Meet Ximena

This is Tenacious Faith

All over the world there are children who mark a special day of the week on their calendar and make it a priority to let nothing else get in the way of it. They get their chores done right after school, get ready, and head out the door, stopping to ask their family just one more time, “Are you sure you don’t want to come with me?” And after hearing the usual answer, they walk up the street to church on their own. They’re not sad, necessarily — a little disappointed, maybe. But mostly, as they head to their Awana club every week, they’re just hopeful.

Children in Awana programs are often the only believers in their households, and we admire them; it takes a special kind of tenacity and courage to step outside family norms to learn and believe the Gospel. But what’s even more inspiring is that so many of our Awana kids take that tenacity and courage a step further than just inviting their family and friends to church; they boldly share their faith and encourage the people they love to come along on the journey.

Ximena is one of those bold children. At 11 years old, Ximena lives with her parents and two younger siblings and is part of Awana at the King of Kings Baptist Church in Coahuila, Mexico.

When her church implemented the Descúbrelo (“Find Out” in English) program, Ximena began to look forward to the chance the program gave her to sing, read the Bible and play each week. The more she learned, the more she came to believe and understand her salvation. She says, “I understand what Jesus did for me, and I have decided to follow Him. I have learned to discern right from wrong, which is something I didn’t know before attending Bible club.”

Sharing God’s message in the community is a core piece of the Awana Descúbrelo program at Ximena’s church. “We go out to the neighborhood to share The Wordless Book (a book with colored pages, no printed words, used to share the Gospel message) and I share it with kids at my school.” She says, “As the oldest in my family, I encourage my siblings to attend church activities because I know they’ll learn more about Jesus and meet more kids who love Him. ”

An 11 year-old with that kind of boldness … wow. What an example for us to follow as adults. Ximena’s parents still don’t attend church, but the pastors come to the house to visit them, and she’s encouraged by that developing relationship. “I am praying one day my whole family can know Jesus and be different from other families. I believe one day my family will be together at church praising our God.”

Let’s join Ximena in that prayer and thank the Lord for her beautiful heart.

And they said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31)