Firstly, I thank God for giving us the circumstances and grace to go ahead with this year’s Summer Bible School. I also thank the members of our church that prayed for us and supported us in many ways. Our Summer Bible School is one of the most important events for the children in our church. We did a lot of planning and prep work in advance, and really thought about ways in which it could be fun for the children but also an opportunity for them to meet God.
We recruited volunteers, I listened to online courses on Bible Schools and to the songs that we would sing together at the Bible School. This time, I wanted to create a Bible School like atmosphere, so I communicated with the volunteer in charge and decided to put a lot of effort and resources into decorating the venue. In the meantime, parents of the children created a rota and prayed for our Bible School, and preparations were taking place step-by-step. But a problem arose unexpectedly.
The decorations that we ordered from Korea didn’t arrive on time. The volunteer in charge, who was based in Korea, contacted us to say that they had put down the delivery address wrong, which led to some delays. We were horrified. We had placed the order early just in case, but this was a mistake that we didn’t foresee. At first, I thought that surely it will arrive somehow, but time continued to pass and we couldn’t even locate the parcel.
A week before the Bible School, each team was concluding their preparations and checking that everything was in place. During that process, I heard God speaking to me. While reading the bible in the morning, I saw that God’s presence was far away as we were preparing for our Bible School. Looking back, I realised that while we had prayed a lot during the preparation stage, it hadn’t been enough; rather than entrusting God with everything, we were too focused on our own efforts. Upon realising this, I immediately bowed down to God and prayed. “God, please let our Bible School be one that you take control over.”
Thankfully, God helped me see that he is still watching, and that he is still faithful. He reminded me that the Lord’s arms are not weak, and his plans are always good. He comforted me and filled me with peace, thanks to which I was able to pray for each aspect of the Bible School in greater depth. The decorations didn’t arrive on the day before the Bible School; nevertheless, I was able to thank God and look forward to how he would work regardless. In the end, the parcel arrived near Wimbledon in the early morning of the day of the Bible School, and we were able to start with all of the decorations we needed.
God showed me, clearly, once again. He taught me who he was in a way that I could understand; through a small problem, he taught me what I had to check and how I had to walk in faith. I hope to continue to grow in his grace, by constantly checking whether God is present in everything that I do. In that way, this Bible School was a time for growth not only for our children, but also for me, his fragile and unworthy servant.
