Here we are! The start of a new year and a new decade.

    Even though many things are new. One thing that we know is not new is that the enemy is the same and comes to kill, steal and destroy and he always targets the young and weak. We were blessed to be a part of the recent March for Life event in Olympia and are looking forward to the “40 Days for Life”, pro-life prayer vigil, that will go from Feb 26 – April 5th. Please check out the website to volunteer for times that you may be able to come and pray.

    “Then Pharaoh gave this order to all his people: ‘Every boy that is born you must throw into the Nile, but let every girl live.” (Exodus 1:22) “When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under.” (Matthew 2:16)

     The Lord prompted us to cancel our mission trip to Mexico after Christmas to focus on infants and children.

We want to thank everyone that donates the aluminum cans that the Harvest Kids get to crush and recycle to help vulnerable children in Africa. The kids recently used their change to finish building a primary school for vulnerable and orphaned children in Uganda and have now raised enough money for 11 of the 60 mosquito nets for orphans that live at another school in another part of Uganda. We are so thankful for the work that Child’s Evangelism Fellowship does throughout our community, meeting with kids after school at the school (when they are able to find volunteers) as well as teaching with our Harvest Kids and other clubs throughout the community. We have been blessed to take parents and children to the rock climbing gym, skating rink and Children’s Museum. Reggie Hunter from the Upper Skagit tribe  shared about how he finds the wood and makes walking sticks, cutting off branches, sanding and sculpting each one before he seals the stick with varnish. We were able to relate all this to the story that Jesus told in John 15 about the vine and branches. The kids read the scripture verse and answered  the questions. Who was the gardener? Who was the vine? Who were the branches? What is the fruit? What did Jesus mean when He said, ‘Fruit that last?’ Afterwards, everyone enjoyed coloring different sheets related to the vine and the branches while the kids picked out sticks that Reggie had donated. They used saws, files, sand paper and drills to shape their own walking sticks before applying the varnish.

   Many thanks to our Harvest Vision team that put substance to our desire to provide a safe, fun night of fellowship for children and their families at the Children’s Museum in Burlington. Lot’s of prep work to invite people, prepare and set up refreshments, provide transportation and ensure we had information available about different opportunities for people to share the love of Jesus and stay connected as the family of God. Some Christian men and women came just to welcome and encourage those that came with children. A special thanks to those that speak Spanish and were available to translate when needed. A big thanks to the many that support the Children’s Museum that provides this beautiful and clean facility, with a great staff and environment that is filled with safe, interactive learning experiences for families in our community.  We had 30 children and almost as many adults greeting, meeting and sharing their lives with each other, many meeting each other for the first time. We are praying to provide many more opportunities for these and other families with children to get together and share their life’s faith journey with one another. 

    We are privileged to be friends with a wonderful elderly Christian lady in our community who has opened up her heart to the children in her neighborhood. What started with bringing some kids into her trailer to share Jesus with them has now evolved into 4 days of Kids’ Club every week. She has put a cover outside her trailer to provide a game room for the now 22 children from age 3-12. Nineteen of them have accepted Jesus and some of their parents in just these last few months. We are hoping to help her when she feels called to take them as a group outside her home when the Lord directs, so we are collecting booster and car seats. These young people love Jesus and want to share it with other kids that they meet in their neighborhood and their schools. If they meet someone in their neighborhood, they can invite them to come to the Kid’s Club and meet “Grandma Carolyn”. Why can’t we have a home open in every few blocks of our community?
     Consider this. Children and youth can legally share their faith with others in their school, which is their mission field. We have the legal authority to come alongside them after school and provide a place and support for them to bring in their harvest using that facility to encourage and strengthen them. Sadly, Child’s Evangelism Fellowship only has volunteers to stand with these young people at 2 of the 30 public schools in Skagit and Island county? Where are you, men and women of God? For information contact locally, call Lynn Griffin at 360-333-7025. If you live in a different area, contact Child’s Evangelism Fellowship in your community.