A Young Street Vendor and His Bible
Release No: 09-39
By Noel Hwande
Jul. 30— ASUNCIÓN, Paraguay: Alan Gabriel Velazquez Aquino is a nine year old boy who frequents the Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) office in Paraguay. LHM staff are convinced that this young boy is well on his way to becoming an LHM volunteer in service of the Lord.
Alan lives with his parents and two siblings in the low income neighborhood of called Chacarita, Paraguay. Each morning, he leaves his home early to go and sell candy on the street in order to help his mother to buy food. Then on most afternoons, he enjoys being at the LHM office reading and spending time with staff.
"He comes to help us to prepare the envelopes that we send out each month to our volunteers, and pastors," said Victor Verruck, the Director of LHM-Paraguay.
When the ministry center started a donation campaign for needy children, Alan often put a few coins in the collection box "to help other children." Alan also completed one of the children's Bible Correspondence Courses titled "God is Our Father." He has always enjoyed learning about Jesus, but had no Bible of his own, so one of the staff members gave him a Bible.
Last month, Alan looked sad as he walked into the ministry center and when we asked him what happened, he replied with tears in his eyes that the previous day they had nothing to eat, and so his mother sold the Bible that had been given to him. They decided that if they gave him another Bible, his mother would do the same thing, so for now he can read the Bible with them whenever he visits the ministry center. And now Alan is happy once again.
Lutheran Hour Ministries asks for your prayers for Alan and other young volunteers around the globe. To see more stories from LHM international ministry centers, please visit the blog online at http://blogspot.lhmint.org.
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