The Fruit of Asking The God Who Delights in Answering

This dear lad has been with us since the very beginning of our labors for the children. There was a time when his mother took him far away to live with his stepfather in another province, and for a few months we did not know of his welfare. Yet, we kept him ever before the Lord in prayer. In His gracious answer, He brought the boy back to our location again. 

At the beginning of this year, we thought it best to move his age group into a more serious Bible study on Knowing God. Since the start of 2025, the church has been in constant prayer, asking the Lord to grant us even just one fruit from this labor—one child who would desire to join us in worship. The Lord graciously answered. Some months before the year ended, one of the lads began asking to stay for worship after every children’s class. He has been in fellowship with us since then.

This Lord’s Day, following the message, we sat with the lad for more than an hour, unfolding the precious truths of John 3:16. We slowly went through the specific text word for word, offering simple examples, for it is our firm belief that if a soul is to be truly converted, it must be by the power of the Word itself and not by the mere light of human intellect. At last, the Spirit broke upon his soul. He saw his own wandering state—that apart from the love of the Father in giving His dear Son, he is sure to perish. Yet, he saw too that by simple faith in the Savior’s work upon the tree, he might lay hold of life everlasting.

The brothers also dealt faithfully with him regarding the cost of following the Lord. They tenderly explained that while grace is a free gift, the 'narrow way' demands a lifetime of steadfastness in the Lord's strength. Being well-acquainted with the trials he is experiencing at home—where he and his siblings have been separated and are moved from house to house—we warned him plainly that the adversary would use these very sorrows to draw him back into the world. We entreated him to remain near to our company, assuring him that we hold him dear with the very bowels of Christ’s compassion.

There are mothers who have pulled their children away from the classes upon realizing that our teaching stands contrary to Roman Catholic tradition. It is painful to have some of our most dear pupils taken away just as they were showing great signs of excelling in their studies. In these moments, Father is teaching us that we labor not with desperation but with certainty: our goal is not to be successful, but that we would remain faithful.