www.maranatha.org -- This week, we’ll travel to the only English-speaking country in South America: Guyana. Here, kids will meet a hairdresser named Paula who is always sharing the love of Jesus with her community. Paula is the head elder of the Mahaica Seventh-day Adventist Church. She loves her church, but acknowledges that there are big problems with the structure. It was built more than 60 years ago, and is now falling apart. Not only are the conditions not ideal for current members to worship in, but it makes inviting new guests extremely difficult. No one wants to worship in a bad setting. Today, your kids will consider what it would be like to worship in the Mahaica Church, and see how Maranatha helped Paula and her congregation.

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Pre-video Discussion Questions
- What is the most exciting news you have heard recently? How did you react when you heard this news?

Introduce the Video
In today’s video, church members in desperate need of a new building get the news that Maranatha is coming.

Post-video Discussion Questions
- Why do you think people were shouting and crying when they found out Maranatha would be helping them with a new church?
- In the Bible, the Jewish people had been waiting for someone to deliver them from the bad situation they were in for many years. The Romans had taken over their land, made them pay high taxes, and treated the Jews poorly. When Jesus was born, Mary and Joseph took him to the temple to dedicate him. You can read about it in Luke 2. Two people named Simeon and Anna were there—they had been waiting for the horrible conditions to change. God showed them that Jesus was the Messiah, who would bring about a new kingdom for all people. Simeon was so excited at the news! “My eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel,” said Simeon. Why did this Messiah mean so much to Simeon and Anna?
- Why do you think that church seems more important to people in some countries than in other parts of the world?
- What could you do to help congregations in need?

Prayer Points
- Give us opportunities to help congregations around the world meeting in bad conditions.
- Ask kids what they would add to the prayer list.

Did You Know?
- Guyana is home to people whose ancestors came here from all over the world. Nearly 40% of the people originally came from India. Almost 30% came from Africa.