Five-year-old Obed couldn’t wait to go to his church’s vacation Bible school for the first time! And his mother, Rocio, was equally excited to see her little boy learn more about God. But when COVID-19 swept through the Dominican Republic, vacation Bible school (VBS) seemed impossible.
But the church partner that runs Obed’s Compassion center wasn’t ready to give up. They spent weeks planning their very first virtual summer VBS, titled “Overcoming Fear.”
"'Overcoming Fear' was not a coincidence,” says the center's lead tutor, Yamiset. “The VBS is based on Daniel's life, showing the children and everyone who tuned in some of the difficulties he faced and how God helped him overcome them. To our surprise, the first video had over four hundred views on the first day, and the children responded excellently to the activities we proposed."
Obed's family was one of the more than 400 who enjoyed spending time learning to be brave just like Daniel. The church staff received continual, encouraging messages about how the week was more than just a spiritual activity — it was a week of families creating memories together, even more cherished because of the challenges the pandemic had created.
"The COVID-19 pandemic has brought a lot of fear, instability and insecurity to our children and their families," says Yamiset. "Through this VBS, we wanted to show that these circumstances they are going through, caused by the pandemic, can be overcome if they trust God."