“Do your mom and dad follow Jesus?”
“No, but I’m teaching them some.”
When a new third-grade student named Galena was placed in my English class, I wondered what her exposure to the Bible and Christian teaching had previously been. From her wide eyes and fascinated demeanor, it seemed clear that Galena was hearing each Bible story for the first time. As Galena soaked up every story, I thought she and her parents must not be Believers, but I finally had to ask to be sure.
Over the course of the school year, I started to notice a change in Galena. She no longer seemed as fascinated, but she was still eager to learn. She started agreeing with Biblical truths, indicating they were her truths. She started making prayer requests and comments as someone who believed. She was so confident that I started wondering if maybe her parents were Believers and I had been wrong about Galena having no prior knowledge.
When I had the opportunity to chat with Galena this week, I asked, “Do your mom and dad follow Jesus?”
“No, but I’m teaching them some,” she stated earnestly.
“Oh,” I replied. “What do your parents think?”
Galena said, “They think it’s a good idea.”
Galena knew nothing about the Bible prior to the School of Promise, and now she is teaching her parents about Jesus. Her faith has grown so much over the course of the year that I thought her parents must be Christian. Instead, her child-like, sincere faith is being used to teach her mom and dad. The Holy Spirit’s power is truly amazing!
Marvel Vander Kooi and her husband Joel are the founders of The School of Promise in Chiang Mai, Thailand. This school is open to children in grades one through six, and approximately half of the students are considered at-risk and attend on scholarships.
