I had the opportunity to participate in putting on a day of vacation bible school with a short-term team that was here a couple weeks ago. It was a team of about 20 from the youth group of Greenwood Community Church in Indiana. We split up the group, I went with one team to a church in Cap in the zone called Komfor, and Julie went with the other group to a place called La Flou. We gathered together in the morning around 8 with the pastors of the churches and translators who were coming with us. Dave Graffenberger gave us some details, we prayed together for the day, and then were on our way. In the van on the way there, my team informed me of what they had planned for the day, and also mentioned that none of them had ever done a VBS before, let alone in Haiti. Needless to say we were all a bit unsure of how the day was going to turn out, and I know for me I was just praying and trusting God that He would use us to accomplish His will that day.
We met the pastor there and followed to the upstairs room of their church. We were greeted by around 175 pairs of eyes, all of them seated and awaiting patiently our arrival. It was about 15 degrees hotter upstairs, and not a lot of fresh air was being circulated through the room. There were chairs set up at the front of the room on the stage, so we set our stuff down and went to take our seats. The pastor came and greeted the students, introduced our team, and prayed for the day. Then he turned it over to us, and Tom who was the leader of the team and a worship pastor at their church in Greenwood, got up with Joab our translator, and explained what we were going to be doing that day. He did a really great job getting things started and taking the leadership role for day, even though he had never done VBS before. He was flexible, loved to make the kids laugh, and wasn't afraid to get out of his comfort zone and let God use him.
We started off by doing a little funny skit and then sang 4 different songs with hand motions, trying to teach the kids the words in English along the way. Next was a craft, demonstrated by some of the kids on the team. We braided bracelets with different colored string and it was quite a hit with the children...although it took us over an hour because all of us ended up braiding the kids' for them. After we finished with those, one of the Haitian women told a bible story with a picture book. It was a story from 2 Kings chapter 4 about the prophet Elisha and how he prophesied to a Shunammite woman who didn't have a son, that the Lord would give her one. Then later in the story her son died and the Lord, through His servant Elisha, raised her son from the dead. The woman reading the story really emphasized to the children the awe and magnitude of these miracles, and how great the God that we serve is.
We then had 2 of the young kids from the team give their testimonies, which were both very relevant to the age group of the children. After that we passed out pictures to color, along with crayons. We had the kids color until it was about time for lunch at 1:30. OMS paid for food and drinks for all of the kids in the VBS, as well as the women who prepared the meal. Once we served all of the kids and they finished eating, we let the kids go and told them we would see them again the next day.
We were all really pleased with how well things went that day, especially given the fact that before we started we had an idea of what we were going to do, but no clue as to how it was going to work out. I didn't go with the group the next day, as I was working in the clinic. But the next day team joined the missionaries during our weekly prayer meeting and reported back that in the church where I was the day before, they had 215 or so kids and 28 of them accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior that day. The other place had 150 kids(50 more than the day before) and 27 of those children asked Jesus into their hearts to be their Lord and Savior. We then had a great time together of thanking and praising the Lord for how He had worked through this VBS and expanded His Kingdom as a result. We spent time praying for those kids who made that commitment, that their faith would grow and take root deep into their hearts and that their lives would forever be a testimony to the love and grace of Jesus. I was humbly reminded that our own ways apart from God's could never compare or be as fruitful and if we allow Him, He will work through us despite our weaknesses and imperfections. I know for me that is such wonderful news! I am full of so many shortcomings and imperfections and weaknesses. Therefore I take great comfort in knowing that there is nothing I can do in-and-of myself to be effective for the kingdom, except surrender my agenda and will completely to the Lord's. For when I am weak, then He is strong.
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
We met the pastor there and followed to the upstairs room of their church. We were greeted by around 175 pairs of eyes, all of them seated and awaiting patiently our arrival. It was about 15 degrees hotter upstairs, and not a lot of fresh air was being circulated through the room. There were chairs set up at the front of the room on the stage, so we set our stuff down and went to take our seats. The pastor came and greeted the students, introduced our team, and prayed for the day. Then he turned it over to us, and Tom who was the leader of the team and a worship pastor at their church in Greenwood, got up with Joab our translator, and explained what we were going to be doing that day. He did a really great job getting things started and taking the leadership role for day, even though he had never done VBS before. He was flexible, loved to make the kids laugh, and wasn't afraid to get out of his comfort zone and let God use him.
We started off by doing a little funny skit and then sang 4 different songs with hand motions, trying to teach the kids the words in English along the way. Next was a craft, demonstrated by some of the kids on the team. We braided bracelets with different colored string and it was quite a hit with the children...although it took us over an hour because all of us ended up braiding the kids' for them. After we finished with those, one of the Haitian women told a bible story with a picture book. It was a story from 2 Kings chapter 4 about the prophet Elisha and how he prophesied to a Shunammite woman who didn't have a son, that the Lord would give her one. Then later in the story her son died and the Lord, through His servant Elisha, raised her son from the dead. The woman reading the story really emphasized to the children the awe and magnitude of these miracles, and how great the God that we serve is.
We then had 2 of the young kids from the team give their testimonies, which were both very relevant to the age group of the children. After that we passed out pictures to color, along with crayons. We had the kids color until it was about time for lunch at 1:30. OMS paid for food and drinks for all of the kids in the VBS, as well as the women who prepared the meal. Once we served all of the kids and they finished eating, we let the kids go and told them we would see them again the next day.
We were all really pleased with how well things went that day, especially given the fact that before we started we had an idea of what we were going to do, but no clue as to how it was going to work out. I didn't go with the group the next day, as I was working in the clinic. But the next day team joined the missionaries during our weekly prayer meeting and reported back that in the church where I was the day before, they had 215 or so kids and 28 of them accepted Jesus Christ as their personal savior that day. The other place had 150 kids(50 more than the day before) and 27 of those children asked Jesus into their hearts to be their Lord and Savior. We then had a great time together of thanking and praising the Lord for how He had worked through this VBS and expanded His Kingdom as a result. We spent time praying for those kids who made that commitment, that their faith would grow and take root deep into their hearts and that their lives would forever be a testimony to the love and grace of Jesus. I was humbly reminded that our own ways apart from God's could never compare or be as fruitful and if we allow Him, He will work through us despite our weaknesses and imperfections. I know for me that is such wonderful news! I am full of so many shortcomings and imperfections and weaknesses. Therefore I take great comfort in knowing that there is nothing I can do in-and-of myself to be effective for the kingdom, except surrender my agenda and will completely to the Lord's. For when I am weak, then He is strong.
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps."
Proverbs 16:9
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