Vacation Bible School, held from June 25–29 at the Kettle Falls (Wash.) Church, had 28–36 children attending. With adult/teen/parent helpers, attendance reached a total of 56.
Says Joyce Marsh, who organized the program, “It was a good week with great church support and all working together with a kind spirit.” Beginning at 9 a.m., the classes lasted until noon, when children were handed a fruit treat as they left.
First the children met in the fellowship room, where Lisa Quade taught the children songs and Bible verses that they sang. She also told Bible stories, always with a big smile. Next she directed the children to three rotations: Bible stories and making scripture song books with many flowers; craft books made with Bible verse embellishments plus some time for exercise; and planting seeds and strawberry plants, making wood flower baskets from precut wood pieces, planting flowers, and enjoying 10 minutes of exercise outside.
Near the end of the week Marsh and Quade showed how to dehydrate fruit. Eliana Bakhshnia, Stephene and Josh Maeda, Madi Alluis, and David Clark led the children in 10-minute periods of exercises twice during the morning, photographed each activity and helped where needed. On the last day the children went on a treasure hunt looking for gold rocks as well as both helpful insects and harmful plastic insects, each with a Bible verse to accent good and bad behaviors for gardens and people.
VBS helpers included Dawn Cauthron, Loriann Technetium, Les Moore, Ken Marsh, Cheryl Bauer, Sara Bakhshnia, Elizabeth Lambert, Christine Wong, Marilyn Morgan, Dan and Aimee Dizon, Elaine Crandell, Jean Leland, Joyce Dalton, and Arlene Pinette, who made fruit cups each day.
On Sabbath, June 30, the children presented a Sabbath School program singing and answering questions under the direction of Quade. They gave away their flower boxes to a parent. Each child received a graduation certificate and Children’s Bible from VBS.
Many hours of prayer and preparation had been needed to prepare the crafts, organize the program, and find the volunteers needed to help make each activity successful and spiritually uplifting. Many church members worked behind the scenes cutting, printing, visiting most of the homes in Kettle Falls, putting up posters, preparing the crafts and making fruit snacks.
