WOW God!

Every year, when I think about getting ready for VBS I get stressed. The planning, the ordering items, trying to make sure I don’t forget anything, recruiting and training volunteers…It all seems a little overwhelming. And then I think about the actual week of VBS, and I can’t wait to do it again! The difference in those weeks leading up to VBS and VBS are huge. During VBS, I get to see all of that hard work come together and just enjoy it. I was so blessed this year to have an incredible group of volunteers. I barely had to recruit this year. People were coming to me and my mom and asking how they could help! Thank you KCC for your commitment to the children in our community!

All week at VBS, while the kids are in their groups, they do God Sightings. These are times during the week that they saw God working or saw things that God made or did that really stuck out to them. One of my favorite things to do is to read their God sightings. On almost every God Sighting paper I found, there was something about the volunteers. The kids saw God working through these adults, and so did I! They also learned Bible stories and verses and songs every day. The kids had a Bible point or a theme everyday, and when they heard it they would shout “WOW GOD!” I want to start doing this in my life!

One of my first time volunteers this year was Mary Jeffrey. Last year, Mary and her family didn’t attend KCC. Mary brought her daughter, Amelia to KCC for Vacation Bible School. Every time that they drove past our church building, Amelia would beg to come back. Eventually Mary and her husband, John, and their son starting coming on Sundays. In February of this year, Mary and John were baptized! This year Mary was one of my first volunteers for VBS. She saw the value in it! WOW God!

Lisa Bratton shared the sweetest story with me. The groups were told to talk amongst themselves and come up with a machine that they would invent, that isn’t invented yet. She was brought to tears telling me the answers in her group. They were all very sincere and thoughtful inventions like a machine so that kids in Haiti wouldn’t ever be hungry, or a machine so that no kids would feel left out or be lonely. WOW GOD!

VBS was also a bit like a family reunion for me this year. I had my awesome mom with me as usual, that can work circles around anyone and is so unbelievably organized and selfless, that I know that she is truly powered by God. WOW GOD! My sister and niece were here from Georgia and gave up part of their vacation to be crew leaders for VBS. WOW GOD! My son Nathan partnered with my niece, Maddy to run a crew. And my mother-in-law came over every day from Alba to lead a crew. I think that when she originally said she would do it, she was doing it as a favor to me. During the week she had some of the sweetest and sad stories to share with me. As soon as VBS was done, she told me that she can’t wait to do it again next year! WOW GOD!

I have to agree with my mother-in-law. I can’t wait to do it again next year!