By Dee Dee Sterling
(Dee Dee, her husband David, and their three children serve the Lord as BIMI missionaries in Siberia)

When our family first moved to the village of Elita, we met the English teacher from the local school. Through her we met the director of the school and many teachers. Even though we home school our children, our daughter Rebekah was invited to attend the bi-weekly craft lessons at the school. Taking our three children to the school twice a week was an excellent opportunity to become better acquainted with the staff and students. Every day the students gathered around our boys to watch them and to speak English to them.

The school holds a day camp during the month of June for children in our village and neighboring villages. We asked the teachers involved for permission to use the school facilities for VBS after their day camp. When they invited us to hold our VBS during the last three days of their day camp, we were excited to see what God would do.

The first day went well with over 40 children in attendance. However, the next morning the director called, because they had received a complaint from several mothers about Bible verses we sent home with the children. We could no longer hold VBS at the school. After Dee met with the director and the most unsatisfied mother (who later apologized for all the trouble), we were surprised to learn that the director agreed completely that we were doing right teaching the children about God and the Bible. The Gospel was presented during that meeting and the director stated her need to make a decision regarding her own soul. Dee was later able to give her a New Testament and gospel literature.

A few days later, the director of the House of Culture where we meet for weekly services gave us permission to use that building for VBS. We started the very next Tuesday. Dee was even allowed to go into the school cafeteria at lunch time and invite the children to VBS.

As a result of these relationships the Lord has allowed us to establish, we still have new children coming every week to our Sunday school class. Some of them even look forward to Saturdays when we invite other children in the village to Sunday school. They ask to go with us on evangelization. One of these children is Liza, who has faithfully attended Sunday school for the last seven months. She always memorizes her weekly Bible verses and has memorized all of the books of the Bible. After Liza read a New Testament Dee gave her, she asked for a whole Bible so she could read the Old Testament as well. Liza has brought her nephew to Sunday school and actively invites other children. She even "re-teaches" the Bible lessons to her mother, father, older brother and sister, showing them from the Bible what Dee has taught her. We have talked with her about salvation; she says she is still not ready. Please pray for Liza to be saved.

As we take Liza and others out each week, we try to reach new children. We give the children an "invitation" coloring sheet to color and to bring back on Sunday morning when they will be rewarded with a candy. If we are unable to meet their parents, we find out where they live and meet them the following week. Special invitations are given to the parents to encourage them to attend on holidays and other occasions. We recently have had several parents of children who regularly attend Sunday school indicate interest in the services. Please pray for the Lord to continue to bless our children's ministry and use it to bring many families to Christ.