Lives Changed!
These are true stories the Project workers have collected from the teachers and students using the project material.
Jesus Books
“Today we do our Jesus books” is the most frequently heard sentence in this class room. The teacher says that, “the material has been a great help and the children love do the lessons.”
School elections
Alba teaches school in Tuma La Dalia and relates the story of one of her students, Alberto, who participated in the school elections. In his speech up front he stated that one thing that meant a lot to him is the lesson from Vital Values with Jesus on peace and that they need to put that value into practice to have a better society. His dad told the teacher that Vital Values with Jesus has caused many changes in his son.
Jesus is always with me!
Snayder, who attends school in Ocotal, comes from a home with social problems and where he is mistreated. When they started the VV books he said he didn’t believe in Jesus because Jesus didn’t look after him. But after a while he changed and now recognizes that Jesus is always with him.
A Rebellious Attitude
María José used to be a girl with a rebellious attitude. She had lots of problems at home and at school. The social services was involved in making sure she didn’t run away, even the director had to write up weekly reports for them. When María José’s teacher taught her the value on “willingness” from Vital Values material, she changed so radically that now she is the best behaved of the class. She is always offering to help others in the class, and she talks about how nice it is to help others. (True change begins from God and flows to those around us)
“Spanish can wait, Jesus can’t”
Today a teacher from Nicaragua sent us this message: “my students say that I need to increase the Jesus class by 2 hours. They say “Spanish can wait, Jesus can’t”. Theres a good reason that Jesus said the kingdom of heaven belongs to children and those who become like children.
Open Doors in Honduras
God is good! Yesterday one of the Honduran project workers had a meeting with the Vice-minister of National Education, who loved the material and is very excited about reaching all the children of Honduras. Her words were, “The doors over every school in Honduras are open to you!” We praise the Lord! Thank you for your prayers and may God give us wisdom and resources to expand significantly every year!
Jesus is the Most Important!
A field worker in Nicaragua was waiting for the bus when a woman approached her to ask if she was the one who brought the children the Jesus books. She then explain that the night before, while looking though her son’s backpack, she had pulled out his student book to see it. Her son was upset: “Mom, please don’t take that book out! My teacher said that it is our most important book, and that it has to always stay in our backpacks! We can never forget it!!!” The mother was very impressed. It is wonderful to see the message of Jesus cherished.
Healed from a Diabetic Coma
A teacher in the school Proverbios told us how one of her students was in a coma for 2 weeks from a crisis of high blood sugar. While working with their student books, his classmates decided to form a prayer chain to pray for this little boy. They said that Jesus had done many miracles and He was going to do a miracle in the life of their classmate. The little boy awoke from his coma and is recovering very well. The prayers of children are a very sweet thing!
Expelled until she met Jesus
A little girl in southern Nicaragua was expelled from school after school due to her violent behavior. Then she arrived at at a school that uses the project material and met Jesus. She changed so much that her mother asked the teacher what she had done. Then the little girl asked her mom to buy her a Bible so she could read it every day. What an impact Jesus has on children and their families!
3 year change
One of the Project workers in Panama visited of a 6th grade class (see picture below) where the students told of how much they liked their books, how much they had learned etc. Karla relates how three years ago she tried to deal with this class for the first time and how terrible they were. 9 of them had parents in jail and others related how their mothers had told them that she didn’t want them. So over the past years she would spend a little extra time helping them and their teacher, and she was so happy yesterday to meet them again and find them so changed and following Jesus’ teachings.
Violence to Values
A third grade teacher in the center of El Salvador had a very difficult group. They were vulgar and violent by adult standards. She could barely teach them anything. Then they started studying the student books and their behavior has changed. She says that they have done a 360 and are now showing more of Jesus love each day. The principal is excited to see how the parents (prostitutes and market workers) will slowly change as their children bring home the Word of God.
Thank you for bringing Jesus to me!
Last week, a project worker was helping a teacher with her third-grade class, using the value of sincerity that is based on Jesus’ sermon on the mount. As he was working with the kids, he noticed one boy who didn’t participate nor answer any questions. He didn’t have a book. The teacher explained that as he was Muslim hadn’t learned of Jesus. Then the little boy came up and asked if he had an extra book. He gave him one and he was so happy, coloring and working in his book. At the end of the class, he came to the worker and gave him a big hug, saying, “”Thank you for bringing Jesus to me!”.
A Peacemaker
Payvon was a very problematic student but when he studied the value of peace in grade 1. He learned that Jesus wants us to love others, to do unto others as we could have them to unto us and he changed. Now instead of fighting, he obeys Jesus and even helps others not to fight. Payvon has learned to be a peacemaker. In this picture, you see his craft which is a two sided mask. The students learn to choose between an angry face or a happy face.
