Vacation Bible School

It's summer, and that means Vacation Bible School!! I have always loved helping out at my local church's VBS, whether teaching a class, doing music, or helping with crafts. So now working at a Methodist Church in Ecuador that had never had a VBS before, I knew we had to do it. Vacation Bible School is tons of fun for the kids, they learn all about Jesus' love for us, and discover that church can be a cool place. So, after weeks of planning and preparing, this week we had the first Vacation Bible School ever at my local church here in Romerillos. Despite the constant mob of kids running around, the daily changing of plans, and the general craziness, I think it was a success.

The little ones playing "duck, duck, goose"

Explaining to the kids about today's song

One important lesson I have learned here in Ecuador is that money does not equal success. It isn't necessary to have fancy backdrops, pricey crafts, and themed t-shirts to have a great Bible school. As we were a bit limited in resources, volunteers, and time available, we did the simple version. We bought lesson booklets, picked out fun songs about God's love, planned easy crafts (mostly with materials we already had in the church), and asked church members to bring the snack each day.

Enjoying snack time

Three of the oldest girls

Not ever having done a program like this before, the pastor and I didn't know how many kids to expect. We were excited to see around 25-30 kids show up each day. Some even brought friends or siblings the following day, and on the last day the kids said they didn't want it to be over!

Passing an orange down the line using only your neck

Lesson time!

Although it was a very busy and at times stressful week, I believe that everyone involved learned something and grew in new ways, especially me. The kids learned about God's love, and have found the church to be a welcoming place for them. Some might start coming to regular church services. Also, the congregation really came together, many people, especially the youth, helping with various aspects of the school. Thanks to everyone who helped in any way!

Pastor Blanca caring for our littlest participant

The "jovenes" playing music during snack time

All the kids and helpers on the last day