No one expected the conversations to end this way.
We thought the children would leave talking about the games, the food, or the bracelets they made. Instead, many were talking about forgiveness.
Those conversations reminded us that children often carry far more than adults realize.
For two weeks, more than 1,000 children was reached across coastal villages, stilt-house communities, islands, and mountain barangays in Mindanao for Summer Kitab Iskul. Kitab means “Book” and, in these communities, refers to the Bible. Through songs, games, crafts, shared meals, and Bible stories, children were invited to discover God’s work in the world—and His love for them.
Around 150 volunteers, teachers, house church leaders, and ministry partners served together, reaching children from many different backgrounds in the Southwest archipelago of Mindanao.
There was plenty of laughter throughout the two weeks. Children proudly wore their Salvation Bracelets, sang with enthusiasm, and eagerly retold the stories they had learned. But one lesson seemed to stay with them long after the activities ended.
Jesus’ invitation to love our enemies.
For many children, it was a new way of thinking.
As they reflected on Jesus’ life, conversations about anger slowly became conversations about forgiveness. Some shared that they wanted to pray for people who had hurt them. Others said they wanted to be kinder to classmates they usually avoided or argued with. Small decisions, perhaps—but the kind that can shape a lifetime.
Watching those moments unfold reminded us why this work matters.
In communities where conflict and division have been part of everyday life for generations, peace rarely begins through dramatic events. More often, it begins quietly, in the heart of a child who discovers there is another way to respond.
That is why INfire continues investing in children. Not only because they represent the future, but because they are already influencing their families, friendships, and communities today. Every child who learns compassion instead of revenge, forgiveness instead of bitterness, and hope instead of fear helps plant seeds that can grow far beyond childhood.
By the end of Summer Kitab Iskul, our greatest encouragement wasn’t simply that more than a thousand children had been reached.
It was knowing that more than a thousand children returned home carrying something they did not have before.
A deeper understanding of God’s love and a growing desire to share it with others.
And the hope that, through Christ, even the smallest heart can become a place where peace first takes root.
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