Kid's Club

One of the best parts of my day in Cambodia is Kid’s Club. It’s such a fun two hours, filled with much giggling, games and joy. The kids, covered with the grim that comes from living on the streets, have contagious laughter and the most precious hearts. Kid’s Club is always an adventure!

Here is what a normal Kid’s Club day looks like:

We leave our house in a tuk tuk with a box brimming full with supplies - crayons, scissors, an attendance book, a first aid kit, silly stickers and any other lesson materials needed for the day. At the park we are often greeted by a small group of children awaiting our arrival. They grab our supplies from the tuk tuk and dash towards the place we meet. If we are not careful, they begin rummaging through the box, trying to catch a glimpse of what the day’s lesson might hold. We pull out our bag of balls and spend 20 minutes simply playing with the children as they come from their various ‘homes’. When most have gathered, we give each kid a name tag, which they carefully apply to their shirts and we officially begin.

Because we have such a transient community, we often spend the first ten minutes introducing ourselves and reminding the kids of good Kid’s Club behavior. From there we sing some songs. This is one of the most precious times at Club. It is such a joy to hear 15 little voices sing songs with lyrics like “Jesus loves me and Jesus loves you” in the middle of a public park for all the world to hear. Then, with much gusto, we play a game like Moses Says or Red Light, Green Light.

After the game, we settle into our Bible lesson. Once we finish, we ask the kids how we can pray for them. They tell us about their sick family members and friends. In unison we lift up these requests to the Father. Next, we split into groups and begin a craft. When we finish the craft, we share a snack together and, finally, remind them to come to Kid’s Club the next day. Then we gather our supplies, give last hugs, say good-bye, and climb into our tuk tuk. As we head home, our hearts are full of gratitude for Kid’s Club and the children that God has given to us for this time.

Yesterday the kids sat captivated by the story of God sending his only Son into the world to save us from our sins. For a craft, they were given a construction paper heart with John 3:16 written in Khmer and a piece of yarn that they used to 'sew' the border of the heart. Then they practiced reciting the verse over and over again...very loudly for all the park visitors to hear.

I hope this gives you an idea of our day-to-day life. Please keep praying for these kids.

Grace and peace,

Becki