VBS

I hope you'll excuse my absence this week, but I've been really busy.  I volunteered to teach VBS this week and on Saturday we're having a birthday party for Marco... not to mention Father's Day and Mauricio's birthday which are also coming up.  Needless to say, I've been a little busy.  Be on the look out for an awesome post about Marco's 3rd Birthday party... it's a Pirate Pool Paarrrrty!  And of course, a Father's Day post as well!

As I said earlier, I volunteered through the church that hosts MOPS to teach a VBS class for this week. For those of you who are not aware, VBS is Vacation Bible School.  It's basically a Bible Camp that is held by most churches for one week throughout the summer and they vary in curriculum and subject matter, but it's always Christian and Bible based.  It's a lot of fun for the kids and it gets them talking, singing and reading about God!

The children are on a rotation of Bible lesson, snacks and recreation, and crafts.  I am teaching the middle school groups, which are split into two groups; boys and girls.  I can not say it enough... I LOVE middle schoolers!   What is it about them that I'm so drawn to?  Most people are afraid of the challenge that middle schoolers bring... especially the boys, but I would take them over elementary aged kids any day.  They are so inquisitive and smart, yet also sassy and goofy.  They want to show you that they have a cool or tough exterior, but you know that they still want to please and impress you.

The church really does a great job of making sure that these kids are well taken care of and are having fun.  I don't get to see all the aspects of it, since I'm teaching indoors, but they come to me all happy and sweaty, so they must be enjoying themselves.

The curriculum theme for the church is Creationism.  This is such an important topics for children to become grounded upon at an early age.  Today, public schools are speaking about evolution earlier and earlier.  Students are not questioning this doctrine but rather becoming indoctrinated by it.  It is our job as Christians to be sure that they are hearing the other side of that coin... and instead of being intimidated by a vast topic such as this one, we should be going straight for it.  Why is it important that we believe that God created us and not evolution?  Because everything else stems from there... our belief system is completely intertwined and dependent on this subject.  If God did not create us, then we should have no morals, concept of right and wrong or emotions such as love.  We know what love is because God loved us first.  God breathed His love into us in the beginning of time.

I am getting so many amazing questions from this group of pre-teens.  They are really thinking about the material and grasping onto it with two fists.  It's so encouraging to see that there are young people who love God and are eager to learn more about His word.

Marco and Jonas are also enrolled in VBS.  They are both loving it.  Mind you, their curriculum is quite different, but they are still learning some things and doing crafts, playing games and singing.  They're having a blast!

VBS has been such an incredible experience... probably more so for me than for my kiddos.  I'll definitely be participating for years to come.