Wow, another year has passed since I've posted my last VBS summer. I guess with facebook, blogs are getting old...This summer... another God-filled AMAZING time at VBS.
This year, I taught the 7~9 year olds as well as directed the skit, and helped plan for the crafts. It was hard being out of town, but thankfully, all the awesome kids (big kids) at College Station all put their 101% effort into making this possible!!!
So VBS is like my annual spiritual cleansing seminar. It really makes me look at myself and see how impossible it is to so anything without God.
This year, I had about 10 students in my class, all of which attend church with their parents, but few understand what it means to accept Jesus as a savior...
At first, I had no idea how to teach 7~9 year olds. Unlike last year's little 4~6 year olds, I couldn't use hand puppets to talk to them and hold them in my lap when they cry (I do miss that a lot). These 7~9 year olds are quite challenging. But the amazing thing is, God uses so many ways to touch their little hearts.
These 2 kids are the Chinese-speaking kids in my class. So I would translate the bible stories into Chinese for them. But they simply enjoyed every single minute of VBS even with the language barriers, and by the end of the week, they were singing and dancing the VBS theme songs in English!! And more amazingly, after the story & skit about how Jesus died and was resurrected, I shared with them the color book and explained the meanings of the colors. Then I asked them whether they would like to have Jesus in their hearts, these two girls immediately came up and said (very sincerely) that they would like to pray for Jesus to come into their hearts... I was literally stunned. Wow God.
The most important lesson God taught me this summer is to know that these children (and counselors too) come from very different families that function differently. For adults, it is easy to conceal our hurt behind our smiles, but for children, their hurt and pain show in their behaviors. I had to understand that a child who misbehaves may be one who receives very little love at home. And my job as a VBS counselor is to be a water hose for God and let His love run through the hose to shower on these children.
I felt very blessed to have a small class and was able to spend a lot of time with the students and all the counselors.
And it's so amazing to see how the kids have grown, and some of them are now counselors...
2001 (on the left):
Now (on the right):
2001 (William on the left, green stripe shirt, and Alex next to him on the right):
Now (William & Alex in the middle... both counselors all grown up and giving their lives for God!):
I just can't believe how these two have grown... they used to be naughty little boys but now, they have matured and are teaching other boys to behave, comforting crying kids, making sure that the kids don't get bitten by ants, watching out for their safety...
2002 Esther
Now (on the right):
God has blessed the CSCC VBS for so many years and it's very comforting to see how all the children have grown up in Christ and taking over VBS as leaders... It would be amazing to see another cycle of kids growing up at our VBS. (I'm starting to sound like Carol mama.. oh no..)
All the friendship that we built at VBS.... Ah I miss it already!
What kind of strength can bring all of us together year after year, giving everything we have for VBS?
What kind of understanding can allow all of us to overcome each other's differences, forgive each other's mistakes, and work as an awesome team?
What kind of energy can wake us up early in the morning to start an exciting day for the kids?
What kind of patience and help us love those hard to control misbehaving kids?
God's love is Amazing!
Your love is amazing, steady and unchanging
Your love is a mountain, firm beneath my feet
Your love is a mystery, how You gently lift me
When I am surrounded, Your love carries me
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Your love makes me sing
Your love is surprising, I can feel it rising
All the joy that's growing deep inside of me
Every time I see You, all Your goodness shines through
And I can feel this God song, rising up in me
