PhotoStory Friday--Mason

It has been VBS all. week. long. As tiring as VBS can be, it is also very rewarding. It is very rewarding due to stories like that of my pal Mason.




If you've been reading here long, or know me personally, you know I worked in the church nursery for several years. Mason was one of the kids I kept in the nursery. I've known Mason for 8 years now. I have also taught his brothers in Sunday School, went to camp with one of his brothers last year, consider his grandparents to be good friends of mine, and love him and his family dearly. Mason and his brothers have always held a special place in my heart. Those boys have had a rough time with their parents, have been abandoned by their mother and are being raised by grandparents who love them very much. While their story could certainly be a tragic one, it is not. Yes, it's a sad one at times, but they are overcoming the things that sadden them thanks to a loving family.


Mason brought me to tears today. His grandma, my friend Linda, asked Mason to let me take his photo with a sign he had. I approached Mason and watched as he unfolded a piece of paper in his pocket. I snapped his photo and read the paper. What I read brought instant tears. This my friends is why I, and everyone else who works in VBS, do what we do: so kids like Mason can learn about Jesus and learn what it means to accept Jesus as their Savior. When I turned around after reading Mason's sign and giving him a big hug, I saw that my friend Angela (my pastor's daughter) also had tear-filled eyes. THIS is why people continue year after year to volunteer to work in VBS.















Hosted by Cecily and MamaGeek

Boomerang Express VBS

All Aboard!!! It has been a busy busy week here! We are in the midst of Vacation Bible School every morning. I am exhausted every year after working in VBS, but can't imagine NOT taking part. It is such a blessing watching so many children so excited about coming to church and learning about Jesus. For some children, VBS is the only time they come to church.


I am so thankful to be part of a church where so many people get involved and volunteer to work during VBS. We attend a small country church, yet there have been as many as 41 adults and youth working in VBS this week!!!!

Gotta love to see the VBS teachers laughing and having a great time! I think Reva has on Mason's hat!

Yesterday our pastor presented the ABC's of becoming a Christian to the 1st-6th graders.

Mr. Richard's class in their goofy pose!

The director's (or engineers?) of this year's "Boomerang Express"

myself and Bill

Just a few of our volunteers:

Mr. Rodney, Mr. Jess, and Mr. Morris

Thanks guys!!!

Even the littlest ones love learning the motions to the VBS songs!

Worship Rally

Worship Rally

My daughter Heather and my nephew Logan

The crafts crew: Mari, Shannon and Jim

Janice does an awesome job leading the music every year!

The Pre-K class in the Worship Rally

Leading the Worship Rally, Bill and Janice

Our awesome Kitchen Crew! Mr. Morris, Mrs. Lorelei, Mrs. Edith, Mrs. Wanda and Mrs. Doris

To see all the VBS photos as they are uploaded check here.

Wordless Wednesday--VBS Edition

To check out more wordlessness go here.

Day 1 on the "Island"

Today was the first day of VBS. Although it turned out to be a very long day for me, VBS itself was a lot of fun. I usually teach the crafts class and this year have 2 new helpers! Angela and Shannon are so much fun to work with, and Angela is even helping me take all the pictures for the kids' scrapbooks they are making in our class.

The craft ladies:

Shannon, myself, and Angela.

Angela helped Jake with his scrapbook page.

Even the workers' children who are in the nursery came to crafts.

Here I'm helping Chandler with her scrapbook.

Jessica (our youth helper) and I helping a group with their pages.

Shannon and me during the Worship Rally.

Our friend Bill is one of the VBS directors and he helps lead the music in the Worship Rally.

This picture of Angela is actually one of my favorite photos I took today!

The Worship Rally

One of the youth helpers, Michele, with my niece Olivia.

Our fearless leader (and my boss), Pastor Mitch.

Shannon helping her son Dawson with his scrapbook.

Heather with my niece Anna.

Heather is a youth helper in the 1st grade class.

Here she poses with the 1st grade teachers, Tara and Denise.

