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GRAHAMSTOWN, South Africa — The church is old but sturdy. The broken windows allow the cold wind to whistle through the building. Children huddle together on wooden benches for warmth.

Albany Baptist Church is located in Joza, a hilltop township on the outskirts of the city of Grahamstown. Joza is always colder than the city — there are no trees or tall buildings to shelter it as the wind whips through the high hills.

The children, most under the age of 12, do not seem to notice the cold. Instead, they listen intently to God’s Word. They learn how to put on the “armor of God” — to stand strong in the world. When it’s game time, they cheer each other on, encouraging team members to run harder and aim truer.

Bible club leader Emma Drury, 22, is from Zimbabwe and a student at Rhodes College in Grahamstown. “We hope to get them excited about God through games and songs,” she says. The children dance while singing songs that teach them about God and to be kind to one another.

Kristie and Sarah Morris returned to Grahamstown to help their parents, IMB missionaries Bob and Susan Morris, with the Bible clubs during the World Cup.

“I have a soft spot in my heart for kids,” Kristie says. “They love the attention; it’s good to see a smiling face. I’ve seen a lot of them get a better understanding of who Jesus is. They have an ear to learn — it’s fun to see them learn memory verses, and they get so excited about it.”

Sarah is excited that she not only gets to visit her parents, but also to teach children about Jesus.

“To me, it helps me grow [in faith], especially after going off to university,” she says. “.., I enjoy seeing [the kids’] happiness. They get to learn about God in a fun way.”

Jeffery Aaron, a writer for IMB’s Global Communication Team, is spontaneous and never knows what he’ll say next.