«One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could lay his hands on them and pray for them» (Matthew 19:13).
Last week, we started the story of Mariel and Maponts’o, who began studying the Bible in Lesotho. Mariel also taught English to children who only had small notebook and a pencil. Their childhood was without scissors or crayons, because there was not enough money for those «luxuries, » but in her English classes they enjoyed cutting (something they had never done before in their lives) and coloring with what she provided. They were extremely motivated by the simplest games.
Because of inadequate and insufficient nutrition, and its consequent negative influence on the children ‘s cognitive development, in addition to a lack of early stimulation because of ingrained beliefs, Mariel adapted to their learning process and adjusted to what they could take in, which was a lot anyway.
In turn, Maponts’o progressed quickly with her Bible studies. Her love of God and her faith in Him could be seen by the light in her eyes and the words she expressed. Both of them were moved by each lesson.
When Maponts’o got married, her parents were still alive; but they later passed away and then after some time her husband stopped working and she was the only one who worked. They lived with her mother-in-law, who mistreated her badly and blamed her for their poverty and lack of education The situation was so uncomfortable that Maponts’o made the decision to take her two daughters and go live in her grandmother’s house. But the kind woman was very poor and also had to raise two great-grandchildren Maponts’o couldn’t find a job in a country with few job offers for someone without an education. However, her faith in God didn’t cease and a few months after she began studying the Bible, she decided to get baptized. Mariel and Maponts’o became very close friends and Mariel set out collecting donations that, although small, helped Maponts’o to buy the necessary elements to begin her business venture. She feels she has a family at church and, although Mariel no longer lives there, they stay in touch.
We shouldn’t underestimate the opportunity some lost keys, scissors and crayons can give us if we place ourselves in God’s hands and set out to accomplish the mission. Without going to Lesotho, you can probably find a family to help today, some children to lead to Jesus.
