Learning the Word

One of my favorite things this fall has been the Sunday School class I am teaching with one of the best age groups:  3rd through 5th grade girls!  There are usually 8-10 girls who attend regularly.  I really look forward to seeing them each week, giving them a hug and watching them grow in their knowledge of the Lord as they hear a Bible story and learn of God's love for them.  We review the Bible story and discuss what we have learned about God from the story.  We talk about what it means for us. We color and make a craft related to the story.  The girls surprise me with how much they are retaining each week.  Honestly, I am not sure that some children in main stream churches are taught the many Bible stories we are covering.  

We have also learned two verses together this fall.  One of them is:  "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee (Jesus)."  Psalm 56:3.  This verse rhymes with the reference and we learned it in song form.  A couple of weeks ago I was out of town and Emily and Rachel taught the class for me.  Emily and Rachel asked the girls if they could remember the verse they had been learning and one girl immediately began quoting it.  They were able to sing it without me.  It thrilled my heart.  This is a good verse because most of them experience scary things in their lives.  I pray that they might remember this verse along the way as they encounter times when they are afraid.  

The second verse we are learning is Proverbs 18:10 "The name of the Lord is a strong tower, the righteous run into it and they are safe."  The very week we started to learn this verse, the story was on the tower of Babel.  I told the girls we don't have to build a tower to get to God.  His very name is our strong tower!  

I am amazed at how quickly they are picking up these verses. We have been given a promise in Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is living and active...."  I want these precious girls to have Scripture in their hearts and minds because it is alive and powerful.  Please pray that they will continue to recall the verses and that the Lord might use His Word in a special way.

Update: A few thoughts from the Rez

It has been way too long since any of the Maxfields posted on this blog. Not sure why. Anyways, here are a few thoughts as we head into Fall. (It still seems like summer here. Except for a couple rainy days, most days it's 70 degrees and sunny.)

• I recently learned that some check cashing places and/or title loan companies charge as much as 300% interest for small personal loans. 300%! Some people are evil. (Over 40% of Native Americans have used check cashing companies as a source of capital.)
• We had 17 pre-schoolers at Hope Fellowship last Sunday. Thirteen of those came without a parent, 14 were Yakama.
• Have you heard about the ACE study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Kaiser Permanente's Health Appraisal Clinic in San Diego? ACEs are Adverse Childhood Experiences. The study found that ACEs lead to and cause much of chronic disease, most mental illness and are at the root of most violence. What is happening in the homes of America today is an abomination in the sight of the Lord and more must be done to prevent abuse and neglect of the children in this country. Go here to find out more: http://acestoohigh.com/aces-101/
• We haven't had TV since last January. I recommend it.
• If you ever find yourself being chased down by an angry bull, don't try to outrun it. They are much faster than you'd think. Instead, you'll need to outsmart it. If you aren't able to do that you have other troubles that are much more long lasting.
• We had 88 youth (6th grade through 12th grade) at youth group last week.
• Don't ever plant two walnut trees in your yard. The number of walnuts that can fall from one tree is staggering and you may need to watch for your life when a windstorm blows through and you happen to be walking in your yard.
• The Men's and Women's Bible Studies at Hope Fellowship are going great! Pray that more Yakamas would attend.
• I've been playing WordFeud (a Scrabble game I play on my phone) with a guy in Louisianna for at least 5 or 6 years. All I know about him is from chatting via the game over the years. He recently confided in me about his marriage troubles and by the end of the conversation I think he agreed to take his family back to church! If that isn't God ordained I don't know what is.
• Rachel was voted Student of the Month at East Valley High School for the month of September. She just started there this year and only knew one person on her first day of school. Talk about making a first impression. I'm waiting for my bumper sticker.
• A couple people have dropped off their giving to our support account at Sacred Road. If you would like to join us in this ministry, please email me. dhmaxfield@gmail.com
• It is amazing the difficulty to find cheap, reliable internet service in the country. It is expensive, slow and very annoying to find the right solution. Don't take your cable provided, unlimited data, internet service for granted.
• Living in rural America is a blessing. Even in the midst of brokenness on the Reservation.