Yeee-Haw! VBS 2008

Our VBS shirts our tumbling in the dryer so they'll be ready to be worn for the fourth time this week (we missed Tuesday due to sickness). Four kids are sleeping like logs so they'll be fresh in the morning. Tomorrow is our fourth day to attend and the fifth and final day for VBS. VBS is in the morning from 9-noon, but we are there 30 minutes before and after to take care of checking kids in and out.

Discover the Adventure is the western theme to VBS this year. The kids are learning about one character virtue each day. We learn about each day's character virtue in our small group times. The virtues are obedience, acceptance, faith, confidence and love. The kids also have vittles (snack time), bible story time, large group time to dance, watch skits and practice their character virtue, and games to get out all their pent-up excitement. Dodge City dodge ball was the game today. I laughed because 99% of the kids in Louisiana have NO idea what or where Dodge City is!

My (and possibly most of the kids') favorite time is a skit where Mexican Cowboy "Paco" rides in on his stick horse with an authentic accent and presents skits that apply the character traits we're learning about to situations the kids identify with. For instance, Paco was put on stage and given explicit instruction to watch a cake to be presented for the organizer of Bible School, Miss Angie, so Pastor Blake could find her and bring her in for the surprise. Paco was tempted. Soooo tempted. He reasoned about the benefits of just "tasting the cake," and then he gave his horse just a "leetle" taste of the cake and decided a small bite wouldn't hurt. The kids played right into it without being prompted and were all yelling, "No! Paco, don't eat the cake!" He finally just couldn't stand the temptation and dove into the cake head first. Pastor Blake came out with Miss Angie and the kids said surprise on the count of three as they were instructed. Miss Angie opened her eyes to find her favorite cake with a face print in it and Paco with cake all over his face. Paco, of course, blamed it on his horse. The skit drove home the lesson on why it's important to be obedient and do what your parents and authorities ask.

Miss Madalynn is in a second-grade "bronco G2" group and Justis is in a first-grade "ponies G2" group. I am the lead wrangler (group leader), for 11 1st-graders in the Ponies G6 group. Dawson does preschool VBS activities provided for helpers' kids and Jillian joins her posse in the nursery, where she loves to see HER friends!

Today's character trait was confidence and we had a special guest, a professional bull fighter, come and share how he had confidence in God, which allows him to protect the rodeo cowboys from the bulls. The kids really dug that and all got their shirts autographed by him. They also go snowballs (a Louisiana staple-we call them a snow cone in Kansas) as a treat today.

VBS is probably my favorite thing I've ever helped with at church. We lead a small group and Travis emceed two VBS programs in Hutchinson when we lived there. I've never experienced this many children at one location at any one time, though!

Just to give you an idea, there are over 500 kids attending daily. You didn't read that wrong. There are ten groups of first-grade "ponies" groups and each group has 10-11 kids. You do the math!

Moving 100 first-graders from one part of the church to another is an ordeal in itself. Add a sea of older VBS kids moving "stations" too, and you've organized chaos. Organized chaos is so much fun, though, if you can just allow God to take care of the details so you can enjoy having fun with the kids.

Madalynn and Justis see me throughout the morning, but are in individual groups which has been great for both of them. Justis even VOLUNTEERED to get up on stage and be a character in the Noah's Ark bible story skit! I was surprised (to say the least) to see him on stage voluntarily, but he had a blast and was completely confident in himself. Madalynn came home with a name written on the back of her shirt. She made a new girl friend Casey in her group and loves her leaders. I look forward to seeing the kids in my group each day.

Tomorrow is our final day, which includes an hour program that parents are invited to. Travis's plane gets in to New Orleans (he's been in Illinois on business since Monday) in the morning, so he'll get to the church in time to see the final parents hour.

What an exciting week!