Vacation Bible School

In preparation for the North Carolina Vacation Bible team that was due to arrive by plane in Fairbanks, we cleaned the cabins,and made up the bunks with sleeping bags.  The Martins  picked up the 9 volunteers at the airport, loaded their luggage in to the church van and returned to camp after midnight. The "foreigners" were amazed that the sun was still shining.

With only a few hours sleep they were up for breakfast and Sunday School. the churches in Delta held a community wide church service in a large tent in the park. The N. Carolinians apprciated the warm coats and sweaters ssent by members of West End Baptist Church in Texas. The drizzle-rain stopped, but the overcast kept the temperature chilly. We enjoyed a praise band, lots of singing and an excellent message.

Hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill joined a pot luck meal brought by the community. The team was introduced and made to feel welcome. After a nap, we returned to church for a VBS meeting and to prepare our rooms for the following day.

Children of all ages, from the 5 month old daughter of a worker through sixth graders flocked to VBS on Monday morning. assisted by teens, the workers got everyone excited about the VBS theme, Awesome Wonders Aviation. The Bible study, missions stories, crafts, recreation and even the snacks were based on the them of God's wonders of creation: the Grand Canyon, Victoria Falls, Great Barrier Reef, Northern Lights and a volcano.

Many of my pictures would not load. This group is part of the 5-6th graders that I worked with. Later in the week i taught them how to tie-dye t-shirts. This project is one of the incentives that keeps the older kids coming back. Attendance for the week averaged 79 kids with a staff fo 40.

The kids are sitting in a mock-up cock pit for a Bible story. I painted the panel at the rear. The gentleman standing is signing for a deaf student.

The North Carolina team painted the interior of 4 cabins, and cut and hauled fallen trees in thier spare time. We were also able to take them on a short tour of a yak farm and a bison/hay farm. They also traveled to Summit lake to play in the snow.

On Friday after VBS and a hamburger-hotdog party for the kids, staff and families, we loaded the team and their gear into the van. Sleeping bags were stuffed into the RV and off we went toward Fairbanks. We made a stop at the historic Rika Roadhouse, at the Knotty Shoppe, and at Santa Clause House in Norh Pole. Yes, there is a North Pole, Alaska.

We spent the night on the floor of Faith Baptist Church. Rising at 4:30 Sat morning we loaded the vehicles and traveled to Denali National Park. the above picture is of the team and Texans as we wait for the tour bus for an 8 hour tour of Denali. My next blog will be of Denali.