Young People Learn to Share the Gospel and Serve
IVAN AND MILA IVANOV, BULGARIA
Children learn much by watching the example of adults and then doing things themselves. During the spring holiday in our home village of Konyovo, we gathered a group of teenagers from the church for several days to show them how to serve others and share the gospel.
The mornings included Bible teaching, singing, and games. The afternoons consisted of packing groceries and Baby Boxes together and then distributing them to recipients in their homes. We instructed the youth on how to be respectful and kind. Our group of teenagers learned that what we were doing was more than just delivering material aid. It was about meeting people in need, listening to them, and praying for them.
Visiting Homes was Eye-Opening
As we visited some of the poorest families our youth began to see people’s hardships in a new way.Our teens are not from wealthy families, but they encountered ones who struggle to put bread on their tables, so this experience gave them a real gratitude for what they do have.
The Boys Packed and Carried Baby Boxes
At first it felt a little strange to our boys to pack newborn materials and make deliveries to new mothers, but they worked enthusiastically as they understood how much it helped others.
We distributed Baby Boxes in two villages. For these youth, serving mothers and praying for them was a significant step. The experience impacted not only the families but also the teenagers themselves.
It is common for multiple families to live together in these villages, and that is what we found in one small house we visited: twin sisters, whose families share a home, had both given birth around the same time and received their Baby Boxes on the same day!
The friendships among the teenagers grew stronger as they learned together that the gospel is proclaimed not only through words but also through kindness, sympathy, and generosity toward others. They saw, too, how the church is a conduit through which such compassion can be poured out.
