(September 9, 2007) The Tabernacle Children’s Ministry team finished Vacation Bible Schools with a bang the second week of August. The excitement level ran high as the children got involved in bringing their friends, singing, and listening to the stories. If only you could have been there to hear forty voices singing, “My God is so Great!” Enthusiasm ran high as they all imitated the motions and they added their own unique twist to the song. When all was said and done, we saw seventy-six children make decisions for Christ. Ten of those decisions were for assurance. Each child that we dealt with received follow up materials and if they didn’t have one, a Bible.

Many schools are already back in session so that means the Aljets will be attending preschool. In fact, since 1992 chapel times have been helping preschool children learn about Jesus. The chapel times have expanded from one location to five. In the five locations there will be a total of seventeen sessions. The youngest group starts at eighteen months and the oldest are kindergarten age. Carefully, throughout the year, we lay a foundation, building the Gospel message through lessons and song. Pray that we will be able to communicate clearly in each group the message.

Teacher training is one way we can continue to prepare others in order to be effective teachers. This fall we will be doing two different AWANA conferences one in Muscatine and one in Johnston. At both of these we will be doing some training sessions. In October we will be in Fort Dodge for a missionary conference and in November we plan to be in Ripley, Mississippi for a Bible Conference and hopefully a time of sharing the ministry with a church in Enterprise, Mississippi.

(May 2, 2004) Easter Sunday morning we ministered at a church in Cedar Rapids. A special lesson sharing the Gospel was presented. The Lord Jesus gave new life to five young men that responded to the invitation. What a glorious day to be born again! That morning one young man’s uncle had been sharing about the need for salvation. God goes before us and prepares the way in young lives.

Will you be praying for our summer ministry schedule? Come before the throne and pray for the many children that will hear the Gospel presented. It is through everyone’s faithfulness that God allows us to work. Thank you for sharing your finances to uphold this ministry. With the price of gasoline going higher and higher there will be an increased need. If you have opportunity share with your friends and church about the work and we will wait upon the Lord to provide. You are extensions of our hands and feet and we are humbled and grateful to God for the opportunity to work together for Christ.

We rejoice in God’s work there at Calvary. We are blessed to be one of your missionaries. Please continue praying as we travel and as we minister to the children. In His Service,

We are praising the Lord! We have had one hundred and eleven decisions for the Lord, ninety-eight of them for salvation. It is likely some decisions are only recorded in heaven, although our team was very vigilant and diligent to write down each one. Our Lord's records are impeccable; so we will leave the final count to Him. Eleven vacation bible schools and one hundred and eleven decisions, we trust you too are rejoicing we are confident the angels are having a party Luke 15:7 reminds us that there is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents. As I look over the records it is amazing to me how many unchurched have come to know the Lord. We have had approximately four hundred and fifty children who attended VBS. In one church alone we had a fifth of the twelve decisions made by children who were attending no church, Jesus said in Luke 14:23 "And the Lord said unto the servant, go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled." Notice twice in two verses He speaks to His servant that is the key. We have spoken of this before but just a reminder Christ is looking for servant. Servants are those whom He can use. All other desires to please ourselves distract from what Christ is trying to do in each one of us. As we get more acquainted with Christ we will be used by God in effective ways. Our ministry will produce much fruit as the Holy Spirit works in each of our lives. Acts 2:18 reminds us "On my servants I will pour out my Spirit." This too is a key. Christ wants each of us to be empowered to do His will. Power only comes through His Spirit!

It is the Spirit who draws each child: John 12:32 "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." It is He who does the drawing.

We may practice, plan, work, set up, make phone calls travel hundreds of miles but all is in vain unless the Spirit of the Lord comes down. We praise Him for His smile of approval and the evidence of His hand upon this work. Thank you that we can be one of the missionaries that Calvary supports. Each child is a trophy of God's grace!