Our Saturday Spotlight this week is Deana Guardado. Thanks for sharing with us.
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I grew up in a Christian home, always knowing that I wanted to serve God somehow in my adult life. As a young child, I even felt that I wanted to be a missionary.
My first husband and I even attended a missionary training school for four years in Minneapolis from 1977 to 1981.
We did not, however, go to the mission field. Life took a very different turn for us, and we were divorced in 1986.
I remarried in 2000, worked full time, and had two of the greatest stepchildren you could ever want. I now have two awesome grandchildren who fill my heart with joy.
My husband died in 2019, just before COVID, and my life was total isolation for those two awful years—no church, no family, nothing.
I’m so grateful that I had attended Bear Valley Church, though somewhat sporadically, before my husband died, and found a home there when the doors were opened. The church family has ministered to me; and slowly, I was able to get involved in ministry to others, including the Good News Club at Golden Hills Elementary School.
Even though what I do is recordkeeping and reporting for two clubs, I do get to be involved in the children’s lives. I’m usually the first person they see, and I get to set the tone when they first get there. I try to learn each child’s name and get to know them just a little bit each time they come. Over time, I’ve been able to get to know some of the families as well.
During a Good News Club meeting, the kids arrive as they leave their class for the day, and check in with me. They then go to the table where they get a snack and a drink of water. (Then! They have to go to the bathroom or we’ll have lots of kids going there in the next hour and a half!) After that, they help set up chairs for the rest of the meeting.
Mrs. LaCom warms them up with lots of songs that they have hand motions to—lot of fun—and even a brief skit with puppet Eddie. (He’s a lot of fun…even the adults like Eddie!)
Mrs. LaCom might do a review of last week’s lesson, and then she goes over this week’s lesson, which is always something straight from the Bible. The kids get prizes for reciting memory verses, for attendance, for being the quietest boy or girl during story time…that sort of thing.
The rest of us are poised to help lead any of them to Christ. We talk about what sin is, how Jesus died on the cross for our sins, and how to live a Christian life—all in terms that are easy to understand. Parents can stay and listen too.
I’ve learned that ministry to the children is primary, but we also have opportunity to talk with parents, teachers, and staff as well.
Sometimes there have been some events at the school that have affected us, and we’ve been able to be a witness to the community as well.
God has placed us there at this time, and it’s been a real blessing to us as we’ve been able to share the goodness of the Lord.
Please join us in praying for the needs of this community as we fight the influences of evil that truly are all around us.
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