Holiday Bible Club

Thank you once again for your prayers. On Sunday night we got to bed later than usual and were awoken in the night by the cries of a sick little Tabitha. We think she maybe ate something during the day that upset her stomach. Thankfully it was just one episode and then she slept the rest of the night. It was also a relief that we had arranged for Margaret and Robin to look after her on Monday. She slept a lot during the day and was very quiet (not at all herself!). We are so grateful to Margaret and Robin who were also able to look after her on Tuesday so that she could get a full recovery.

On Monday and Tuesday at the Holiday Bible Club we had well over 100 kids. Praise God! Today there were just under 100 but seemingly this is a big day for enrollment in school for next year. Hopefully we'll see them again tomorrow. The church looks amazing and despite the usual hiccups on the first day the program seems to be running smoothly and the kids are enjoying it.

On arrival the kids are registered and then enjoy about 30mins of games. Then we all go upstairs for the opening part of the day. A large chicken and a lion do a fun drama which has something to do with the day's teaching. We sing together and then the group is divided into 2 for a bible lesson. After the bible lesson and a simple craft the groups are divided into age groups for workshops. So we have 8 groups - one for each year from 4 year olds to 11 year olds. There are about 10 workshops; some practical and some more teaching based but all focused on emphasizing the day's teaching point. After 5 workshops (one of which is lunch) the group join together again for memory verse revision, songs, another drama based on the day's teaching and a revision of the day's teaching. Then it's clean-up for the leaders and then home.

Here are some photos to date. All over the church there are balloons and decorations. It's very welcoming.
Upstairs the main sanctuary is decorated like the inside of the palace with larger than life characters all around. Here Tabitha gets up close to the sheep.
The kids are loving the songs that Andrew has chosen and are having a great time.
Here Jim, the leader of the N. Ireland group, is teaching some of the kids about missions in his workshop.
In another workshop one of the kids is 'painting' with a sweet mixture of eggs and sugar which hardens, can be peeled off the paper and eaten.
Gary demonstrates that he also has artistic ability!
Of course it wouldn't be possible without a huge team of helpers. This is the team of Mexicans who are helping every day and then there are 12 in the team from N. Ireland. At the end of each day there is a period of evaluation. Praise God for everyone who is working so hard.
So a lot to be thankful for and 2 days of the normal program to go. Please continue to pray that kids' lives would be touched and transformed by the teaching they are receiving. Pray for the leaders as tiredness sets in. Pray that they would come each morning with renewed energy and vision for the work. Pray for the teenagers who are helping out too. They've been doing an amazing job and some have surprised us at how competent they are. One of our best helpers is one who is the most difficult to control in our Sunday School Class! Maybe we need to figure out how he keeps order in his group to be able to apply the same discipline to him on Sundays!

On Saturday we have what is called a 'Clasura' or closing program. The parents will be invited and there will be a particular gospel emphasis. The team will be preparing a mime for that. Pray that parents would come and once again that God would really move and that people would be saved. We'll also be giving out invitation flyers for Mex-i-Kids and would appreciate prayer that the momentum so far would not be lost and that kids would be excited to come back on Saturdays.

We'll of course be back on at the weekend to give you the follow-up!