VBS 2014 - Day 5

Friday – Wrap it Up

“Love always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” 1 Corinthians 13:7-8

It has been a long time between posts, especially considering that I put up the first four VBS posts the each evening of the day covered. I struggled to find a way wrap up a jam packed week of activity, blessings, and insights. It still amazes me that so much happened over a relatively small amount of time – three hours a day for five days sandwiched between some set up and clean up, spiced up with some daily preparation along with our double helping of fun at the Thursday evening Luau. And life has a way of invading the best of intensions, busy with daily activities, household projects, visits, another trip with family… And I struggled with telling more of the story without embarrassing great people with accolades they would just as soon not have broadcast for serving faithfully a God that rewards in many wonderful ways.

I’ll try to put a bow on the week just the same:

During our first session in the sanctuary our intrepid director, Ashley Pollock, shared one of the mission objectives for the week which was to collect donations to be used to buy water filters for families in the poorest parts of the world so that they could have clean water for drinking and cooking. I may be off on the numbers but I’ll be pretty close with this; we wanted to raise enough for 15 filters at $80 each so we needed $1200 for the week. Ashley laid out the challenge and promised to dye her hair blue and eat algae if we made it. She also demonstrated the efficiency of the filters that first day by pouring in some disgusting looking liquid and drinking it after passing through the system. It’s a very simple device; pour dirty water into the 5 gallon (approximately) bucket and steady drip out clean drinking water. One device will provide many years of good water.

Ashley's Algae Snack

All week we had been having great fun learning about Jesus’ incredible love for us and what love really is. Each day we were also updated on the fundraising and on this last day during our last corporate time in the sanctuary Ashley gave out the results and punctuated them by shaking out her blue locks of hair and eating algae to the great cheers, with a more than a few groans, of the crowd. We beat the goal by several hundred dollars which meant several more families will drink clean water. Love is generous and never fails.

VBS was an experience well worth the time and effort for reasons I’ve covered and some that I haven’t. Each of us walked away with something very personal, something individual, and when added together gives life to the assemblage. I imagine that, like my service to Mission Arizona, I’ll be on a year-to-year contract as the Spirit leads. I recommend that if you are even somewhat interested that you set aside the time and dive right in. There’s a place for you on Son Treasure Island.

Short video of one of our songs on the last VBS day together:

In His grip, jerry