Shepherding children is holy work. Pastors and volunteers who lead little ones in 51 different villages gathered at our John Pac Center in Terra da Paz in August for our annual Children’s Leaders Conference. The Lord surprised us in many ways! We had planned for 60 people, but God sent 88, and he multiplied our resources to accommodate everyone.
Sarah Rodrigues, Justice & Mercy Amazon National Director, said they were “intense days, but it was supernatural.”
The intensity comes from the responsibility of leading these young girls and boys, which often includes helping to protect them from various forms of abuse. And the supernatural, well, that is God using this gathering for his glory.
“The move that God made in my life at this Conference is something that I have never experienced at any other time in my life,” attendee A.P. said.
These leaders collectively serve 1700 children in villages along the Amazon, and 70% of them were brand-new attendees. They came eager to learn, taking notes and asking questions. “The Lord met them there,” Sarah says.
We heard participants in the hallways, cafeteria, and mentoring groups talking about the impact of each session on their lives. They talked about their thoughts and plans about what they would do when they returned home. Some spoke about understanding the importance of getting closer to the child’s family and how they would do that. Others talked about what they had learned in the session about child protection. For some participants, it was completely new to hear about ways they could protect children.
We offered three new sessions this year. At the request of the 2023 participants, we taught a session about teenagers. In the mentoring groups, many people said how important it was to understand them and how they felt better equipped to work with them when they returned to their communities.
One attendee, Zenilda, had been frustrated over the years that she could not find adults to volunteer with her. Last year, during the conference, she realized that she should invest in children, not only by evangelizing but also by counting on them as volunteers to serve. For a long time, she was alone, and now the children help her in the church. They help in the music area, playing in the band, and tidying up.
Today, Zenilda’s church is part of JMA’s vulnerable child program. She does a wonderful job with our early childhood education program, PEPE, during the week and with the Bible club on Saturdays and Sundays. Some of her children are already outstanding in school. After this investment in education, others have been protected from situations of violence. “The conference was another push to continue this work throughout the year,” she said. “My mind has opened even more! Now I’m already thinking about the teenagers!”
This was also the first year we spoke about children and technology, which was impactful. The participants realized how much technology had been an idol to them and how they needed to make adjustments. Now, they can teach the children how to use technology positively.
The third new session on drug trafficking was particularly weighty. Many of the attendees feel like David before Goliath in this area. After this session, some sought the counseling we made available at the conference. One participant told our counselor, “It is the first time that I am in a place where I can be heard by someone.”
Without a doubt, the spiritual milestones made during this time were powerful. The children’s leaders left transformed. They also returned home with training boxes, food baskets, and flash drives full of helpful resources. We pray that God will use them to shine the light of the Gospel in their villages through their ministries to young boys and girls.
Learn more about our child sponsorship program in the Amazon here.
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