15 Jun Vacation Bible School!

Vacation Bible School is one of those long lauded traditions in recent Christian church history. I remember, when I was say…6 or 7…going to my own VBS and being Jonah by climbing through the belly of a whale. I remember paper palm trees, popsicle picture frames, and sticky hands from popsicles as I sat on a curb. Most of all, I remember having the time of my life.

This week, in 2018, there was a Jonah (via Melissa Millican adorned in collared greens) and there were certainly enough sticky hands to go around. Fun times were had by all around and while fun is a good enough reason for me alone to want to do an event, something much deeper was at play here. Allow me to give you a few snapshots:

I saw 22 teenagers serving children and showing supernatural kindness and patience towards kids that could be a bit of a handful. They were here early at 8:30 am every morning. Yes. You heard me. They were early and awake. They played games with the kids and taught them too. They served snack, organized crafts and helped lead worship and skits. They ministered to each other and advised each other on stuff like evangelizing their non-christian school friends (and which burgers are the best burgers). At the end of the week, I even saw them get pelted by snowballs and then turn around and pelt their neighbor. Yet I digress…

I saw 22 adult volunteers, many of whom still have littles of their own to go home to at the end of the day, give their time JOYFULLY. So many tired but smiling faces passed me on their way out the door today. One volunteer had these things to say about her tribe: “I love witnessing their enthusiasm and worship to Jesus, their vulnerable and sincere answers to bible study and mission questions, their bold and sweet prayers, and their smiles and laughter during snack, game and craft time. What an honor it is to witness.”

You may not know this, but mKids is the best place to find dedicated servants of Jesus Christ. I am their biggest fan and I hope you are too.

I saw 160 children come through our doors. They came through smiling and they left smiling. They danced and sang to lyrics like “the rocks cry out if we don’t shout the praises of our God!” They prayed for children on the other side of the globe and built a well in missions. They learned about a host of biblical heroes (and one semi-anti-hero named Jonah) and how they modeled a “be willing,” sort of life. In our skits, they watched a merry band of explorer misfits travel to the top of Mount Colossal as they made hard choices and discovered how to be like Jesus. They made fun, winter-themed crafts and snacks. They played in fluffy snow, made snowmen, built igloos and ran in ski gear. They played. They played and worshipped and learned alongside of Jesus people and left with more Jesus than they came in with.

All in all, it was a win and a magnificent time was had by all.

Thank you for being our prayer partners this week. We felt the support and love deeply.

Your children—our children—are a blessing.

Vanessa Maleare