I'm so glad Angela is helping me take pictures this week!

This is how we look throughout the day!

My nephew Logan.

See you tomorrow for another great day on "Outrigger Island!"

Transforming the Church into Outrigger Island

Tomorrow is the first day of VBS so today is the day the church was transformed into a tropical island. During Worship service, the pastor used the VBS memory verse, Psalm 86:11, for his sermon. He even really got into the spirit of VBS as you can see from his attire:

The service was really awesome because a family we've all been praying for went forward to join our church family and my friend Shannon went forward to share her testimony that she's accepted Christ as her personal Savior and is ready to be baptised. It really was an exciting morning for all who were present.



After worship all VBS workers and teachers stayed after church to decorate classrooms and make last minute preparations. Every year the day before it begins is a big work day for everyone.

I was busy transforming 2 combined classrooms into one large one for the crafts so Erica grabbed my camera to take photos of the work done this afternoon. Thanks, E!!!

The 2nd grade class. Judy, her grandaughter Hannah, her daughter Susan, and her co-teacher Lorelei.

The craft ladies hard at work. From the left, Shannon, my sister in law Mari (who will be helping in the pre-K class but worked with us today to prepare our class), myself and our youth helper Jessica. Jessica is my friend Judy's granddaughter and has been a VBS student for years. This is her first year as a helper and I'm very excited to have her in our class.

1st Grade. Heather will be the youth helper in this class.

Heather (I have no idea WHAT she's doing...), Tara and Denise.

The ladies in the nursery: Edith and Pat.

5th grade. Paula helped Jim decorate. Jim will be teaching this class. He's the nut with the flowers on his head:

The Worship Center transformed into Outrigger Island for VBS Worship Rally each morning this week.

Pastor Mitch as he built a bridge from the atrium to the music class.

The snack ladies enjoying a pizza break with Mathew.

Barbara, Wanda, Doris, Mathew.

I think this is the Kindergarten class. I love what they've done here!

Emma (Jessica's twin), Frances, and Alma.

3rd Grade. Angela, Kevon, Danie (love the skirt, Danie!!!)

4th grade. Joyce and Rodney.

Katie was a huge help getting crafts ready. She cut papers until her fingers hurt so we gave her a job of sorting foamies. You worked really hard today, Katie. Thank you for being such a big girl!!!

1st grade. Tara, Maggie (Denise's daughter), Heather, Denise.

The craft ladies: Jessica, myself, Angela, and Shannon; and Mari, who helped us for today.

Surf's Up....Almost!

Our church's VBS will begin Monday. Teachers have been busy preparing to teach the many children "wave riders" who will attend. I, along with my friend Shannon and the pastor's daughter Angela, will teach the crafts class. We will have the opportunity to teach every child who attends VBS. I have worked in VBS for the past 7 years, teaching crafts the past 5. It is always so much work preparing everything and the week of VBS can be very tiresome for everyone involved, but in the end it is always so rewarding.





Sunday all the teachers and workers will spend the afternoon transforming our church into "Outrigger Island." Already some transformation has begun with decorations in the main areas of the church depicting island and tropical scenery. I don't know that I've ever seen so many surfboards this far inland!





In the midst of my painting project I've been preparing for my VBS class as well. I will wrap up all my preparations on Sunday when Shannon and Angela and I can put our class together and get it decorated. We'll be making scrapbooks with the kids of their week on Outrigger Island so we'll have some scenes set up in our class for photo opportunities for snapshots for their books. I've been putting some decorations together and working on sample pages for the kids, Shannon has been gathering more decorations and helping me brainstorm, and Angela will arrive from the Dallas area tomorrow today so she and Thatcher can spend a week in "tropical paradise" at our church.

The decorations are ready to go up....

The supplies are ready....

and the kids will arrive Monday!

Before Erica had a job she always helped me with the crafts class. I sure miss you during VBS, E!!!

After VBS I think I'll go find a hole to crawl into and sleep for a week! :0)