Instilling Youthful Hope

Cynthia one of 18 children in a residence she experienced with her parents, brothers, sisters, ants, uncles, and kin in Texas. in a community of under 6,000 people close the U.S.A.’s southern border.

Maricela H. Hernandez knows Cynthia’s area. The administrator of Flames of Fire Bible School official visit relatives and understands their travails. They are frequently living in fear and indecision.

Hernandez, 50, invited Cynthia and her stretched family to Family Christian Assembly, her husband, Rafael Hernández Jr., pastors. She also got the expression to the family about the summer feeding outreach funded by the resident school district and held at the church for children and youth through age 18. Apart from helping the free meals, the church ways vacation break Bible school program.

In the nourishing program’s 12 years, Hernandez has observed little kids develop. She’s seen the Lord move in limitless hearts. Earlier partakers, such as Cynthia, have become young people and adults, even as new kids connect with the outreach.

Many not only have derived to know Christ as Savior but also worked into the church and became energetic in Assemblies of God Texas Gulf Hispanic District youth movement, rendering to Hernandez, the district’s secretary-treasurer.

As a young girl, Cynthia, her siblings, and cousins started captivating part.

“We went for the food and hang out with our friends,” says Cynthia, now 15. She current going to the VBS.

“I  erudite more about God and got nearer to Him,” says Cynthia, who began joining youth services. Three summers break ago, she went to the district’s youth convention, where she committed to serving the Lord ultimately.

Like many others who associated with the church via the feeding program, Cynthia is active in church life, becoming prepared to serve the empire of God through Wednesday youth services and other events. Short-term crews sent from churches across the U.S. come to Peñitas to teach the youth-specific skills, such as playing musical tools. Cynthia started to play the keyboard. She and her friends from the program now share of the church praise and worship lineup.

“I share my conviction with my friends and teachers,” she says. “They share difficulties and pain with me, and I pray for them.”

This summer break, Cynthia is taking Bible courses at Flames of Fire.

“I want a strong substance to be able to share the Word of God so everyone can know how to love Him,” she says.

That’s the reason of the program, Hernandez says.

“We want our younger people to keep study so they can accomplish their dreams, to know that God is with them,” she says. One benefit is that they’re multi-lingual. “Maybe the situations around them place limitless, but when they hear other ministers who task  them to vision, they begin to daydream.”

Those 15 and older may join in Bible exercise complete Flames of Fire, a three-summer program through which students comprehensive Bible courses obligatory for AG ministry authorizations. They gain ministry experience by serving with holiday Bible school, soccer clinics, and other programs.

Four Flames of Fire graduates, prepared with AG permits, have left on to Southwestern Assemblies of God University. Two have graduated and are now are vigorous in ministry.

“The program has helped us a lot, and many are growing in their faith,” Cynthia says. “We’re being inspired and going for a right path.”

Hernandez notes that Cynthia’s parents aren’t Christians. Cynthia is praying for them.

While limitations — mainly financial — abound for scholars dreaming of continuing their education, God is making it imaginable, Hernandez says. It’s important to instill hope in the next generation of Christ-followers, she says.

“We’re saving these younger generations at a dangerous time in their lives,” Hernandez says. The Bible institute program dips students in Bible instruction and ministry opportunities. “In their early young years, they feel the call of God.”