My heart was crushed, my dreams dashed. Almost 20 years ago, I had started a Sunday School at a residential primary school in Namibia. As we taught God’s Word to the children, a number of them trusted Christ as their Savior. We divided them into small groups and enlisted Christian high school students to disciple them. It was a delightful ministry.

But our joy vanished when the school principal left and the new principal ordered us to stop holding Sunday School there. We couldn’t understand it. He had professed faith in Christ as a high school student. And now he had become so hostile to the Christian faith. His reason: we were teaching things that went against Herero (tribal) traditions. It seemed the end of our hope that the children there would learn to follow Jesus.

Many years later, we returned for a visit. A young woman came to me and said, “You don’t know me, but years ago when you taught Sunday School at the primary school, I received the Lord Jesus as my Savior. Later I joined the Christian group at the high school. And now I am teaching Sunday School in the Herero church.” I had no words to express my gratitude to the Lord.

A few months ago, I received more good news. Else, another Herero friend whom I had discipled when she was a teenager, came to visit us in South Africa where we now live. She brought updates about several of the children we had taught in Namibia—children who are now quite grown up. I mentioned how disappointed I had been when Uatuakumue, the one-time believer, had put a stop to our Sunday School.

“Oh,” said Else, “Didn’t you know? He recommitted his life to the Lord and is now serving Him faithfully.”

We are convinced that God honors His Word when it’s prayerfully implanted in the hearts of children and youth.

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