VBS 2009 - Welcome to my Ranger Station.

Well have fully embarked on the VBS 2009 program at IBC... on the Boomerang Express Train in the Outback. Last week we spent alot of time decorating our rooms getting ready for today (the kickoff day). I am teaching 1st and 2nd graders and my room was suppose to be a "ranger station" for sheering sheep. Now you talk about an imagination wake up call... how do you do that? Last year we were a beach hut that was easy but this year... There was alot of help and we all started stenciling, tracing, and painting until we could not do it anymore... and we made it and all the rooms look great.

Here are some of the awesome volunteers... we made about 30 sheep, 20 kangaroos, 5 train stations, 10 trees, 10 suitcases, and more.

If you were wondering how we made the stuff... we cheated... copy a pic on transparency, blow it up on the wall, and trace... walllllaaaa.

We had to wait until after church on Sunday to start decorating... so we have about 8 hours to convert our rooms into sheep sheering stations. Here is my room... the final product. Thanks to EPSY at TAMU I had some experience making logs on brown paper... never thought I would do that again.

Do you like the little kangaroo that came to say hello through the window?

About 6pm, Blake surprised me with a visit from him and Pierce... it was a nice surprise and Pierce had so much fun looking at all the decorations.... I even got to snap a pic of him standing with the fluffy sheep. (P.S. Daddy was in charge of the clothes and the hair...:-)).

Our first day went very well... I have about 32 kids and I could just eat them all up... I am not a teacher by trait but it does not take a genius to figure out that there will be some super stars and some class clowns in every class but the Lord has really pressed it on my heart and reminds me everyday that they ALL need HIS love just the same... and they are ALL HIS PRECIOUS CHILDREN.

Today we talked about how Jesus choose us and all we have to do is follow... just like when He asked Andrew, Simon Peter, John and James to follow HIM... HE is asking us too as well. During one part of our day I asked the kids what are ways that you can follow Jesus... I got alot of the traditional answers but one of my kids looked at me and asked for Jesus' phone number so he could call him... what a great opportunity to share about how Jesus is everywhere and that you don't need a tangible phone all you have to do is talk anytime and anywhere and about anything. And then one kid said "Jesus is right here in this room"... oh how I can already see how I will get so much more out of this then I could have ever dreamed... Praise God.