PINEVILLE – Jesus’ Acts 1:8 imperative sends witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and “the ends of the earth.”
By David E. Cranford
Special to the Message
PINEVILLE – Jesus’ Acts 1:8 imperative sends
witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and “the ends of the earth.”
Geographical, cultural, and linguistic barriers make “the ends of the earth” the most challenging witnessing field.
But sometimes the Lord sends “the ends of the earth” to the witnesses.
This summer, for the third consecutive year, a group
of South Korean children and chaperones will come “from the ends of the
earth” to the U.S. and central Louisiana. The two-week event called
CampUSA is co-sponsored by the Korean Baptist Church Development Board
and the Central Louisiana/Korean Missions Partnership.
The Cenla/Korea Missions Partnership is an official
International Mission Board sanctioned limited partnership between the
Central Louisiana, North Rapides, and Big Creek Baptist Associations,
and the Korea Baptist Mission and the Korean Foreign Mission Board.
The partnership includes other things such as
Louisiana sending volunteer missionaries to South Korea for church
crusades each fall.
“Korean parents are willing to send their children
to central Louisiana primarily for English language training and the
American experience, but central Louisianans use the experience to
witness,” said Charles Lowry, American coordinator of CampUSA. “Last
year, CampUSA resulted in 50 children being won to Christ.”
Every day while in central Louisiana, the South
Korean children will attend Vacation Bible School, take English
language and culture classes, participate in excursions, and live with
a host family. Each of these experiences is designed to tell the
children about the love of Jesus.
The 4th-6th grade Korean children will attend
Vacation Bible School July 23-31 at a central Louisiana church
alongside their American peers.
Each year, three Louisiana Baptist churches are
chosen to host a part of the Korean group in their V.B.S. The
three churches hosting V.B.S. this year are Philadelphia Baptist in
Deville, Tioga First Baptist in Pineville and First Baptist Montgomery.
As a result of these exciting, cross-cultural
Vacation Bible Schools, the Korean children hear the plan of salvation
and many respond.
Each day after V.B.S., the children attend English language and culture classes at another church.
Volunteer instructors from local churches teach
English words that relate to the cultural excursion for the day, along
with words that relate to the plan of salvation.
After language and culture classes, the children
board church vans from still other churches and launch out into the
sweltering heat of central Louisiana to gain a feel for the area.
The children do things such as visit the local zoo,
swim, play games, fish, and even ride 4-wheelers and race lawn mowers.
For more information about opportunities for
involvement with CampUSA 2006, call the Baptist Mission Center at
318-445-5772.