VBS - Fiesta!

It's Vacation Bible School (VBS) week at our church and we're having a Fiesta!



Our theme is Mexican.



Here are the four amigos who made the scenery and did the decorating (with a few other helping hands)....feeling (and acting) really silly in these HUGE hats :)



That's me with another helper who had to be coaxed into the picture...he's a character.



I'm a team leader and there are 5 kids in my group. There are several teams of mixed ages, each with a leader. There's also a team of preschoolers. Here we're off to do crafts (tonight we painted VBS 2006 T-shirts)....which follows the Bible lesson. This lesson is acted out each night by a "Bible character" (and sidekick) and is a fun way to "hear" the Bible stories.



Next we play games. All the activities tie in with the Bible lesson each night...to reinforce the Bible point. These points are listed (well, a one-word reminder is listed) on the sign I'm standing next to up there....

Each team is making a blanket (just tying a fringe on a premade blanket actually). These will be sent, along with a Spanish pull-out found in the back of our workbooks...a little spanish version of our workbook. This contains our Bible stories for each night, plus activities. We also have a penny competitiion between the boys and the girls (boys are winning so far, thanks to a young man who brought a backpack loaded with pennies! And of course, he spilled them :) The money will be sent to Mexican children, along with the blankets and books.



Each night we watch a new episode of the adventures of a chipmunk named Chadder. He gets into some dangerous situations for a chipmunk, but always manages to triumph over evil, with a little help from his friends :)



We also have a life-size Chadder. Now that's one big chipmunk! The littlest kids are especially enthralled by him (who is actually a 'she').
 


We sing some really neat songs which really get us moving. We do actions and sign language along with the words. One of the best things about the opening and closing is we get to make lots of noise (at given moments). Whenever the song leader uses a Bible point in a sentence (e.g. Jesus is our friend) we have to throw up our arms and yell, "Viva!" It really keeps the kids listening because they LOVE to yell that out :) All in all, it's a fun week, enjoyed by children and adults alike. And hopefully we'll manage to plant a few seeds in little hearts.

Muddled Weekend

As it turned out, I was home this weekend after all. Chris mixed up the dates and the show is next weekend. At least she's all ready for it and will have a stress-free week!

Our Community Choir concert was scheduled for tonight and I had been disappointed a while back when Chris told me the dates conflicted. So now I was pleased to think I could sing in the concert after all!!
Alas, it wasn’t to be. Our concert was canceled due to a horrible car accident last Thursday in which 3 of our local seniors were killed…a young man and 2 young ladies. What a terrible tragedy!

Note: I realized after posting this that I need to clarify the term 'seniors'. Here in the US it is used for high schoolers in their graduating year of school......12th grade

The calling hours were today and several of the high school kids who would be attending were to be extras in our concert (there were to be a few drama scenes to illustrate the Easter music). The combined funerals will be held tomorrow. It will be such a huge event that it will be broadcast in the high school auditorium to accommodate the people who can’t fit into the church (which is a large one). Needless to say, this is a very sad time for our community.

On a brighter note, the hyacinths are blooming brightly and smelling oh, so sweet! Added to the daffodils they make a very pretty picture. I thought I’d show you some of the photos I’ve taken lately.

We’ve had rain for most of the weekend and much colder temperatures, so we’ve been stuck inside, feeling like winter is back. However, it stopped this afternoon and my hubby worked outside constructing yet another small section of rustic fence. He intends to plant some American bittersweet by it. This plant produces lovely red berries in the fall. The birds will love it!

This morning in church we were privileged to listen to an amazing fellow named Jason Nightingale. This gentleman has the awesome ability to memorize whole books of the Bible. I can’t even imagine having a memory like his!!! He recited the book of John word for word, as if he were telling a story, complete with all the characters and feelings. It was a truly remarkable experience to see and hear him do this.

Jason and his wife, Sharon, travel around the country in a huge motorhome. He performs his recitations in churches all over the US. They’re based in Washington state and their mission is to support a large group of orphans and widows in Monrovia, Liberia, as well as church planting. They’re an amazing couple. Perhaps some of you out there have met them too, and seen Jason speak.

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!