VBC: Day 4

Howdy, partners! "Farmer" Trista here!

Welcome back to another beautiful day of Vacation Bible Camp where we Taste and See that God is good!  Today we learned that when we are hungry, God provides.

The kiddos filtered in a little more slowly today and were a little sleepy first thing in the morning, but after a rousing round of "This is the Day that the Lord has made" and "I am My Beloved's", everyone was much more awake.  Through our morning liturgy, we all thanked God for all the ways in which God provides.  We said a prayer, received a blessing from Mother Karen and were sent to our rotation stations.

In story time, our precious youth acted out the provision of Manna in the Wilderness.  The Israelites were very hungry and grumbled against Moses for bringing them out into the desert, but after Moses prayed, God provided Manna for them all to eat.  One of the powerful messages from this passage is that if we hoard, our provisions will go bad.  All of the kiddos reflected this in the question and answer time.

During music time, Jessica helped us warm up our voices and stretch our bodies before singing.  The kidos sang "Wendayaho" as a group and then took turns singing in groups of four while the rest of the class listened carefully.  We also continued our work on the "Call to Love" as well.  Everyone definitely gets a chance to shine and to practice singing in front of others in music!

For recreation, the hula hoops came out.  The kiddos were very excited to  try this new skill or to show off how long they could keep the hula hoop going around their waist, on their arms or even on their feet.  They also played a game called "Doggy, Doggy, where's your bone" where one person would look the other way while someone hid a ball behind their back and then they would turn around and try to guess where the ball was hiding.  Freeze tag and running in circles were also quite popular with the younger kids. 

About mid-morning, we had some visitors!  The Blue Angels were practicing their maneuvers right over our heads.  The roar in their wake certainly made the leaders need to pause in their teaching, and anyone who was outside couldn't help but have their eyes glued to the sky watching the swoops and loops and circles above our heads.

Back inside, Rachel and Mother Karen helped us decorate picture frames during art.  Armed with a paper cup filled with bird-feed seeds, a little plate of glue and a q-tip, we covered our picture frames with all kinds of designs.  From the sprinkling of the tiny hands to the intricate borders and flower designs of the older groups, each frame is unique and beautiful just like the kiddos at VBC!

During chapel time, we all took off our shoes and sat on long cushions while Father Steve read us the story of Stone Soup.  A large metal pot sat in our midst, as did a large basket of vegetables.  As Father Steve told us the story of a young woman who inspired a whole town to share what they had so that everyone could eat a delicious pot of soup, we each were invited up to place a few vegetables into the stewpot.  Then we all received little glass pebbles to help us remember the story of stone soup so that we will always share what we have so that everyone can eat.

As we contemplated our Stone Soup story, we made our way to the service station.  There, Tammy invited us to sort the food that we have been bringing each day for Hopelink.  Using the plastic crates and the categories they provided, we took great delight in organizing our foods into piles of peanut butter, canned fruit, cereals, pasta, and all sorts of different categories.  We talked about the different times in our days and weeks when we eat each food and prayed for those who will receive what we have shared.  The kiddos also made cards for the recipients so they will know that they are loved by God and by us.

Wrapping up our day, we gathered again in the nave to sing, "This Little Light of Mine" and to offer thanksgiving to God for our time together.  We're looking forward to another day of activities tomorrow!  Until then, may our lights shine like the stars in the heavens so that all who see our good works may give glory to our Creator God in heaven! Amen.