Dear Children,

Do you like to play hide-and-seek? I would guess that the answer to that is “yes.” But would hide-and-seek be any fun if you were hiding not from friends but from a bad guy? I don’t think so.

During World War II the Germans were trying to capture Jews all over Europe. Some brave Christians (and also others who weren’t Christian) tried to help by hiding these Jews. It was very dangerous, because if you got caught hiding Jews you could be killed. But Carrie ten Boom and her family, who lived in Holland, weren’t afraid to help. They hid Jews in special hiding places in their home. Then, when it was safe, they would help them to escape and then bring in new Jews.

These Jews were never caught, but Corrie was. She was sent to prison where she was cold, hungry, and sick. But she continued to believe that Jesus was with her and that she should try to love her enemies, not hate them. That’s a hard thing to do. When Corrie got out of prison the war was nearly over.

During her years helping the Jews, Corrie and her family are believed to have saved about 800 lives. She died at the age of 91.

I asked some adults to complete the following sentences:

1.) I felt near to God when...

2.) My church family helped me when...

3.) I think of Jesus as...

Here are the answers I received:

"I felt near to God when I prayed."

"I felt near to God when my children were born."

"I felt near to God when I woke up to a beautiful sunrise and I watched a beautiful sunset... when I can stand in a spring rain. Without God none of this would be possible."

"My church family helped me when they said ‘Good Morning’ and welcomed me on Sundays."

"My church family helped me when my mother died and when my father was dying."

"I think of Jesus as a teacher."

"I think of Jesus and my life ever after because of him."

"I think of Jesus as loving and kind."

Dear Children,

I would like to tell you a short story about a woman named Rosa Parks. She lived at a time when black people could not eat at the same restaurants as white people, use the same water fountains as white people (hard to believe, isn't it), or go to the same schools as white people. These were just some of the disadvantages black people like Rosa faced.

One of the rules black people faced was that they had to sit at the back of the bus. One day Rosa refused. She sat up front. She would not move even the the police asked her to. She was polite, but had a lot of determination. Because of her actions she was sent to jail. But here is the good news. Her story spread around the country. Soon people began to realize that she had been treated unfairly. Things began to change. The change didn't happen immediately. But over the next 60 years, thanks to the courage of people like Rosa Parks, we live in a nation where people of different color can live together in ways that no one could have imagined 60 years ago.

We thank Jesus for people like Rosa Parks.

Pastor Phil

Dear Children,

Elisabeth Elliot was born in the country of Belgium, but her family moved to the United States before her first birthday. By the time she was in college she decided that what she wanted to do was translate the Bible for people who did not have a Bible in their own language. She ended up marrying a man who wanted to do the same thing, and together they worked in the country of Ecuador, Her husband, Jim, died tragically when he was only 29 years old. They had a 10 month-old baby,

Elisabeth did not lose her love for the people of Ecuador. She continued to work with the Quichua and Huaroni tribes. She continued to work among these tribes for another seven years before returning to the United States. Throughout her time in Ecuador she shared the story of Jesus and his love for all people. When she returned to the United States her goal in life did not change. She continued to share the love of Jesus. For thirteen years she had a radio program which she began with these words: "You are loved with an everlasting love - that's what the Bible says - and underneath are the everlasting arms. This is your friend, Elisabeth Elliot."

Elisabeth Elliott died at the age of 89, having spent most of her life being a friend to people, whether in Ecuador or the United States, because she believed that there was no better way to share the love of Jesus.

This is your friend, Pastor Phil

Dear Children,

I learned lately about a lady named Anne Bradstreet. Anne came to America (it wasn't a country yet) about 100 years before George Washington was even born! Anne loved to write poems. She wrote poems about a lot of subjects, but most of all she loved to write poems about her good friend, Jesus. She found time to write poems even though she was the mother to eight children! She wrote poems about being a mother and about her love for her husband. She also wrote poems about how life was difficult in America. People loved to read her poems and she was the first person in America to ever have her poems published in a book.

Do you ever write poems? If you do, and would be willing to show them to me, I would love to see them.

Your friend,

Pastor Phil