VBS, Construction, Orphan Care

    Today was the first day of full team ministry work. We got an early start to the day in order to set up the venue for the VBS. We were unsure how many kids would show up, and we've been diligently praying for a good turnout. By God's providence, thirty kids showed up to the VBS! The theme for the VBS is "Jesus is my Superhero". We have three songs we sing, then we have a skit, then a bible lesson, and then the kids rotate through three stations: games, crafts, memory verse/snack. All of the kids said they really enjoyed the VBS, and we heard that a few of them went home and told their friends the memory verse (John 16:33b). It is so encouraging to see the kids so engaged and excited for the VBS. Please be praying that this would leave a lasting impression on these kids, and that the seeds that are being planted can grow into fruit.

    In the afternoon, the team went to orphan care. They visited a local orphanage with adults with disabilities. This was especially a blessing because they don't often get visitors. The team was able to share the gospel with them by creating bracelets with the wordless book in the form of beads. Green stand for creation, Black stands for sin entering the world, Red stands for the blood of Christ, White stands for us being made new, Yellow stands for heaven. They also watched a video of the gospel, and they did similar activities as VBS (games, crafts, snacks). There were other activities like braiding hair, doing puzzles, coloring, and some bingo. At the end they were given some care packages which included a light up fidget spinner and that was a huge hit! It was a blessing to see their gratefulness.

    The construction crew was working hard the whole day. They are helping a very small church by fixing their fence. The fence was very old and needs the paint stripped off and to be repainted, and the fence needs to be raised up a little higher. Great progress was made today! There is a local construction worker doing a project near by, and he has come to visit a few times to chat. Be praying for him and his family, pray that our construction crew can continue to have conversations with him and share the gospel and the love of Christ. His name is Liviu.

    Tomorrow we have day two of VBS at the same location, and the construction team will continue to work hard on the fence.

Prayer Requests:
- Pray for Liviu and his family.
- Pray for continued health for the team, and safety (especially for construction crew).
- Pray for all the kids at VBS. Pray that they would bring a friend and that the gospel would stick in their hearts.

Todays question for the team: "What was one way you saw God working today"

Carole Bell: "I saw God at work today as He brought about 30 boys and girls ages 6-14 years old come to our first day VBS. Their faces gleamed with excitement and expectation . From the opening songs, to the  exciting skit, the interactive Bible lesson and game, then at each of  the different stations, the children were very responsive and engaged. In the Bible Verse station, the children were eager to memorize their verse: John 16:33. Several children from the various age groups were able to recite the verse from memory without any helps. 😃 This evening while checking out a local grocery store, one  child who attended today came up and greeted me.  I asked if she had a good time and  if she was planning on coming tomorrow. With a big smile she quickly responded “Yes, I am coming! ”. I see God drawing the hearts of young people to hear the gospel. This truly is an answer to prayer. Can’t wait to see what God is going to do tomorrow…Day 2 ."

John Mar: "On the first day of VBS, I was thankful and encouraged to see how many children came. It was great to see the children memorize verses and be so excited. They really responded well to the skit and were engaged in all the stations. Wonderful kids! Then we spent time in an orphans’ home where we sung songs, played games and had the gospel shared many times. The orphans were very appreciative and great to be with. It was a day well spent. Praise God. Excited for the next day."

Jim Yamashita: "Today I saw that God prepared the hearts of the kids for VBS. The majority of the kids were unchurched. They came with anticipation and quickly got involved in the skit & activities and were eager to memorize the Bible verse. They truly enjoyed it. At the orphanage God blessed us with encouragement as the special needs adults that we saw were really appreciative of and enjoyed our visit. Praise God!"

Teresa Chau: "It was amazing to see the joy and excitement on the kids’ faces coming into VBS! I was so encouraged that so many kids came, even from non Christian homes. God opened up their parents’ hearts to bring their children to VBS. In the afternoon, one of Florica’s old friends asked if I could visit one of her former teachers who is ill. At first, she was unwilling to accept to help. After sharing our purpose for coming and talking about God’s love, she opened up and shared her prayer request, and she even to give her contact so she could reach out for help. Praise God!"

Alex Bigu: "At the poorest church in the county, our team began rebuilding their front fence from the ground up. Not only did more volunteers show up than expected, but the Lord also provided a local man with an excavator—right when we needed it. He was performing some work across the street when we approached him for help. He graciously helped us remove a thick concrete base that would’ve taken hours of hard labor - without cost. His name is Liviu and we promised we would be praying for him. What a blessing! We hope to see him and connect again tomorrow! We’re also grateful for God’s protection over the team. Please continue praying as we push forward with the repair project at this church!"

Brianne Pratt: "We had around 30 kids show up to VBS today! The local church thought that no one would show up, but God answered our prayers and the kids were really engaged! Also, the orphans we got to visit were very grateful for our visit and receptive to the gospel with the activities we provided."

Mark Pratt: "I've seen God working in many ways. Each time we think something may not go right, or we are missing something, God provides. We were unsure how many kids would show up to VBS and we were unsure if they would be engaged with it. But we had many kids show up and they all loved the first day, it was really encouraging to see!"

Gianna Chau: "God was working in the kids’ and their parents’ hearts. The kids were so excited about all the VBS activities and were even enthusiastic to memorize the verses! Then, in the orphanage, it was amazing to see the how joyful the orphans were! For example, while putting a puzzle together, every time a puzzle piece was placed, they cheered for each other. It was such a wonderful day"

Photos from the day: