Mid-life Wanderings then - ready for retirement now: April 2018

Flor planned Vacation Bible School at our church, Joy In Christ Community Church in Hinunangan, for the local kids. She enlisted the help of the church members and the youth. Several weeks before VBS they went house to house to enlist children who want to attend and then they got busy to prepare the handouts that will be needed as well as improvising the badges for the awards. They made copies, cut, pasted, sew, etc., etc.. Flor improvised a lot of the games materials since the church doesn't really have any games equipment of any kind. Months before she had asked church members to start collecting empty 14oz. cans, soda bottles, boxes [large and small], any shiny/metallic wrappers and other stuff for craft.

The VBS materials used was Agency D3 and they practiced the songs and moves for several weeks prior to VBS. We want to thank First Southern Baptist Church, Topeka, KS, [fsbctopeka.org] for providing the materials. First Southern had used the materials in 2014 and they passed it on to us last year. Flor translated it in Bisaya, the local dialect here.

They started the daily VBS with the opening song, Agency D3 that became a hit. But the kids' favorite among the songs was "More Than Just a Good Man."

Flor then tells the kids the agent's assignment that day and that they need to listen well to their teachers so they could report to her what they discovered and the evidence they learned at closing time.

The kids then break up into small groups. Since it is a one room church, the youngest group, taught by Sister Jocelyn, stays in the building:

Another class [Pre-teen] taught by Sister Deborah is in the shed outside the church:

The third class [8 to 10 years old] carries chairs through the coconut trees and down the road to our store and holds class on the store porch.

After their lesson they play games on our driveway.

The youngest class push their chairs to the side and the teacher set up their game:

Lorenz was there during the 8-10 years old class' game time and was playing in a big box.

And then they return to their small group to finish up their craft project. We want to thank the folks at Midway Wholesale, Topeka, KS, (link MIDWAY WHOLESALE), our FSBC Sunday School class for providing art supplies used for the crafts.

The kids then return to the church for closing and snack. Flor talks with them about what they learned.

The kids then recite memory verses.

They have a closing prayer and thanksgiving for the snacks.

Then everybody's favorite, snack time....

Lorenz got his drink before everybody else.

There was a closing ceremony on Saturday, April 14. A lot of the kids had dressed up for the ceremony. Some parents were also in attendance. One little girl had worn a pair of pink snow boots. It looked like a prized possession of hers.

They had some of the crafts finished during the week on display for everyone to see.

Flor and JJ had a post-closing discussion.

We had lost electricity and we would not have music to go along with the Agency D3 songs. Flor discussed it with some of her help.

The closing was started with prayer

Flor gave the welcome remarks to give the parents who were present an idea of what their kids learned that week.

The help was reluctant to do the Agency D3 songs without music. So, the opening songs were kid's praise songs that almost everybody knew. Good thing Pastor Teddy was also there to accompany the kids with his guitar.