Outrigger Island - Now It's A Memory!!

Outrigger Island was the place to be this past week at my church (and probably some churches near you too!!). It was the theme for our Vacation Bible School and I was privileged to work with the rising 1st graders this year. I was a group leader, which meant my fellow leader C and I walked with our group of twelve first graders from Bible Story to Rec to Crafts to Missions and onto Lunch and Closing Rally. We got them safely from point a to point b and helped them pay attention when their little legs, arms and mouths wanted to run wild!!

It was fun. Yes, you read that right - it was fun!

Truthfully on Sunday night of last week, I was not convinced it would be, I had nightmares of kids running wild, misbehavior all around and long hot mornings. We did have the hot mornings (a couple of days it was near 100 degrees!) but the behavior far exceeded my expectations and I was pleasantly surprised.

The theme of Outrigger Island was right up my alley as well, because it was centered on Hawaii - a place I spent three years of my childhood and one that lives in my sweet memories. I loved everything about the week - the decorations, the songs, the Hawaiian words thrown in among the Bible truths... it was heavenly to me. I met some women in the church whom I have not had the opportunity to spend time with before this week and made some really great connections and for the first time in awhile, felt really connected to my church family.

I know the kids learned things that hopefully will impact their lives. My daughter learned some really good basic truths as well as any four or five year old could. The most surprising thing about my week as a group leader in VBS is that I, the grown-up, probably learned more than the students ever could. It was fun, it was exciting to watch little brains pick up on biblical truths and grab on and to see tiny hearts open wide and learn to put into practice the principles I have claimed to live my life upon. I was able to receive a refreshing dose of simple, straightforward faith - childlike faith that can sometimes get clouded by all our adult analyzing and "concordancing" and cross-referencing! It was just nice to hear and sing and live out the basic truths. I feel like I have been a student once again in Vacation Bible School - and I liked it so much, I signed up for next year already!