A Gospel Partnership Making a Difference

Having a missions moment helps the children connect what they are learning with gospel-centered compassion as they raise money to help others.

Having a missions moment helps the children connect what they are learning with gospel-centered compassion as they raise money to help others. Many churches chose to support our partners, Children’s Hunger Fund, for the missions moment (this is what we suggest in the VBS curriculum). This is a wonderful ministry that connects with pastors and churches around the world to meet practical needs, providing food and other items to the most vulnerable, so local pastors and Christians can build relationships and share the gospel with children and families. Praise the Lord that, through past VBS programs and the funds collected for the missions moment, over 7 million meals have been provided to needy families!

CHF recently provided us an update on what the funds from people just like you—and from children like the ones who attend Answers VBS each summer—are doing. Here’s the story they shared:

“When I grow up, I want to be a policeman and protect people from bad guys.” At just ten years old, Emmanuel Bustillo had already witnessed plenty of violence in Honduras before his family immigrated to San Antonio, Texas. Having a safe place for his family to live is very important to Emmanuel.

He also has a dream of owning a pet rabbit someday.

Emmanuel’s mother has slightly different goals—mainly, to provide food for her three children to eat each day. When Alina and Jorge Bustillo came to America, they had dreams of a better future for their family, and, for a while, they did. They found a home to rent, and Jorge’s job as a roofer provided them with a decent income. The situation changed when Jorge got himself in trouble and ended up with a 22-month jail sentence.

Alina’s brother came up from Honduras along with his seven-year-old son. The pair moved in with Alina’s family to help them make ends meet, but the jobs he is able to take are limited by his lack of education and understanding of the English language. Temporary jobs help but don’t cover the cost of their basic needs.

Pastor Villastrigo and his wife first met Alina’s family when introduced by a member of his church. They began delivering Food Paks and have started to form a friendship with members of the family.

The food has brought relief to Alina’s tight budget and offered stability. Now that summer is over and the older children are able to receive two meals from the school’s free and reduced meal program, she can stretch their resources even further. Diapers for her one-year-old are expensive, but the church has been able to help with that, as well.

Much has changed for the Bustillo family. Alina has started to care for other children in her home to contribute to the family income and her brother continues to look for better work. Alina and the children have visited Pastor Villastrigo’s church a couple of times and are open and receptive to hearing about the gospel.

The gifts you send make it possible for church partners like Pastor Villastrigo to expand the reach of his church to minister to his community. Because of your gifts, Emmanuel, his sisters, and his cousin are able to receive Food Paks and hear that they are beloved children of a loving God. Thanks to you, hope is being delivered.

We are pleased that our VBS program and the thousands of churches that use our curriculum have the privilege of being part of what God is doing through CHF. I encourage you to consider supporting Children’s Hunger Fund and check out our pro-life VBS for 2022 Zoomerang.

Thanks for stopping by and thanks for praying,
Ken

This item was written with the assistance of AiG’s research team.