Well, I’m as surprised as anybody, and yet…

I’ve come late to You Tube.  For years I’ve used it as a ministry tool in Kid’s Church.  Lyric videos to sing and dance along to.  Animated Bible lessons.  How to demonstrations to help me with crafts.  But it wasn’t until life became more restricted during the pandemic that I began to view You Tube content for my own benefit.  I was amazed at how I formed relationships with the people I watched and how I’d miss their chat if they were unable to post a video for some reason.

When the idea for a Cooee Kid’s Ministry channel dropped into my spirit and my initial response was, ‘Oh no, Lord.  I’m too old.’  I had an idea of what a You Tuber should look like and it wasn’t me.  But the idea persisted and further research showed me that all you need to be on You Tube is have something you’re interested in, or skilled in, something that is unique to your circumstances or experience.  Kid’s Ministry ticked those boxes for me.  I still had doubts, however I was gifted some money for Cooee Kid’s so I bought a ‘uniform’.  A khaki shirt.  I also used the money to order patches with the Cooee Kid’s Ministry logo.  I sewed one of the patches on the shirt and hung the shirt in the wardrobe.  I did not talk to anybody but my husband about it.

Months later I attended an Abigail Sisterhood ladies meeting.  Before the visiting preacher began to share she called me up and gave me a prophetic word.  Here’s some of what she said:

“And I’m taking you into a new place, a new realm I have prepared for you.

And as you take those steps, in faith and sometimes in fearfulness, just know

that I am with you.  I have called you into this.  I have prepared you for it so therefore

I will never leave you while you are there.”

I knew instantly what the speaker was referring to.  The You Tube channel.  I was taken with the phrase, ‘I have prepared you for it’ so I looked back over my life and saw the steps that had indeed prepared me for this new adventure.

As a kid I used to imagine I was a Saturday morning kid’s show host on television.  I’d gather all the board games and speak to the camera and tell the kids watching at home to write in to win one.  And then ‘throw’ to the next cartoon.  In my teens I took a correspondence course in Film Writing for Television and Film.  I joined a Christian drama group and travelled from Church to Church performing sketches, running Children’s programs and doing some street theatre.  I left life ‘on the road’ for a permanent gig running the Children’s Church where I began to write my own lessons and stories for the children.  The stories led to me being asked to dramatize them on the Family Radio children’s program, Kidz & Co, produced by Paul Ordish.  I continued to volunteer in Kid’s Ministry until 2018.  With no children’s ministry in my church of older congregants, I decided to create a website (well, my brother did the creating part for me) to resource children’s ministry with free lessons.  I used all the material I had accumulated and began to write new material, too.  The Cooee Kid’s Ministry website is now in its fourth year.

Then in October 2020 my Aunty Coralie was celebrating a significant birthday.  Due to travel restrictions her daughters were unable to attend.  Now Aunty Col, as we call her, loves a sing song around the piano, a poem or two, and a bit of theatrics. (You can see it runs in the family!)  I decided to film a short movie to celebrate her so I could include images of her family.  My husband Ray filmed the whole thing on my phone.  I really enjoyed dressing up and acting again.  The little movie was a success and my love of drama was reignited.

Finally, on Sunday 15^th January, 2022 Cooee Kid’s Ministry TV You Tube Channel went live with 3 episodes and an introduction video.  And what did I do?  Panic.  All Sunday afternoon and night I was filled with fear.  ‘What have I done?’  ‘Who do I think I am?’  ‘I have made a fool of myself.’  In the morning, during my devotional time, the Lord mercifully gave me the Scripture 1 Corinthians 1:26 to 29.  (NKJV)

For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence.

From that moment on I was fine.  Is it all amateur stuff?  Yes.  But I need only concern myself with doing the best I can, learning how to improve, and being obedient to follow the Lord’s direction in that ‘new place the Lord has prepared for me’.

What God has done for me He will do for you!  What are you passionate about?  It may or may not include a You Tube Channel, but there is something God has equipped you for that only you can do.  It has nothing to do with age and nothing to do with looks.  He is with you.  He will call you into it and never leave you while you are there.

God bless you,

Deb Wassenberg

Visit Cooee Kid’s Ministry TV on You Tube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZHseiQLyaZ9z-s5mqTHAcw

You can learn about the Cooee Kid’s Ministry journey here:  https://cooeekidsministry.com.au/how-cooee-kids-came-to-be/