It's an Everywhere Fun Fair

Last summer, I gave VBS updates via the MUMMs facebook page. I'll still do that, but I realized that each week of vacation Bible school gives me way more stories than I can condense into two sentences. So I opted to return to the blog I kept for a few summers.

After Annual Conference, it was time for a crash course in this year's VBS- Everywhere Fun Fair. A few days later, with the classwork all photocopied, the crafts figured out, and the songs more or less already stuck in my head, Peg helped me pack up the van.

Elliott was the first stop of the summer. I had spoken here earlier this spring to talk about VBS and was very impressed with the closeness and friendliness of the community in the church. The two churches in town went together to make this a community Bible school. The other church has had VBS in the past, but the Methodist church had not for some time- and 7 used to be a good turnout. Thanks to some great publicity on their part, including borrowing an inflatable obstacle course (Thanks, Atlantic YMCA!), we had 27 kids on the first day. 33 came the second day, and while I stopped counting after that, a volunteer said we had 39 kids who had come for at least some of the week.

The pastor (who, I have to add, rescheduled his hip replacement surgery so he could be at VBS...there's dedication) told me how thrilled he was to have so many kids here. He said it had been his dream to reach out to kids and have them hear "Jesus" without it being used as a cuss word. Wow. I had never thought about it like that, but it's so true.

I also got to teach the big kids the last two days. The 5th grade and up was always Peg's favorite age range, and I can definitely see why. We talked about so many good questions! If I don't have to be good for Jesus to love me, can't I just do whatever I want? Peter and Cornelius saw visions from God- why doesn't that happen today?

So with that good discussion echoing in my head, we did our closing program for parents and friends, and packed up the van between raindrops. Thankful God sent such fantastic volunteers this week- a puppeteer who ad libbed right along with me, a PowerPoint guy who was a natural at running the technology, pastors who donned Biblical apparel to tell stories, and more smiling teachers and cooks than I could keep straight. Soon I'll be off for another week!