VBX 2010
Vacation Bible eXperience
to the eXtreme
Have spent the week of June 7-11 back at Westside, as a "civilian volunteer" this time. This was the week of VBX (Vacation Bible eXperience--the the eXtreme) working in the toddler room. It was quite touching to finish my time at Westside once again serving the little ones. I had a ball, spending most of my time rocking those who missed their mamas. I have to admit, though, that getting up and down off the floor was a bit more challenging than it had been a couple of years ago! Still think that's maybe why God moved me when He did! Anyway, if you haven't rocked a little one in a while--find one and do it. It's very therapeutic! Even got me thinking about volunteering in the nursery @ Caminos (the church I'll attend in Antigua)!
Guatemala Grandma was the mission project for the kids this week. When Caleb (our Children's Director/Pastor) first asked me about this, I said sure pretty much without thinking about it. This week, I've realized how hard it is to cut the emotional ties with my home church. Again, I can think of no better way to do this than with the children of the Church. One pastor who's no longer at the church used to tell me that I was "too smart to work with little kids." Truth is, I was smart
enough to do just that! Didn't Jesus tell us to become like little children? How can we do this without spending time learning from them?
Each day as part of the worship time, some time was spent talking about my ministry. I can't begin to put into words how this blessed my heart. The challenge to the kids was that if they brought in at least $6000, I would get a make-over to look like our twenty-something worship leader, Yancy. I couldn't imagine them raising that much money, so really thought I was safe!
Well during the week, kids did everything from lemonade stands, to chores, to yard work, to brining in their piggy banks. Better than that, the kids were excited about missions in a way I haven't seen Westside kids become excited in a while (in fairness, though, I'm not with them that much). My prayer is that they will understand that they are not just GIVING to missions through their contributions, but that they are DOING missions by giving. They have become a large part of my ministry through their encouragement, prayers, and generousity. The stories I've heard from parents this week about their kids planning and finding ways to give have amazed and humbled me at the same time. And I pray that this enthusiasm for sharing Jesus will be reflected not only in their futures, but in their daily lives right now.
My complacency at the kids' (in)ability to raise money proved to be very much in error. The kids were amazing in their enthusiasm for missions and creativity in fund-raising. (I'm sure seeing me "punked" didn't influence them at all!) Between the profits from T-shirt sales and the cash the kids (and teachers) brought in, over $9500 was raised for my ministry in one week. Talk about being "blown over" by what God can do through His people. This will provide a lot of communication systems, water filters, and educational opportunities for the poor in Guatemala. Again, I am acutely aware that the kids are not just enabling me to do ministry, they have become an important part of this ministry.
To help them remember this and grow in their ministry, I am working with a friend, Tara Rye, to develop a blog/website entitled
Kids Can Do Missions, Too! This has grown out of a
book Tara wrote by this name, describing her daughter Mikayla's mission trip to Guatemala in 2008. If you're interested in a great vehicle for talking with your children about missions and missionaries, check out her book on Amazon. com.
Good to my word, I was Yancy-fied by Tara Seng. Wore eye liner for the first time EVER. (Guess I'm not too old to try new things, though I had to find a teenager to help! Thanks, Rebecca!) So I'll leave you with a few photos, hoping they don't cause too many nightmares!
(Photo at right,
courtesy of Mike and Dorena Ahrens)
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