At this moment, we have finished Day 4 of Vacation Bible School, and I can already feel the weariness setting in. Day 4 is a tough day, because by this point in time, all of the kids are tired and cranky, since many of them are staying up later than usual to come to VBS. They are also feeling more comfortable and bold, which is both a positive and a negative. It's positive in that they are singing the songs with confidence and dancing freely. It's negative in that they get a little too free and push the limits, every limit they can possibly push.
But VBS is so wonderful!
Tonight, I had a little girl, I would guess 5 years old, come stand next to me and tell me, "I love Jesus" in the same kind of way she would say "I love my mom."
Then a little boy who is 7 said, "Pastor Kristin, aren't you going to stand up and dance?" And so of course, I stood next to him and he became my dance partner.
A teacher told me about her niece, who heard someone mention Brazil on the radio today and said, "Hey, that's where those kids live!" (We have been talking about the kids in Brazil every night because our VBS offering is going to the Shade and Fresh Water Project.)
All of these little moments, strung together, make the chaos all worth it. What a blessing!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
On God's Mission to Brazil
Well, it has been a wild and crazy week because I have been preparing to leave tomorrow with a mission team from my church to Fortaleza, Brazil. We went to Fortaleza last year for the first time and were very blessed to connect with the brothers and sisters at Aerolandia Methodist Church. When we returned home, we felt God leading us to develop a partnership with this particular congregation, so here we go, returning one year later.
It is a really fun team this year, with 6 people returning from last year's team and 5 new folks. What a great mix! We have been sending facebook messages with the young people at Aerolandia for the last few months, and everyone is eager to see each other face to face. There's nothing like returning to friends after being away.
There's a good chance I will not be blogging on my personal blog, because we will be keeping a team blog while we are there. I invite you to check it out> www.calvaryinbrazil.blogspot.com. We will be updating everyday with stories from Brazil and photos of friends and activities.
Like I said, I have been running and running trying to get everything together and done in the last week. I can't wait to get on that airplane!
It is a really fun team this year, with 6 people returning from last year's team and 5 new folks. What a great mix! We have been sending facebook messages with the young people at Aerolandia for the last few months, and everyone is eager to see each other face to face. There's nothing like returning to friends after being away.
There's a good chance I will not be blogging on my personal blog, because we will be keeping a team blog while we are there. I invite you to check it out> www.calvaryinbrazil.blogspot.com. We will be updating everyday with stories from Brazil and photos of friends and activities.
Like I said, I have been running and running trying to get everything together and done in the last week. I can't wait to get on that airplane!
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Feeling thankful
Last night I had one of those moments of deep gratitude.
I was at the men's church softball game, where our team was playing the Baptists. Friendship Field is the name of the field where the men's and women's softball teams play here in Stuarts Draft, and it is THE place to be on just about any evening in the summertime. Friendship field is actually in the middle of a vineyard; think "Field of Dreams" and replace the corn with grapes.
Softball games are a staple of small town life. I sat over on the Calvary side with several of the wives and children of the players. The smaller kids were all playing in a big pile of sand by the scoreboard, burying a beetle and filling up a huge pixie stick with sand, then mischeviously asking us if we wanted some candy. There were at least eight or nine folks with dogs, both big and small, who were also socializing here and there. The bleachers were packed last night with people watching the game and talking about life.
It was the perfect night for softball; hard to believe that the next day was the beginning of July. There was a delicious breeze in the air, and I actually wished that I had brought a jacket with me. The game started at 8:00, so we watched the sun go down over the outfield. The sunset painted the sky various shades of pink, yellow, and blue.
It turned out to be a great game, and our team won. As I walked to my car, parked by Row 4 of grapes, I stopped for a minute and looked out at the mountains, dark blue in the twilight, and the crescent moon just above the skyline. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude, for that particular moment in time, for the beauty that was so incredible. What a blessing it is to witness and be moved by beauty. Thanks be to God!
I was at the men's church softball game, where our team was playing the Baptists. Friendship Field is the name of the field where the men's and women's softball teams play here in Stuarts Draft, and it is THE place to be on just about any evening in the summertime. Friendship field is actually in the middle of a vineyard; think "Field of Dreams" and replace the corn with grapes.
Softball games are a staple of small town life. I sat over on the Calvary side with several of the wives and children of the players. The smaller kids were all playing in a big pile of sand by the scoreboard, burying a beetle and filling up a huge pixie stick with sand, then mischeviously asking us if we wanted some candy. There were at least eight or nine folks with dogs, both big and small, who were also socializing here and there. The bleachers were packed last night with people watching the game and talking about life.
It was the perfect night for softball; hard to believe that the next day was the beginning of July. There was a delicious breeze in the air, and I actually wished that I had brought a jacket with me. The game started at 8:00, so we watched the sun go down over the outfield. The sunset painted the sky various shades of pink, yellow, and blue.
It turned out to be a great game, and our team won. As I walked to my car, parked by Row 4 of grapes, I stopped for a minute and looked out at the mountains, dark blue in the twilight, and the crescent moon just above the skyline. I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude, for that particular moment in time, for the beauty that was so incredible. What a blessing it is to witness and be moved by beauty. Thanks be to God!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
