January 28, 2011
By Shelly Kragt, serving in Germany
This is the story of a dream come true. But the story doesn’t start with the dream; it starts with a changed life.
It was 2005, and the Open Door church plant had moved from our home to a new storefront facility in a large building. The neighbors in the building were curious, and we began to make connections with them as soon as possible. It was then that Birte was invited to the church.
The Weight of Truth
The Lord began a spiritual process in Birte and her husband of getting to know Him as a personal, loving God. Birte was raised in atheist East Germany and had little exposure to God or the Christian faith. She was drawn to the love of Jesus in the people at Open Door. Rarely do first-time visitors come back on a Sunday morning in East Berlin, but Birte and her husband became regular attendees and also joined a home group.
God revealed Himself to Birte week after week, year after year, until her atheist mindset and way of thinking no longer held any weight against the truth of the existence and love of God. Birte received Christ as her Lord and Savior; she was baptized and discipled.
Two Women, One Dream
Miriam and her husband, who were already believers, also started attending the church. Birte and Miriam quickly became friends, and Miriam, a daycare/preschool teacher, shared her dream with Birte of opening a Christian kindergarten (daycare/preschool) in the neighborhood. The need for children and families to hear about Jesus is great, especially in this area where the birthrate is higher than almost anywhere else in Europe. It is rare in this socialist society that children do not attend kindergarten, usually starting at age two, but sometimes even younger.
Birte also saw the need. Having grown up without hearing about the love of Jesus and now experiencing new life in Him, she wanted to share His gift with children and their families to give them the opportunity that she never had.
The two women shared a dream that began to grow. Others joined in helping them to see it realized. In fall 2009, an organization, The Coloured World of Kids, was formed to begin the process of opening a kindergarten that would incorporate Jesus’ love and Christian values in the curriculum. Because Miriam is a native English speaker from India and there is a high demand for learning English in Berlin, the school is bilingual. As the concept quickly developed, a search for adequate rooms began.
It’s a Kids’ World
In summer 2010, God opened the doors to just the right facility. As in any endeavor, there is much red tape and so many things that make such a step seem impossible. But we have seen God’s hand in every detail of the process. He provided financially in unexpected ways and gave us an amazing architect as well as repeated favor with building inspectors.
To the glory of God, the Coloured World of Kids kindergarten school opened its doors on January 5, 2011. By summer 2011, the kindergarten will be filled with 20 children learning about Jesus’ love for them.
This is the story of a dream come true. But the dream isn’t over; it will end with changed lives.
Learn More
Visit the Coloured World of Kids Web site, and become a friend on Facebook.
Read more about Alliance work in Germany.
What You Can Do
Pray for Shelly and her coworkers in Germany as they reach out to lost people with the hope of Jesus.
Give to Alliance Great Commission Ministries. In doing so, you partner with overseas workers, like Shelly, to bring the light of Jesus into spiritually dark places.