Hello! My name is Maria and I am in eighth grade at Los Angeles Christian School. The picture here is of me with one of my teachers, Ms. D’Avirro. She asked me to write to you so I could share a glimpse of how God is working through the middle school. We recently participated in the 30 Hour Famine that is put on by World Vision, which has changed my life completely. Before the Famine, I was not really feeling God. I was wondering who I was and what I was supposed to be. I was struggling. I had a feeling that if God was going to do something, it was going to be through our 30 Hour Famine weekend.
The night of the Famine, after playing games and building our huts to sleep in later, we got the chance to participate in prayer stations that some teachers created. The stations showed me many things; like how much my family means to me, that God is always there for me, and that I need to give myself fully to the Lord. Then we all sang and praised the Lord. I was so moved to see my younger classmates in sixth and seventh grade put their hands up to worship.
Then the Lord put it on my heart to pray for one of the sixth grade girls. I was unsure if God really wanted me to but then I saw her break down and cry. I then knew God definitely wanted me to pray for her. I went up to her and prayed out loud for her. As I prayed for her word after word just came to my lips to say to her. They were words for her, through me, but from Him! After praying for her, I still did not feel at peace. I looked over and saw a seventh grade boy crying before the Lord. I was not sure if I was supposed to pray for him because I am a girl, but I went over to him anyway to pray. Again, the words spilled out of me in prayer for him. It felt like the words were delivered straight from God for him to hear! After I prayed for him, I sensed God telling me something: this is what I am supposed to do. It is written in stone already that I am made to pray for people. After doubting myself and being so unsure, the Lord told me what my heart was longing for.
Last but not least, I wanted to share that through the whole Famine I had the word Psalms in my head, but could not think of the verse or numbers. When we woke up from sleeping outside the next morning, my friend turned randomly to a page in the Bible and found Psalms 144:1-2. It said that the Lord was my refuge and shield. Later that day, still during the Famine, we had prayer cards given to us and it said again that the Lord is my refuge. Even after the 30 Hour Famine, at church the whole sermon was about God being my refuge. I do believe that! He is my refuge and my shield!
I just wanted to explain, show you, and THANK YOU for sponsoring my school. Thank you for helping us middle schoolers find a relationship with God!
