God's AMAZING POWER was very evident all week - June 11-15th at First Baptist Church's 2012 Vacation Bible School. We started out the week with over 70 workers and 111 children and averaged 105. During the week, seven children made decisions for Christ or rededication.
Missions was an important rotation each day. Kids travelled to the Amazon River, Alaska, Madagascar, and to Brazil, where we met a deaf girl who shared God's love with her hands. To spread God's love, we raised around $400.00 which will be divided and sent to our IMB missionaries in S.E. Asia, the Baptist Children's Village (which provided our name tags), and to Global Outreach's Belize Technical School for Boys. In addition, the children collected two huge boxes of coloring books, crayons, toys, hygiene items, Ramen noodles, and macaroni and cheese for our missionaries in Alaska, where prices are quite high.
On Day 1: Amazing! God's Power Over Nature (Joshua 3-4) we crossed the Jordan River with the Israelites. PK class made stepping stones outside, the K group made adorable Walking through the Water cards with their red footprints, the 1st-3rd colored backpacks, and the 4th--6th did sand art. Then, kids ate chocolate chip "stone" cookies and fish crackers with tropical juice. And in recreation time, we rock climbed horizontally in the Colorando Rockies.
During Day 2: Amazing! God's Power Over Circumstances (Daniel 6:1-23) 1st - 6th learned how nothing - not even hungry lions - can stop God, while the K group marched around Jericho. PK class made lion puppets, K's colored jelly fish bowls, 1st - 3rd made prayer boxes in honor of Daniel's prayers, and the 4th - 6th graders made a Daniel's Window of Prayer to hang up in their homes. We ate lion cheese fur balls, and teddy bear cookies. And in PE all had fun playing freeze tag to keep away from the lions.
On Day 3: Amazing! God's Power Over Sin (Luke 2:21-38; I Cor. 15:3-4) we visited Jesus at the manger and the temple, where special guests - Anna and Simeon joined us. PK's made a soaring plane picture with cotton ball clouds, and k's - 6th made Jesus' Picture Frame Home out of foam. In snacks to honor God's greatest gift to us - Jesus - we ate a Treasure Snack Mix.
The next Day 4: Amazing! God's Power Over Death (John 19:31-20:20) we went with Mary to the tomb - which was EMPTY!!! And we learned that Jesus was ALIVE! Mrs. Mary Nell Smith made the story really come alive by playing Mary - complete with outfit! In snacks we ate resurrection DingDong Pops. Later, in crafts, PK made a foam cross, K's and 4th - 6th graders painted crosses, and the 1st - 3rd graders made salvation bracelets and colored frisbees.
Finally, on Day 5: Amazing! God's Power Over My Life -- we learned about putting Jesus' first, with the K group walking with the Good Samaritan and the other classes studying about Peter and the other bold Apostles. PK's stickered suitcases, K's learned the salvation colors with sandart bottles, 1st - 3rd made sandart too, while 4th - 6th graders finished out the week with their salvation bracelets and a game of Amazing Wonders Bingo.
On Family Night, June 17th, at 6:30 P.M. we'll share all the great, upbeat music we've been learning all week with our loved ones, meet our teachers, and eat some snacks. "Yes to V-B-S" and the A-B-C song are two of our favorites! Some moms have been telling us that their children are singing the songs all night long!!!
