Children Crusade

I’m writing this twenty-eight years after it happened with only my memory and a short passage about each day in my diary. Many of the details aren’t available.
In 1992 Jim and I with our teenage children Scott and Jill lived in Hay River, NT. Jim worked with computers in the H.H. William,s Memorial hospital run by the Pentecostal Sub-Artic Mission. At that time the Sub-Artic Mission gained the money to support northern mission stations by using the salary of employees while giving them a living allowance.
We attended the Hay River Chapel where a large percentage were Mission employees. Each year the Chapel would hold a children’s crusade. A group would come with special lights, singing and a message. Usually a few children accepted Jesus as their savior. This year no group was coming because we had no regular pastor. We did have an interim pastor – Pastor Verviski.
One Wednesday evening after Bible study, I had the idea of organizing a children’s crusade. I remember walking to the parsonage and praying about what to say. I presented my idea, and Pastor Verviski said he would ask the Chapel board.
In a couple weeks Pastor Verviski said the board had approved and would let me spend up to $200.
I planned the Children’s Crusade for Tuesday August 4 through Friday August 7. The theme was, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 The verse was divided into -four parts – one part to emphasize each day: Tuesday: “For God so loved the world…”, Wednesday: “…that he gave his one and only Son…”, Thursday: “…that whoever believes in him…” Friday: “…shall not perish but have eternal life…”. Of course, it was not possible for those sections of the verse not to overlap, but this gave a general idea to follow.
Andre, a short Frenchman. went around town as a clown, handing out flyers advertising the Crusade.
Tuesday evening, August 4, fifty-five children came.
Trevor led songs. His mother Ruth, a nurse at the hospital, was “on Mission” which means she was employed by the Mission. Soon after she married, her husband told her he decided to become Jehovah Witness. It deeply hurt Ruth who is a committed Christian. She cried for a week until she felt the Lord touch her shoulder and knew everything would be alright. Her joyful appearance was a vibrant witness at the Jehovah Witness events she attended. She had to watch their two sons go “witnessing” with her husband. Their oldest son gave up on all religion, but the youngest son, Trevor, was gloriously shaved and had the same charisma as his mother. He was home from college for part of the summer of 1992.
Our son, Scott, played the drums. Dan was on the piano.
Dr. Hugo Bertozzi and his wife Arlene told the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
Brian and Jason (who belonged to the youth group with Scott) used puppets.
Ninnie, the Sub Artic Mission director’s wife, played a game with the children – like bingo using Bible questions, on a big poster board elevated so the children could see.
Trevor gave a 15-minute message.
Jim and I had lots of tracts, we gave one to each children.
Arla, a Chapel board member’s wife, usually made the snacks. She charged a little for snack ingredients – the only money the Crusade cost.
Wednesday August 5, Lynn told the story. Lynn was a nurse “on Mission”. I helped her teach in the Reserve school every other week during the school year. She did an excellent job with the hard-to-control students. She understood them having been a rebellious teenager herself and on drugs. Her roommate, Nadine, also a nurse, taught every other week when Lynn was working. I helped her, also, although I wouldn’t have been able to handle the children the way Lynn and Nadine could.
Trevor gave the message.
I made banana oatmeal cookies for the snack and we had tracts for the children.
Thursday August 6, Andre and Trevor were clowns.
Lynn told the story of Zacchaeus.
Trevor gave the message. I remember him telling me he was sorry not to give an invitation for the children to accept Jesus. I said “Just do what the Lord tells you.”
I made carob custard cookies and we gave a tract to each child.
Scott made a banner for the Crusade, which we put up after the meeting that night.
Friday August 7, Ruth told the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den. Ruth was a nurse “on Misssion”. Our daughter Jill, often babysat her daughter Amanda.
Laura played a tape using John 3:16. I got to be friends with Laura at a woman’s meeting. I was at the meeting, not knowing what to do with myself, when the thought came to me, “the main purpose of a women’s meeting is to get to know other women” so I looked around and no one was talking to Laura. I talked to her. She is still a good friend. I asked her to be on the local radio station which I was on, and she said “Yes” even thought at the time and for several years she was very busy being in charge of the Hay River Soup Kitchen.
Trevor gave the message. Thirty-six children accepted Jesus as their savior that evening – all but one girl who came for the first time that evening. We had a bible for each of them.
We were all so excited. I did nothing but organize the Crusade. When we work together and each of us does our part, great things can be accomplished for the Lord.
Unfortunately, no follow-up was done. However, Ninnie said that one boy who accepted Jesus at the Crusade was reading the book of John in the Bible we had given him.