We have countless stories of God’s goodness, and one of our favorites is from our Vacation Bible School (VBS) this past July. The joy of helping children learn about God left a lasting impact—not only on them but also on the teachers, parents, and the entire community.
It was the first time we held a VBS in the Upper Pomeroon River, and the experience was so moving that Kabakaburi Schools have asked us to make it an annual event. "The kids loved it, and so did we," shared one of the teachers with a smile. "We’ve never seen anything like it before."
Last year, in 2022, we had over 150 children attend, but this past July, only 120 showed up. We extended the invitation to the next village, but they didn’t come. The reason? For the past three months, our local school had been plagued by cases of demonic possession, and it was getting worse. Some children transferred schools, while others dropped out altogether.
It began with one secondary student, then more and more kids were affected. The attacks left the children frightened and withdrawn. Instead of enjoying their free time playing or doing homework, they were locked inside the school auditorium for protection. When they came out of the possession episodes, they looked disheveled—clothes dirty, hair a mess. Most of the victims were girls. It was so painful to watch these innocent children suffer, unable to enjoy their lives. Day and night, we cried out to the Lord that this would stop.
The school conducted an investigation, suspecting witchcraft might be involved, but found no evidence. During this time, we often had to cancel our Bible class to help the students who were being attacked and send them home.
They tried everything. Pastors from different churches were invited to pray, but none from our denomination. At first, it was peaceful. But when they began speaking in tongues and playing loud Christian music, more children became demon-possessed.
We couldn’t help but feel that Satan was trying to disrupt the upcoming VBS program. Despite this, our team decided to move forward with the original plan and host the event at Kabakaburi Primary School.
“Should we change the venue?” someone asked during one of our meetings. But everyone agreed, “No, we’ll do it there again. God is with us.”
Many parents were hesitant to send their children, fearing the demonic attacks would continue during VBS. We did our best to reassure them, reminding them that God would protect us. “Nothing will happen to the children,” we told them. “God will deliver us from any evil.”
The day before the VBS program began, we went to the school to decorate the stage and pray for protection for the children who would be attending, and over the auditorium as well. We asked God to cover the event with His peace.
God answered our prayers! The four-day VBS went off without a hitch. “I didn’t expect the kids to show up,” admitted the school principal, with relief. “But they came, and nothing bad happened.” Everyone was happy and blessed. It was a beautiful testimony of God’s power and protection. The most remarkable part—the children who had been demon-possessed almost every day previously were the ones who smiled the brightest during VBS!
For those in the community who had been skeptical, waiting for something bad to happen, the success of our VBS program was proof that the God we serve is real—and He is truly amazing.
