Stories from the Field
VBS by Samantha Parker, Summer Missionary
I had the opportunity to help with a Vacation Bible School in Gillisonville, South Carolina. I had been told that I would be teaching the youth. When I arrived and found out there were only two youth, a boyfriend and girlfriend, I thought it would be a little strange because they were only a couple of years younger than me. I went up to introduce myself and I could tell that they really did not want to be there. So throughout the opening worship service I was scrambling to get my lesson together for I had just received the material five minutes prior to that and already had in my mind that I was going to make a fool of myself. Finally, it came time for me to teach the lesson. I pulled out the book and started to summarize what it was about. I looked up and they looked like they were going to fall asleep, so I decided to do something different. I put the book down and asked the two to tell me a little about themselves and why they were at VBS. They did not really want to talk, so I decided I would share my testimony with them so they would be more comfortable sharing with me. I proceeded to tell the couple how I became a Christian and all the struggles I had been through. When I had finished sharing, it was obvious that I had said something to change their view about me. It turned out that a lot of the things I had gone through, they were going through. We discussed some of the things they were struggling with and each night we would have a Bible study on that topic. I really feel like God placed me at Gillisonville Baptist that week so I could meet those two. God knew that I would be able to relate to them because I had been through some of the same things. God also used that week to strengthen my faith. It is so encouraging to see that all the things we go through in our lives all play out in this big plan that God has. It lets me know that whenever I am facing hard times, it might just be because God wants to use me as a part of His awesome plan.
Using God’s Eyes by LowCountry Ministries Summer Sports team
Our sports ministry team was working with a Boys and Girls Club in the Jasper county area during a week in July. On that Friday, they went with the children from the camp to a picnic at a local park. While there, the sports team noticed an African American man walking across the park, looking very lonely. He sat down on a park bench and our sports team felt led to go over and talk with him. They soon learned he was homeless, had been robbed a couple of nights before and was really wanting to get back to Alabama to his grandmother’s so he could have a fresh start. The team felt impressed to buy his lunch for him and continued talking and ministering to him. The more they talked with him and learned of his background, the more led they were to help him. They contacted me and filled me in on the details as well as how they wished to assist him. I joined them, met the man, talked with him and also felt a peace about helping him. The sports team started calling the bus station and found out the price for a ticket to Alabama and began to pull their money together in order to buy it for him. While this was going on, he and I went to buy personal items and some clothing for him. During this time, we were able to have some great conversation, including the status of his relationship with Christ. He assured me he knew Christ as his savior, but had wandered away from Him. He told me that as he was walking through that park, earlier that day, he had just finished asking God was He truly there or had he been forsaken when the summer missionaries came up and approached him. He was so thankful for their obedience to God’s leading. The team bought his ticket home and through many tears, hugs and prayers bid him farewell as he boarded the bus. Since then, they have talked with him and he is in Alabama, reunited not only with him grandmother, but with his own mother and his six year old daughter who his mother was taking care of. God is truly restoring this family!!!!!!
