10 Things I Learned at VBS
Vacation Bible School 2016 at Mescalero Reformed Church is officially in the record book.
Seeing it all come together firsthand has really opened my eyes to the great detail and preparation that goes into bringing it all together. It was full of energy, early morning van routes to pick up kids, and hyped up children all day─but it was worth it. It was worth it because for five days in a row, we had 100+ children come together to sing praises to Jesus. And I'm telling you, that was something beautiful to witness.
I've learned a lot this week. A lot about myself, others, and God. As per usual I just couldn't keep all these thoughts in my head, so I did what I do best─I started writing.
I've learned that leading discussion based questions looks much different for elementary students than it does for adults. I've learned that you just need to go with the flow and that you'll never have all eyes and ears tuned to you. [Then again, with adults you can't really guarantee that either.]
Kids aren't the tidiest individuals to begin with, and once you add stickiness to the mix, things get a little wild.
One little girl raised her hand and said she was surprised the girl went to work at the thrift store every day after school instead of going home to watch TV or play with friends. [What! Did this really just come out of your mouth!] That was definitely a proud "teacher" moment for me. Granted it was the last day and my mental processes were running low, but this was an answer I hadn't even thought of. The girl in the video was giving up her free time to help children across the world. That's definitley not something you see every day.
"Jamie, can I take pictures with your camera?"
"Maybe later!"
[not that much later]
"Can I take pictures with your camera now?"
One little girl saw me chewing gum and asked if she could have a piece. I said "aww sorry I'm all out". Immediately she asked if I was lying. She saw right through me. [Maybe I'm just a bad liar.]
[Special thanks to Melanie for offering these words at the beginning of the week.] Kids won't always listen, that's a given. You can't let their behavior slide, but you can't blow up either. You have to be firm with them so they understand you mean business, but you shouldn't be harsh. Yelling gets you nowhere. The goal is to teach and love, not to put down or diminish.
By the fifth day I was exhausted. On top of hiking, White Sands, the church potluck, and touring downtown Ruidoso with the work group here to help with VBS, I was low on energy. And the kids were too. I could tell because they were unusually quiet.
But as I've learned in life, perseverance wins the race. I have persevered, I have completed the race, and tomorrow I'm sleeping in.
[Don't worry Mom, not gonna happen any time soon.] After experiencing the affection of so many of these kids, I can't wait to get to experience that every single day with my own. I can't wait to watch them grow in their relationship with Christ and grow into the men and women God called them to be. I can't wait to be present and active in that journey and to daily share God's love with them. I'm humbled at the thought of one day playing such a vital role in the development of the children God may bless me with.
There's something special about simply being present and available. This week I was present with the kids at VBS. When they called me over and asked if they could sit next to me or on my lap, I have to say that gave me many warm and fuzzy feelings.
I'll miss hearing the VBS songs in the van route. I'll miss singing praises to Jesus with my buddies and following along with all the actions. I'll miss seeing the same smiling faces every day, but I'm walking away from the week with many good memories. I'm walking away with many laughs, smiles, prayers, and shouts of praise to the Lord. And that's something to be thankful for.
Seeing it all come together firsthand has really opened my eyes to the great detail and preparation that goes into bringing it all together. It was full of energy, early morning van routes to pick up kids, and hyped up children all day─but it was worth it. It was worth it because for five days in a row, we had 100+ children come together to sing praises to Jesus. And I'm telling you, that was something beautiful to witness.
I've learned a lot this week. A lot about myself, others, and God. As per usual I just couldn't keep all these thoughts in my head, so I did what I do best─I started writing.
10 Things I Learned at VBS
1. It's much harder to keep the attention of children than adults.
For all 5 days of VBS I was in charge of the KidVid video station. Three different age groups rotated through my station for 20 minutes each day. The groups were split K-1st, 2nd-3rd, and 4th-5th. Let me say one thing: kindergarten teachers─I have respect for you. I've learned that speaking loudly is a must and that the phrase "clap two times if you can hear me" is a simple [and temporary] solution.I've learned that leading discussion based questions looks much different for elementary students than it does for adults. I've learned that you just need to go with the flow and that you'll never have all eyes and ears tuned to you. [Then again, with adults you can't really guarantee that either.]
