The last day of VBS was a mixture of activities and emotions. We got up early to clean, pack and prepare for the day. One of the Southend kids that came to the house every day showed up early again and we invited him to join us for breakfast and Bible study. Even though he can't read, he tried to read along with Alex. It was really special to have him there and it was a sign to us that our mission was making a difference.
The relationships established were far greater than anyone of us imagined. We never anticipated the closeness or the feelings that we would share in such a short time. The Southend kids were giving us hugs from the time the day started until we drove out of town. Our mission team was feeling torn by the sadness of leaving and the happiness of knowing we had made a connection with the kids of Southend. Mission Accomplished! But not finished...we are already discussing what we can do to make next year even more succesful. We will be back!
Thank-you for your support and prayers during our journey and for helping us spread God's love....we are looking forward to Southend in 2011 and we hope you will help us in the expansion of Gods Kingdom.
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Day 4 - Jesus Teaches Us To Trust
Today was day 4 of VBS and the kids realized that we leave Southend tomorrow. We will have been here a week and lots of relationships have been established. There were lots of hugs given to us and lots of comments made about them not wanting us to leave. The last day of VBS will include a picnic that we are providing for everyone. There will also be a slideshow that Brian put together containing over 150 of the pictures we took of the kids. It should be a great day for everyone.
After VBS we ended up with 35 kids at our house to swim and play kickball. Tonight we sent the kids home and then our team and Father Mark talked about the highlights of our trip and the things we will miss. There was so much laughter and sharing that took place. We all agree that this has been an incredible experience.
After VBS we ended up with 35 kids at our house to swim and play kickball. Tonight we sent the kids home and then our team and Father Mark talked about the highlights of our trip and the things we will miss. There was so much laughter and sharing that took place. We all agree that this has been an incredible experience.
Hanna and the kids rock painting at the house after VBS. About 50 kids showed up for kickball and the craft. We estimate that 300 rocks were painted...including the 200 brought from Lake Superior in Minnesota.
Vernice sprayed a finish on the painted rocks for a couple of hours. Each rock had to have a cross or a religious message on it before she would spray them.
Some of the finished product - the rocks turned out great!Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Day 3 - Jesus Sends Help
Our third day of VBS had 96 kids attending. We changed the format and instead of breaking out into five groups we had our Bible Story as a large group. Kelly read the story while the kids acted out the roles of the Good Samaritan story. The Southend kids, even the ones that were more reserved, rushed to the edge of the stage to get as close as they could. They really enjoyed the story and we will be using the same format tomorrow for the Bible Story.
Today was the first day we got to do crafts due to reasons we can share later if you are interested. The children enjoyed two crafts today. One was a tote bag and the other was a good Samaritan first aid kit. We were really surprised when the kids started asking all of us for our autographs which they were collecting on the tote bags. They said they wanted to remember their new friends.
The VBS is scheduled from 1:00 - 4:00 but in reality doesn't end until after 9:00 p.m. Each day we have at least 20 kids come to the house to eat Banock and play with our kids. Today we spent a couple of hours painting rocks that we had brought from Lake Superior. We have found that this extra time together is a great way to develop relationships and share Gods love.
Today was the first day we got to do crafts due to reasons we can share later if you are interested. The children enjoyed two crafts today. One was a tote bag and the other was a good Samaritan first aid kit. We were really surprised when the kids started asking all of us for our autographs which they were collecting on the tote bags. They said they wanted to remember their new friends.
The VBS is scheduled from 1:00 - 4:00 but in reality doesn't end until after 9:00 p.m. Each day we have at least 20 kids come to the house to eat Banock and play with our kids. Today we spent a couple of hours painting rocks that we had brought from Lake Superior. We have found that this extra time together is a great way to develop relationships and share Gods love.
Other Pictures and Activities
Polishing Nails
Linda, Vernice and Sandy
Kelly popping corn for 100 kids. The VBS Snack was a mix of popcorn, pretzels and M&M's
Southend kids rush to our house each day after VBS wanting to play.
25 Southend Kids at our house to play Kick Baseball (which is what we call kickball). They wanted to take on our kids in a Canada vs Minnesota game. The Minnesota kids won and everyone had fun! Each day there are 20+ kids that come to our house to see if our kids want to play kickball.
Here there are 4 MN kids in the field taking on the 25 Canadians!
The view from the deck on our house
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