Sunday, December 30, 2012

Bread or Candy?

 Mark 10:15 “ I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive
 the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it."
      
Can you imagine asking a child if he wants more bread or just candy, and he answers, “Just bread, please”? We minister to Quechua children in the valleys of Bolivia and in remote mountain villages. Every Christmas, we travel to villages high in the Andes Mountains, above the tree line. We take gifts, food, and the Good News to children living without even the basic needs, and without Jesus.

Little Paco met us coming into his village. He was wearing sandals made of truck tires and had no sweater for the cold weather. We gave him a sweater to keep him warm and food for his tummy. His eyes lit up when he saw the gifts and candy, but what he wanted most was the bread––a real treat where there’s no firewood to bake bread. When he heard the story of Jesus, he accepted the gift of salvation joyfully and without hesitation. 
      
Paco is just a little guy, but with a big story that points the way to heaven; trust the Father, believe in Jesus and enter the kingdom with childlike faith. Paco may only have bread when we visit, but he will always have the Bread of Life.