VBS in Anchovy, Jamaica

The week before school started here we had a three day VBS at church. Todd and I are not children's workers but we wanted to do something special for the children in Anchovy. The team of seventy that Todd just finished hosting on the south side of the Island did VBS at churches in the mornings. They had everything pre-planned and prepared for each day. We inherited the surplus of supplies so all we had to do was follow their guides.

We really didn't know how many to expect because on any given Sunday at church, our children's attendance runs anywhere from Nathan alone to fifteen kids. We went prepared for twenty five though. It's a good thing we did, too.
Each child was given a name tag when they arrived. We have found that to be so helpful because most of the time when they tell us their names we can't understand them. It makes it much easier if they spell it for us and we can see it written.
Wednesday was our first day and we started with only five kids, a baby and three adults. That quickly changed. True to Jamaican culture more continued to trickle in.

Soon we had ten kids and several idle hecklers that hung around in the back.

Todd told a bible story and had some of the kids role play it as he told it. It seemed to keep the kids attention a little better.

One of their crafts was to make a necklace out of twine and thread foam shapes onto the twine. Then tie it around their necks and it makes a cute little necklace. One, these kids will treasure.

Such concentration.

Before long we had twenty one kids and four adults.

You can tell by Todd's shirt just how hot it was.

At the end, they all came up to be prayed for.

Day two arrived with just a handful due to the threat of Hurricane Gustav. We started the day off with Todd painting Jamaican flags on the back of hands of those who wanted one. Since the Jamaican track and field team did so well at the Olympics this year, patriotism is at an all time high.

Judienne gets a flag.

Wendy intently watches "Pasta" paint her flag.

They were so good not to complain about having to color their pictures in their chairs.

On day two we only had nine kids but we had several idle hecklers that congregated in the back and were very distracting.

They had a golf ball and were playing a friendly match of football while we tried to keep the kids attention and have VBS. It is very hard to ignore these idlers and we have no "authority" to ask them to leave because after all we are using their community center.

But, when you look around and see this precious face holding her "light" up...

...somehow it seems worth all the aggravation.

*Day three was cancelled because of Hurricane Gustav.*