministries in Trinidad.
• For José and others in the class who are thinking about their responses.

Praise

• For the Lord’s faithfulness in bringing these young people to a saving faith in him.
• For the positive Christian role model that Grecia has in Amanda and the potential for discipleship there.

Our latest newsletter went out yesterday – get in touch if you’d like a copy.

¡Que Dios les bendiga!

Craig & Amanda