Learning and Growing

Sarah is 11 years old. She participates in all the Children at Risk programs; she is an active member and she always joins with excitement. Sarah is kind¸ caring and friendly. She loves helping people around her and shows kindness in everything she does. Sarah listens carefully to the advice she receives because she wants to be a better person. She works hard to behave well and tries her best not to make mistakes. She has a good heart and a strong desire to grow. Over time, Sarah has learned many Biblical stories and has become familiar with them. She believes that trusting in God is the best way to succeed in life.

She shared, “Through the story of David and Goliath, I learned that trusting in God helps us overcome any challenge, no matter how difficult it is. David defeated Goliath because of his strong faith. I believe that faith in God leads to victory.” Sarah also believes that success comes from working together and supporting one another. She said, “I learned a verse from Corinthians that says, ‘Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.’ (1 Corinthians 12:14) I understood that working with others can lead to big achievements, just like the body needs all its parts to work together.” 

This helped her value relationships and cooperation with others even more.

Sarah loves attending the programs. She feels happy, comfortable, and relaxed there. She says the center feels like her second home. She enjoys spending time there with her friends.

“Your love and care for us really touched me,” Sarah shared. “The way you treat us with kindness makes me so happy. You care and help us with everything. It feels different from how anyone else treats us.”

Sarah never stops learning. She feels happy every time she hears stories about God’s love. One story that touched her heart is about the woman who wiped Jesus’ feet.  

“I remember the story about the woman who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet,” she said. “The disciples complained, but Jesus thanked her. I learned from this story that I should always be thankful and give thanks to God in all situations.”

Sarah tries to apply everything she learns to her life. One day during the program, Sarah came to the team and said, 

“I remember we once learned a verse about fear, but I forgot it. I want to write it on paper so I can pray and say it when I feel afraid. I’m very scared of war, of bombs, and of dying.”  

Sarah is learning to overcome her fears by praying and thinking about God’s words. She finds comfort in prayer and the Bible, but she still asks for help and support.

Over time, Sarah’s actions have changed for the better. She is now able to forgive others, even though it was hard for her before. She realized that forgiveness brings peace to her own heart.  

“My actions and my life have changed,” she said. “I remember a story I heard a long time ago in the club. I learned from it that we should love everyone even our enemies. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and not to treat others in an evil way like they did.”

Although Sarah still struggles with some bad habits, she is trying her best to walk in God’s way.  She shared honestly, “I am facing a sin that I can’t get rid of. I swear a lot, and I know that this is wrong. I heard that I should speak without swearing, but I can’t do so because I’m used to it.”  

Sarah knows that swearing isn’t a good habit, and she is trying to stop. She has asked for prayer and support.