Two of the first verses I memorized were Psalm 119:9 & 11, which say “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to Your Word … Your Word I have hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against You.” Below is a letter from Sara Douglas, who is serving the Lord overseas. Enjoy as you see how she is changing lives through having her students memorize the Word.
In February we started the Memory Verse Program at my school and three other schools in my region. Students who are in the Memory Verse Program memorize 25 verses and then earn their own Swahili Bible. One of my favorite things about this program is that the students learn about the Bible and who God is. I love getting to see the students huddle together and help each other memorize different verses. They get so excited as they learn more verses and gain a better understanding of God’s word. I have a perfect opportunity to talk with my students about Jesus as they are learning and memorizing different verses. Sometimes the students will ask more questions about the verse and we get to discuss even more. I think the thing I love the most is that the students get to have their own Bible. It’s unusual for a kid to have a Bible here, which is one of the motivating reasons for the students to learn 25 verses.
Last week two of my students finished saying 25 verses, and yesterday I had the wonderful opportunity to give them their Bibles. In each of their Bibles I underlined all the verses they memorized and a few of my favorites. I also wrote them a special message to encourage them to continually use their Bibles to grow in their relationships with Christ. I wanted them to know what a big accomplishment it was and how proud I am of them. Yesterday I had them over to my house for a little celebration so they could see how excited I was for them. The three of us had some sodas, talked about the verses they learned, what some of their favorite verses were and how they would use their Bibles. Both of them were very excited when I handed them their Bibles and spent the whole time looking through them.
The three other missionary teachers in my region also gave out Bibles to those students who earned them. They sent me emails to tell me a little about how it went, and I wanted to share a few stories with you. In all three of the schools there were 78 Bibles given out to some very thrilled students. One student said he was so excited to get a Bible because he could now have his own and be even closer to one day being a pastor. Other students were so excited to receive their Bibles they cried, sang and danced for joy. A few girls stayed up late with one of the missionary teachers to ask questions about the verses she chose to underline in their Bibles. Many students brought the Bible that they earned to the weekly chapel we have in all our schools. There are a lot more stories about students receiving their Bibles, but these are just a few so you can have a picture of what me and the other missionary teachers get to be apart of.
The students will be on break for the next three weeks, but when they return I know there will be more wanting to continue memorizing verses. I can’t wait to see them continue and can't wait to be part of helping them learn more about the God who knows us and loves us. Thank you for all of you prayers for the students and for the Memory Verse Program. Please continue to pray for the students involved and that they would come to have a personal relationship with Jesus and know Him more deeply.
In His Service,
Sara
Way to go, Sara! The Word of God is being planted into the lives of students. BCC is privileged to have a part in Sara’s mission. The Spirit of God will take the Word of God and do the work of God—Salvation!
To God be the glory!
Todd Alewine
Lead Pastor
