The phone rang at 4:45. Jen was a bit frantic. “Stefan isn’t here yet. The club is supposed to start in 15 minutes!” My heart stopped. Literally. We had been praying and planning for the Christmas Club in Holderbank for weeks.

“How many children are there?” I asked.

“Ten right now.”

I knew we couldn’t let those children down. This was the fourth year we’ve had the clubs. This was the most children we ever had. Quickly I called our co-worker, Martha.

“Do you have Stefan’s number? He’s not at the club yet.” Martha’s exclamation was pretty much how I was feeling. “WHAT?!?” After searching we got the number and quickly dialed Stefan’s office number.

He picked up after a few rings. “Hey, are you still in the office?” I gasped. “Yea, why, what’s wrong?”

“What about our Christmas club in 10 minutes?”

“No. No. No. Nonononononono! It’s not until the 14th!”

I heard the blood drain from his face when I told him again it was in 10 minutes. He couldn’t say sorry enough. I told him we’ll try to put something together.

Running downstairs, I caught sight of Martha. “Hadassa is grabbing her guitar right now.”

We still needed someone to teach. The first thought to come into my head was Jürgen – a longtime CEF worker from Germany who was teaching at Kilchizmmer. We ran to his room I explained the situation as Martha went to find some of the students. He took a few steps back into his room where he picked up a packet off his bed. It was a Christmas club lesson he had been practicing that morning. He threw the packet in his case and grabbed his Bible.

“Let’s go!”

Rebekka and Ina ran to join us. They had their practical at our church in Balsthal a few weeks before and knew several of the children at the club.

We prayed and planned the whole way to town. Arriving at the restaurant 10 minutes late, the group quickly set up. I asked Jen for a headcount.

“Fourteen children.” She shared. Double what we had last year. Praise God. Not one of them had left as they waited for the club to start. Besides Amy and Christopher, three others from Holderbank came out.

During the next 45 minutes the children sang, Rüdi the raven paid a fun visit, the Gospel was shared through the story of the candy cane and the children learned John 8:12.

And what a Gospel! We celebrate the birth of God the Son who came to die for our sins!

We couldn’t have planned it better!