July 23, 2012

• VBS

  We had such a wonderful VBS last week at our church!  It was a little different than usual.  We don't have a lot of young children in our church right now, so we focused on the ages of 10 - 16, which we do have, and friends they brought, as well as including a wonderful group of special needs young adults.  We were a small group, averaging about 20 "students" and many adults from our church who came to participate in many areas.  I have been involved in VBS for MANY years, and I have to say that this was one of the best I have been involved in, and definitely one of the most rewarding.

  We focused on Scripture and on really digging into God's Word.  We had lots of fun, and every evening the group had a missions outreach activity.  They played games and ate and did a craft.  And they were the most cooperative and grateful group of young people I have ever had the pleasure of working with.  I was so glad to get to know some of the young people in my church a lot better!

  My own role was to teach one of the Bible lessons one night - we did role playing to reinforce the story of the empty tomb.  And throughout the week, I taught everyone to sign the main Bible verse, and on the last night, it was videoed and sent to our Deaf mission in Jamaica to tell the kids there what we learned and how much we care about them.

  And the curriculum we used taught, along with the Bible lessons, about the power that God has over nature, over circumstances, over sin, over death, and over our lives.  And we learned about some of the wonderful places in the world that show God's power.  For instance, the night I taught, we were learning about the Matterhorn.  Who knows what that is?  I had to study up on it a little!

  Here are a few pictures I took on our last night.  This is of the opening assembly, as everyone was still gathering -

                                    

                                    

  Nathan led our singing -

                                    

  We had snack time every evening -

                                    

  And played games outside -

                                    

                                    

  And they were doing some kind of group activity here in this Bible story time -

                                    

  On the last night, the missions project was to make card to send to the Deaf children at the Caribbean Christian Centre for the Deaf in Kingston, Jamaica -

                                    

                                    

  In the front of those two pictures you can see a little bit that was left after they did their craft for the evening, which were these candles in a candleholder with sand -

                                    

  Sometimes the craft and missions project were combined, like the night they decorated baskets, filled them with goodies, then took them to the nearby fire station to give to the firemen.

  It was a wonderful week!  The adults who were involved were doing things like the other Bible studies, the crafts, missions, food, games, and several who were there especially to work with our special needs group.  I was so impressed that so many people came out to help and be involved in these young lives, making sure they knew that God is our all-powerful God who loves them and gave His Son to be their Savior!

   

   

  Now, picture, for those of you who know how to sign, me signing, CHANGE TOPIC.    My hummingbird mystery saga!!   Some nights, our new hummingbird feeder still has the sugar water in it, and other nights it is COMPLETELY empty!  But it has remained intact, with the flower design still on it.  Jim rigged up a camera out on our deck, but nothing has shown up.  We are completely baffled!  During the day, we have lots of hummingbirds coming for a drink.  It is so much fun to watch them being very territorial and chasing each other away.  They do not know how to share!

   

  Ooops, I forgot to take pictures of my finished Turkish lace shawl, and my newly started lacy scarf of hand-dyed mohair that I bought when I went to the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival.  I'll do that next time!

                                    

  • 10:01 pm
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