Testimonies

Introduction to the Junior Oil Tree

by Ruth-Elpida S. (24y.) and Dana F. (9y.), December 2023

Dear kids and teenagers!

When we have a chance to see each other as a family again, our house is full to the brim and also a bit noisy . There are nieces and nephews buzzing around everywhere and the joy is great. As soon as we’ve eaten and it gets louder and louder in the house, the children are already looking forward to the long-awaited story they’ve waited for Auntie Utti to tell them. 24 little hands applaud before the story begins – so I already have a really great audience! When all those little eyes look at me so big and excited, I can always think of something to tell them. Sometimes everyone laughs out loud or a murmur goes through the small rows – simply cute!!! Often I tell them what I’ve just experienced, wrapped up in a princess story. They just don’t notice it . They often come back a few weeks later and tell me about the story, which I have long since forgotten, and how they did the same thing at home as the princess in the story .

So I had an influence on them without realizing it, simply because I told them what moved me.

In this new edition, many other kids and young people (including three of my nephews/nieces ) tell you real experiences from their everyday lives and what moves them. A big THANK YOU to everyone who shares their experiences with us. Because, even if you have already forgotten it, others can benefit from it, just like my little niece Dana (9 years old)!
She just told you herself: “One Saturday morning I found an old Junior Oil Tree newsletter on the bookshelf. I read it during my quiet time (which is the first hour of the day that we spend only with Jesus) and I was able to learn so much from it. I thought that was really cool. Then I got my siblings on Sunday morning and we sat down together on the sofa in the playroom and I read to them from this newsletter too: the letter from Anna-Malea, about how we can become a super team. It was so nice after that. We were such a great team and set the table together and made everything nicely until dad and mom arrived. We then spent the whole day playing together in peace. I love reading the Junior newsletters and am so happy when a new one arrives. But the old newsletters are also so great and can be read again and again. I hope you enjoy this edition too!”