The Supreme Court of Argentina tried to stop this program
Amado, 6, was learning about Jesus. Even though he lived far away from any churches or missionaries, he was studying the Bible at public school through Crecer’s Amigos Por Siempre (APS) program. His teacher was helping him learn about Creation, Noah’s Ark, and the attributes of God.
Amado even had his own “Amigos Por Siempre” Bible that he was learning to read, and it was extra-special because it had pictures too. However, this year, the Supreme Court of Argentina, where Amado lives, decided it was unconstitutional for him to learn the Bible in public school.
This decision might hinder the APS program, but it can’t take away all that Amado and his classmates have learned. The last two years of APS have provided a Biblical foundation for all the elementary students in Amado’s school. We were thrilled to hear that another organization is working to establish a church plant in the area. On their scouting trip, they were impressed at how much of the Bible the children already knew; so much so that they called Crecer to let us know that our labor was still showing fruit!
The kids still have their Bibles and are waiting for someone to keep teaching them. At The Crecer Foundation, we have spent this year searching for new ways to take the Bible to Amado’s region. We have been working with local principals, school councils and town mayors to weigh our options and we’ve found a solution.
Amigos Por Siempre 2.0, if you will, would implement VBS programs in Amado’s town and beyond. We’ll use the same curriculum but teach it through an intensive camp, not only to kids but to their older siblings and parents as well. With the right materials, a trailer, and camp supplies, we can be back in the region as soon as March. Donors like you can help us spread the Word through this rural area and reach kids and their families with the gospel message.
Amado and his family came to visit a partner church in Córdoba, Argentina in the summer. It was their first time in a big city, their first experience in a church, and Amado’s first time to ride an escalator. Late this year, we received word that the family had moved to another village where there is a church, and were attending each Sunday. He, his sisters who went through the Amigos Por Siempre program, and his parents are continuing to grow in the Word of God.