5 Days of VBS in Guatemala

VBS started on Monday, November 11.  This year's theme was:  Colossal Coaster World--facing fear/trusting God.  The kids could easily relate to the theme and we all loved the music.  I was assigned as a guide for the 11-year olds and Stephen as a guide for the 12-year olds.  We both had awesome groups!  Each day consisted of an opening session, five rotations (Bible story, Bible verse, crafts, music, games/snacks) and a closing session.

DAY 1--There were just under 200 kids in attendance.  Everyone in attendance received a sash and a Colossal Coaster button for attending.  They had the ability to earn a good behavior button (and the ability to lose it); the older kids (11 and up) were also able to earn a star button for memorizing the daily Bible verse in both Spanish and English.  

Hard at work on their roller coaster picture frame craft.

 Awesome group of 11-year olds with our trademark "elevens."

Bible story time--learning about Paul's miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus.

DAY 2--Friend day saw the attendance increase to almost 230 kids!  Everyone who brought a friend earned a LOVE button.  

 Foam ball caps were the craft of the day.  Yes, they're showing their "elevens"

Closing session

Day 3--Another high attendance day for Crazy Hair Day.  

 Fernanda--our 11-year old, 1st place Crazy Hair Day winner with a Barbie doll on her head.

 Dulce--our 11-year old, 2nd place Crazy Hair Day winner.

Rosemarie Rivas (VBS Director) and one of her assistants.

Day 4--We thought we reached the epitome of craziness on Wednesday, but kids of all ages really loved Clown Day.  More than 230 kids attended.

 Two guides and a group of kids "clowning" around

 Me and my good friend, Sherry Jobe, from Corinth, Mississippi

Smiling 12-year olds working on their cross craft.

DAY 5--Highest attendance yet--237--and almost all were in their pajamas for PJ Day.  It was the last day to earn all 5 of the scripture verse buttons and the final day of Apostle Paul's amazing life story.  

 Making a self portrait

 Yes, 12-years will wear their PJ's to VBS

A stage full of kids on the last day!

What an awesome week!  It was worth every minute of preparation to see these kids learning about Jesus and how they can face their fears because He is with them.  My favorite song from the week:  Change my heart, O God; open up my eyes I want to see your glory shining like a light.  Change my heart, O God; stir me up inside I want to feel your spirit movin' in my life.

Pray for the church as they begin follow up with the kids and adults who made decisions during the week.  

Two Days in Guatemala

WEEKEND--The campaign officially started on Saturday evening; but we were up early on Saturday to meet the Valley Baptist team for breakfast after their red-eye flight from LAX.  Happily, the hotel had agreed to allow them to check-in when they arrived at 7:30 a.m., so all but two of them opted for rest rather than breakfast.  It didn't matter, though, because breakfast at Capistrano is always good and even better when sharing it with friends like Nelson, Rosemarie, Fabi, Camila, Don Laity and Gary Nelson.  It was a great start to the week.

The team from Oakland Baptist Church, Corinth, Mississippi, arrived at the hotel about 2:30, and barely had time to check-in before leaving for the evening campaign.  Stephen headed out with them and the group from Valley.  

There was still had so much VBS prep work to do that I didn't go along; instead, I stayed back and worked on curtains, buttons and sashes.  

Sunday mornings during a campaign are one of my favorite times of worship.  It is so amazing to see how worship unites the body of Christ across all barriers--cultural, language, economic, etc.  Pastor Nelson didn't have a translator so he did his own translating--first point in English, followed by first point in Spanish.  It was kind of a simultaneous translation by the same person.  At the end we had a sweet time of prayer for VBS.

Sunday night the Oakland Baptist group left for the campaign at 3:30, while the rest of us set Colossal Coaster World VBS in the hotel salons.  I think we were half crazy by the time we finished!   

Out of Order

Since I haven't had Internet access , except in the business center, I haven't downloaded any of the hundreds of pictures we took.  I also haven't written anything about this amazing week.  So, this morning as I wait in the lobby where I can get an hour or so of free wi-fi, I thought I would let everyone know that the next few posts on this blog will definitely be "out-of-order."  That is to say, out of chronological order!

Today we are checking out of our hotel and returning to Nelson and Rosemarie's house for the night.  They asked us to stay through the "super fiesta" on Sunday and we were happy to do it  It will give us another chance to see many of our VBS kids one more time.  Rosemarie and I are planning to fix thanksgiving dinner today.  There will be a turkey, but not sure about the rest.  I have what I need to make a pumpkin pie, but don't know if I'll have time or "oven" time to fix it.  Anyway, today is a great day to be thankful for everything God has done this week. 

We will head home in one of the vans from IBVN San Salvador (with a small group of Salvadorans) tomorrow after the morning service.  We have a busy week, put I WILL find time to update the blog so I can preserve the memories of this awesome week.