WRITTEN IN MY HEART
19) Gariel in Pakistan – Setting up Sunday School Program
Last week the post highlighted the building of the little brick Gariel Church in the Mission Colony of Raiwind outside of Lahore, Pakistan. The Opening Ceremony and First Worship Service were held on the weekend of April 2-3, 2016.
One big plan and desire was to set up a Sunday School Program at the church as quickly as possible. The kick-off of The Gariel Sunday School Program was held on Friday, May 6, 2016, with about 30 children attending the first session.
Within a month, Sunday School attendance grew to about 60 children. Some of the children are from families who are not members of the church. The Sunday School program quickly became a wonderful opportunity for outreach to many families in the village.
I taught my first Sunday School lesson by using Skype on Friday, July 15, 2016. Since there are 10 or 11 hours difference in time, I presented a lesson at about 4:30 a.m. or 5:30 a.m. our time. For my first lesson I talked about who God is and the Trinity of God. God the Father, God the Son (Jesus) and God the Holy Spirit.
I have also taught a number of lessons on God our Creator and His Account of Creation and most recently on the Fruit of the Spirit. Pastor Vicky would translate from English to Urdu as I spoke God’s Word to the children and some adults who decided to watch.
The Sunday School located in Gariel Church is now over eight years old. Each year the children present a Christmas Program remembering the birth of Jesus and, also, an Easter Program about the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Jesus.
At Christmas, Gariel Ministries provides a Christmas Gift to each of the children. The first year it was a sweater. Usually, the gift is something warm like a sweater, hoodie, socks, mittens, caps or scarves. Homes are not heated in Raiwind. The coldest time of the year is in December and January when the temperatures at night will drop into the 30s.
There is three Sunday Schools considered to be part of this program. Two are located in buildings in other nearby villages. Approximately 200 children are now enrolled in the Gariel Sunday School Program.
Visit the website for more about Gariel Ministries at http://www.garielministries.org
Testimony of
Dorothy von Lehe
2024