I have a love for the students, teachers, and workers at Colegio JET and Grace Ministries that cannot be explained. I am not a person who freely gives affirmation so I worry that they do not truly understand how much I love and admire them. They teach me so many lessons about serving, giving, and working with excellence.
Several years ago, we were looking at our finances during a very hard time. I try to be very transparent with my teachers as we remind them that we are a ministry based on faith. We trust in the generous and obedient giving of other people. We know God provides, but He uses people to meet the needs. Yet, God uses us to meet the needs of people in our community also. Many times my teachers and workers use their personal money to meet so many needs of our students. A lot of times I am not even aware of the need until after it has been met.
Here are only a few stories of how God uses the generosity of others to teach me:
One of my teachers lives paycheck to paycheck. She is currently working two jobs to make ends meet and asked me to provide her with any other type of work. I sat down and studied her finances to see if I could help in any way. After she finishes paying all of her monthly expenses then she has $25 to spend however she chooses to use it! She smiled and laughed as she talked about how God always provides.
This is the same teacher who had a student send her a text asking her for food. The student explained how the parents left several days prior and they were out of food in the house. This teacher took her own money and bought them food. (I did not know about this until several weeks after the incident. This teacher met the need without expecting any recognition).
During Christmas, my family was in the states but I started to worry about some of our students. We had given them baskets of food before the holidays, however, I was concerned they were out of food. I sent the teacher a text and simply asked her to check on some specific students. She immediately stopped everything and went to the house of the students. She saw they were out of food, but it was too late to go to the store. She returned to her house and made supper for five extra children.
One day we were talking about giving, this same teacher made the comment to me “Giving hands are never empty!” I vividly remember her making this comment because I was very aware of her financial situation. I thought about how she had every reason not to give, yet she gives. She smiled because she had seen the faithfulness of God through sacrificial giving.
A sixteen year boy approached me for a favor. He explained how his grandparents had given him a small piece of land on the side of a mountain. He worked hard to earn enough money to pay a man to excavate the mountain by hand. He asked me if Grace Ministries could build his mother a small, tin house. My facial expression did not hide my thoughts—imagine that! This young man had been raised by his grandparents because his mother chose not to take care of him. She did not provide for him physically or emotionally. She was in and out of his life. I thought “Why in the world would you want to provide a place for her to live?” Before I could respond, he said “I know she has not been a good mother, but she is still my mother.” I felt very small. He understood the Biblical meaning of giving with love and honoring your parents more than I did.
My dad sent an email this week with the following story. I have his permission to share with you.
“Bro. Chris Scofield has been leading our children’s church (1st – 5th graders) to give an offering each Sunday since January 2025 to give enough money for the June 2025 mission team to build a house for a family in Guatemala. Their goal has been $550 and as of this past Sunday, 5/18, they have given $880. Pretty amazing!
Enter two of our children who ride a bus to our church on Sunday mornings. One is a true bus child in the sense that her parents never attend church. She gave $25 of the birthday money given to her by her grandmother because she wanted to help. Oh my! The second girl does have parents who come to church from time to time. She gave a $50 bill for the same reason. Her parents were contacted to make sure and they said it was her birthday money and she strongly wanted to give and help! Amazing! (I am not exaggerating either of these stories and had Bro. Chris confirm both of them). Talk about laying up treasure in Heaven! Ever read about the lad in John 6?”
The Apostle Paul wrote about the churches in Macedonia in II Corinthians 8 – “Now, friends, I want to report on the surprising and generous ways in which God is working in the churches in Macedonia province. Fierce troubles came down on the people of those churches, pushing them to the very limit. The trial exposed their true colors: They were incredibly happy, though desperately poor. The pressure triggered something totally unexpected: an outpouring of pure and generous gifts. I was there and saw it for myself. They gave offerings of whatever they could—far more than they could afford!—pleading for the privilege of helping out in the relief of poor Christians.” Finally, the Apostle Paul wrote “Every man according as he purposes in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loves a cheerful giver.” (II Corinthians 9:27).
I am grateful for people who sacrificially give with loving, joyful hearts! May I have the faith of a child with a giving heart and hands wide open!
Shining Light Abroad Ministries 