2. Snack time is messy time.
We were blessed to have an ABUNDANCE of snacks donated for the 100+ kids and volunteers that attended daily throughout the week. Carrots and ranch, pretzels, apples, bananas, grapes, applesauce, cheese sticks─we had food filled to the brim in several different fridges around the church property. We also had ice cream sundaes, soft pretzels with warm cheese sauce, watermelon, and frozen juice pops. Needless to say, it was messy.Kids aren't the tidiest individuals to begin with, and once you add stickiness to the mix, things get a little wild.
3. Some kids are pretty intellecutal.
Some of the answers these kids gave during our discussion and lesson were actually quality responses that I myself hadn't thought of. After a video about a teenage girl who started a thrift store to raise money for a new school in Kenya, I asked the kids what surprised them the most about the story.One little girl raised her hand and said she was surprised the girl went to work at the thrift store every day after school instead of going home to watch TV or play with friends. [What! Did this really just come out of your mouth!] That was definitely a proud "teacher" moment for me. Granted it was the last day and my mental processes were running low, but this was an answer I hadn't even thought of. The girl in the video was giving up her free time to help children across the world. That's definitley not something you see every day.
4. Smiles will melt your heart.
If only you had met some of these kids. Their smiles were something to truly treasure.
5. Kids catch on to things really fast.
From the stories I heard these kids tell, I knew they had open ears to the world around them. They soak things in─they observe. They catch the little details and remember them. When you say "maybe later", they remember...a little later."Jamie, can I take pictures with your camera?"
"Maybe later!"
[not that much later]
"Can I take pictures with your camera now?"
One little girl saw me chewing gum and asked if she could have a piece. I said "aww sorry I'm all out". Immediately she asked if I was lying. She saw right through me. [Maybe I'm just a bad liar.]
6. Be firm, but not harsh.
[Special thanks to Melanie for offering these words at the beginning of the week.] Kids won't always listen, that's a given. You can't let their behavior slide, but you can't blow up either. You have to be firm with them so they understand you mean business, but you shouldn't be harsh. Yelling gets you nowhere. The goal is to teach and love, not to put down or diminish. 7. Hugs. They are good.
Seriously─so many hugs all week! There's one I remember in particular that really made me smile. I was sitting outside during snack time, the horn blew to signal that snack time was over, and one of the girls on my van route ran up to give me a hug before moving on to the next activity. It was completely out of nowhere─but sometimes those are the best kind of hugs.
8. Perseverance wins the race.
By the fifth day I was exhausted. On top of hiking, White Sands, the church potluck, and touring downtown Ruidoso with the work group here to help with VBS, I was low on energy. And the kids were too. I could tell because they were unusually quiet. But as I've learned in life, perseverance wins the race. I have persevered, I have completed the race, and tomorrow I'm sleeping in.
9. I can't wait to be a mom.
[Don't worry Mom, not gonna happen any time soon.] After experiencing the affection of so many of these kids, I can't wait to get to experience that every single day with my own. I can't wait to watch them grow in their relationship with Christ and grow into the men and women God called them to be. I can't wait to be present and active in that journey and to daily share God's love with them. I'm humbled at the thought of one day playing such a vital role in the development of the children God may bless me with. There's something special about simply being present and available. This week I was present with the kids at VBS. When they called me over and asked if they could sit next to me or on my lap, I have to say that gave me many warm and fuzzy feelings.
10. The ending of VBS is needed, but also a little sad.
Rest is good. Quiet time is good. Sleep is good. The ending of VBS has signaled a time of much needed R&R, but there's still a little sadness to it. Some of these kids I won't see for a long time. Some of these kids I'll never see again. And some of these kids I'll thankfully see around for the rest of the summer.I'll miss hearing the VBS songs in the van route. I'll miss singing praises to Jesus with my buddies and following along with all the actions. I'll miss seeing the same smiling faces every day, but I'm walking away from the week with many good memories. I'm walking away with many laughs, smiles, prayers, and shouts of praise to the Lord. And that's something to be thankful for.
 |
| Special thanks to the group from Michigan/Illinois who came down to help with VBS! |
[Interested in reading more? Check out the Blog Archive to the right to find links to my other posts.]
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