It wasn’t long before Maggie was noticed rummaging through the trash looking for something that she could either eat or salvage. She wore mismatched clothes, sneakers with holes in the toes and gloves that were missing the fingers. She came looking for a free meal and found something more valuable. Maggie has shared her story with many kids at different churches but had never received this level of acceptance and immediate friendship. Like all visits the children were initially apprehensive about Maggie but eventually warmed up to her dynamic personality . As they shared and asked questions the kids accepted her as a friend despite their differences.
To help kids understand the importance of reaching out to people in need, I  portray Maggie, a homeless lady. I encourage kids to recognize the needs of people around them and act on that need. These kids needed little encouragement. One particular girl accepted Maggie and became her instant friend. Her name was Eleanor. She introduced Maggie to other kids, invited her to sit next to her and welcomed her to pray and worship with the group. Maggie felt important and loved.
That day I saw the heartbeat of those children. Although Maggie and the children were different they didn’t treat her different. They didn’t base their love for her on her economic or social status. They loved her despite their differences. If only the world could operate in the same way!
Each night as I shared a message with the campers at Camp Orchard Hill I could see their eyes opening to what God had to share with each of them. Children’s hearts were opened to the message of Jesus’s love and forgiveness. Over the week over 75 children made personal decisions to follow Jesus. Others made a renewed commitment to pray, listen, read their Bibles and trust Jesus more in all their decision making. On the last night we sat next to the lake as the sun was setting. A camp fire provided the only light as we worshipped the Lord and reflected on the past week. Here are a few of the testimonies that the kids shared that evening.
God commands all of us to be teachers, to go and teach¬†all people of His ways. (Matthew 28:19-20) As a teacher we are continuing the work that Jesus began while He was here on earth. We are following in His footsteps and¬†doing the exact same thing He did, teach others. There is no greater call than to do what Jesus himself did. I was impressed with the heart of the people that represented the teachers of OVCC. You could tell that these people truly wanted to impact their community with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the heart that we all must have if we want to hear God say “Well done good and faithful servant”.