We begin not quite at the beginning

In the chapel.

This year marks the second anniversary of the inauguration of the current learning space for our preschool. We opened the first full week of the new school year with the service of morning prayer in the chapel on Monday, September 24. I preached on St. Paul's words to Timothy from 2 Timothy 3:14-17.

 "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work."

The emphasis was, of course, on the divine inspiration of the Scriptures, but also on the importance of learning from them early, preferably within the family circle as well as the church and school, for the formation of faith and character. We have nearly 40 children enrolled in the preschool now.

Rainbow around the sun.

The book of Genesis provided the first extended weekly Bible lesson for the preschool children, but not the first chapter. Rather, because of the heavy rainfall that we have received and severe flooding in many parts of Venezuela (most recently, Vargas state), I began with the great flood and God's promise to Noah, sealed by the rainbow, that water would never again cover the face of the entire earth.

The following week, the children learned how God created the heavens and the earth, but with John 1:1-3 as the text. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." For the same Jesus who would be born among us to suffer and die on the cross, was present with the Father and the Holy Spirit at the creation of all things.

Later I expanded on this theme with the Sunday youth group in our discussion of the role of prophecy and its relation to the promise of a Savior. This promise first appears in Genesis 3:15, after Satan has led Adam and Eve into disobedience. Through the seed of Eve (not the seed of Adam, for He would be born of a virgin) would come victory over the devil, sin and death.

Arch Books and afterschool tutoring.

Luz Maria is using Arch Books about the miracles of Jesus to help her afterschool students learn to read. She now tutors 20 students with learning problems with help from some young ladies from our youth group. Twenty students is about as many as she can handle, and there is a waiting list of 20 more who want her tutoring.

Please continue to pray for us and all of Venezuela, as our mission shines the light of God in a dark place.