Good Day!

Hello!  Just wanted to give you all an update on VBS.  It is going GREAT!!!  At first we were a little concerned what the turnout would be since we are so close to school starting, but it is turning out to be one of the best turnouts in a long time.  You see, we are just a small country church.  When Matt and I first came here we averaged maybe 30 on a good Sunday morning.  The Lord is doing a work here, and we now average between 50-60 on an average Sunday morning.  In that, we will have anywhere from 5-10 kids that regularly attend our SS and Jr. Church, and our kid's program on Thursdays during the school year.

Anyways, last year our highest attended day for VBS was 34 (with 40 kids overall registered).  Well, yesterday we have 23 come out, and today we had 35!  We are so excited!  We are seeing a number of new faces, which is just great!  The kids are really getting into it all - the puppets, the penny offering, games, etc.  And the leaders are having just as much fun!

I have to brag on some of our church members for a minute.  If I were to describe many of the people in our church in one word, it would be servant.  We have quite a few people that are willing to help with something like this.  And what is most exciting to me is that we have a total of 7 married couples that are helping out!  Let me tell you - I am seeing this makes a HUGE difference - with the kids and everything!  Seeing married couples working side-by-side is something not seen as much these days, but so refreshing.  We even have 3 couples where either one or both of them work, and have taken this week off for vacation solely to help in VBS.  Now that to me speaks volumes about a person's willingness to give their life for the work of the Lord.  How many of us can say that we will take our only week of summer vacation and spend it at church everyday with a bunch of rowdy kids?

I am the teacher for the 4-5 year old and let me tell you I am having a GREAT time!  At first I didn't want to teach that class because Liam is in there, and I wanted him to have a different teacher, but that was where we had a gap so that is where I am filling in.  But it is great.  We had 5 kids in my class yesterday, and 6 today.  These kids are so, so cute!  One little girl has the biggest eyes and LOVES the songs, especially "Only A Boy Named David."  I think we sang it about 8 times in a row today! :-)  They all listen to the story so well and are getting their memory verses really well!  I just love that age!

Another really neat thing that God has done is sent us a girl who just wanted to help out.  She is about 20 years old, knows the Lord, but is atill very young in her faith and doesn't really have any other Christian influence in her life.  She just "happened" to meet on of my friends who is helping me in my class.  They meet last week, the subject of VBS came up and now she is here helping in games and such, and we are doing our best to encourage her in the Lord and to help her grow in her walk.  It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord works!

So far, my kids are doing well.  I have a lady who comes each day to church to watch Leila and Libby so I can fully concentrate on my class.  Everything has been running smoothly, and for the first time since we have been here, we have so much help that Matt doesn't have to do much more than run the games and general assembly and give out the prizes.  And that is WONDERFUL!  Gives him a little bit of a break!

It is all going great, but we are already quite tired.  We come home each day and all take naps.  I know the kids will progressively get more cranky as the week goes on, but such is life!  Please continue to pray for us and that more kids will come, and these kids will come back!  Also, please pray for our closing service on Friday night where we invite all the parents and have a big BBQ and share what their kids have been doing all week and share the gospel.  Oh, and if the kids reach 45 kids in one day, they get to make one of our teen guy helpers a human rice crispy treat!  The kids are excited about it, although Raymond isn't so sure!  Matt told the kids yesterday that if they got to 35 then Raymond would get a pie in the face - and he did! :-)

Until next time...

*I just wanted to make a quick note regarding my recent post about the ministry.  I was not in any way trying to sound "woe is me" or anything, neither was I trying to make it sound like those in the pastorate are the only ones with hardships regarding their work and such.  I know that many fathers out there work "secular" jobs and work very hard and often long hours.  My father is one of them.  I know that many fathers carry burdens from their jobs home and such.  My purpose in that post was merely to show what I have seen and learned in these past three years.  I wasn't attempting to compare us as "having it worse" than those with other jobs.  I was just stating it from my point of view.  Although I do still feel that a pastor's full responsibility is still grossly misunderstood by the vast majority of people in the pews.  I know this because I was once there myself!  So I just wanted to clear that up.  Thanks! ;-)