When I was five years old, the varicella vaccine, developed at the Biken Institute, was approved for use in Japan. That same year, I started kindergarten where I learned the adage “always look both ways before you cross the street.” I got chickenpox the next year from a church friend, when my mother scheduled a play date for the families. It’s what one did at the time. Ten years later, when I was preparing to take my driver’s license exam, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) was still showing Red Asphalt III, a gruesome compilation of crash footage and scenes meant to scare teenagers into safer driving. So much for “chipper.” The varicella vaccine got U.S. approval that same year and according to one estimate, has probably saved about as many lives in the last 30 years as that public health messaging campaign for teaching kids to look both ways before crossing the street.

The country where my wife and I serve has neither the varicella vaccine nor a nationwide program for educating kids on road safety. What they have is closer to that driver’s ed video, but in real life. Every so often (too often), a child will dart across the road with predictable results. Families and neighbors grieve. Parents and friends warn. Yet after enough time passes, the cycle repeats itself.

Between 1986 and 1995 there was a debate in the public health community about the proper and effective use of fear in messaging. The discussion continues today though the field has largely moved away from scare tactics, at least in the high-income world. Fear is still a major motivator in several low- and middle-income countries.

When we decided to attempt a public health campaign for pediatric pedestrian safety, we opted for an emphasis on community and solidarity, believing these cultural values were more likely to anchor the message beyond one cycle of road traffic accidents. In short, we chose a catchy music video over Red Asphalt III. The product was written, composed and performed by a collaborative group of church musicians and the missionary team. You can watch the video, with English subtitles, here.

We cannot know how many people have seen the shareable WhatsApp video but given how quickly kids pick up the tune when we go into schools or gather with them after church, it is clear the song is having an impact. We are just one group among many trying to reach young people with messages of hope and health.

Please pray for all our little image-bearers, that their ears would hear a word behind them saying, “…‘This is the way, walk in it,’” when they turn to the right or the left (Isaiah 30:21, ESV) and that we would be faithful to teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded (Matthew 28:20).

Carlan Wendler, MD is married to Michelle and father to two great kids. He is sent by Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California to serve via Serge at Hope Africa University and Kibuye Hope Hospital in Burundi where he teaches emergency medicine and ethics. He preaches regularly at the local church in Kibuye and is a contributing author to the Biblical Missions (Tatlock & Burnett, eds.) textbook as well as an international lecturer for medical and missions topics.