The Nazarene Church of Baracoa, in the northeast district of Cuba, welcomed 29 boys and girls for the activity, Growing with Healthy Eating and the Love of Jesus in Your Heart. The purpose of this activity is to teach children the importance of taking care of our bodies holistically.

“I felt very motivated to participate in the games and see the teachers playing with us,” said Asyen Montero, one of the participating girls.

The children received a Bible lesson, a nutritious snack, enjoyed a time of games, and received a nutritious lunch. Additionally, during the activity, a special offering was given to a family going through a difficult situation.

Alberto Rodríguez, another participating child, said: “I felt very good, I was motivated by the healthy lunch and the offering of love collected for needy children.”

This activity was carried out through the AIN (Comprehensive Attention to Childhood) program of Cuba, along with the local ministry of Nazarene Discipleship International (NDI).

The president of NDI, Jackelin Rodríguez, shared a dynamic and participatory talk about the importance of eating healthy foods. The children participated actively and together they learned about the chemicals that can be found in some foods, as well as about processed foods and how they harm our health.

The Baracoa church plans to carry out this activity every 3 months. “We are praying to the Lord to be able to carry out more activities like these, both for children and elderly adults,” said Jackelin Rodríguez. “All the teachers worked together; everything was guided by the Lord. It motivated me that we could give an offering of love to a very needy family.”

Adaleria Montero, vice president of NDI in Baracoa, said it was wonderful and that the children were able to enjoy it very much. She also said: “At this time, it’s good for children to have talks about how to have a healthy diet.”

Source: Marlen Soria, Coordinator of Comprehensive Childhood Development, Mesoamerica Region.