VBS at Joplin

One reason we went to Joplin for 10 days was to help with the VBS there. On Monday, July 13, the ones who were available met at the church to get everything set up for VBS starting that night. The VBS had a Pioneer--Oregon Trail theme. On the back walls were the point chart and the map to Oregon. We put covered wagons on the point chart with each child's name and moved them up to the top as they gained points by saying the memory verse each evening.

We had "wanted" posters on the side walls of the church to put pictures of each child who came and the stickers they received for being there, bringing a friend, and bringing a Bible. We started with 41 children on Monday evening. By the end of the week, there were over 85 wanted posters on the walls. The largest attendance was Wednesday night with 70 kids. Even on Friday night, we got 5 or 6 new attendees.

Randy painted this background in his shop on painting tarps. Rowen, Jeffrey, and Jason built the frame work for it. My dad helped make the wagon and our kids painted it.

Brenda is giving a talk on Tuesday evening to the 3-10 year olds, right before Tim tells them the Oregon trail installment. The lady helpers wore prairie skirts and bonnets, and the guys wore bandanas and cowboy hats.

Brenda is taking roll.

Tim was a great story teller. Joy told the story for the youth (age 11 and above).
Joy wrote the story and it ended on a cliff hanger every night! I never got to hear Joy but she is a very dramatic story teller, as well.

Some of the children had a hard time showing attentiveness. (understatement of the year!)

Joy going over the memory verse with the youth in the basement chapel. When Tim was finished with the story, the 6-10 year olds went down to the basement and the youth came upstairs for their story. The 3-5 year olds went to the Sunday School room with me for their memory time and a Bible Story.

Some people are in the line for getting their prizes; others are having another drink of kool-aid.

Randy and Tim discussing the plan for taking the kids home on church bus and van.

Before snack time every evening was organized play. The kids were divided into their age groups, so the littler ones would not get hurt. We were playing "Doggie, doggie, who has your bone?" here.

I never heard the little girl standing up say a word all week. Her brother interpreted all her silences for the rest of us.

Here we are playing "Duck, duck, goose". Beth and Jeffrey helped me a lot with my group. We had from 7 to 21 in our class!

The middle group playing volleyball.

The youth had their own playing field.

On Friday, the project for the day was filling water balloons-1000 of them-for the picnic activities the next day. My sister, Brenda Owens, and her family were visiting Joplin, so we had Rebekah and Andrew helping us fill the water balloons.



We didn't get any pictures of the water balloon toss or the water balloon fights on Saturday, because Jason participated and didn't want his camera to get wet. Rowen and I were not at the church on Saturday because of my high school reunion activities. So these are pictures of the picnic on Saturday.





The following are pictures of the program on Sunday evening. Below is Tim and Brenda's 6-10 age class either singing or saying their verses.

Randy speaking to the group. There were at least 13 family members, and about 40 of the children who came.

The "wanted" posters on this side of the church were for the 11 and up group.

The "wanted" posters on this side of the church were for the 3-10 year olds. Not all of them are showing as they filled this side of the church. Brenda was talking to the group.

We were very glad we were able to be there this particular week to help our family with the VBS. Those kids were a big handful, and needed "all hands on deck, ur, prairie schooner!"
I have not been around so many needy children at once; some of them have no concept of attentiveness or respect. They are there for the free candy and maybe to see if they can cause trouble. We tried our best to show them God's love.
We thank the Lord for the gospel seed that was sown in their lives. We pray it will bring forth much fruit. At least one young fellow was asking very interested and probing questions about getting right with God and making right choices.

Jason drowned four live worms!

Last night, for the fourth time this summer, some of our family went fishing at our local reservoir. The setting sun was just great for this silhouette scene. Neither Jason or Emily caught anything, and I only caught one 5" pumpkin seed sunfish, which I tossed back. Oh well, it was beautiful evening to sit by the lake in northern Colorado!

Bitter / Sweet Independence Day

One of the first things that I did this morning, was what many "red-blooded" Americans have done for generations; I put our family flag in its holder on the front of our house. As I did it, I wondered again why I was doing it, what it really means to me, and what it might mean to others as they drive by our house.

Does it indicate to observers that I am firmly in support of our current federal government, and all that they are standing for and supporting? I certainly hope not!

Does it mean that I want to identify with things like they used to be, say on the original Independence Day? Well, I think so...

Could it mean that I wish to elevate the importance of the U.S.A. above all other countries and peoples on earth? NO! I have too many close relatives living in, and serving the people of countries around the world to ever have that thought...

Is the God of the Bible ever pleased when His people show allegiance to an earthly kingdom, perhaps more, or at least more visibly, than they do to Him? Oh, Lord help us!

Soon after installing the flag, I went and retrieved the morning newspaper from the driveway. In it was a Hobby Lobby full-page ad, which they are famous for on significant holidays. Please click HERE to read it, if you haven't seen it in your local paper. It inspires many "God and Country" thoughts and feelings that I have always held dear....

Later I checked email, and found that a relative had written a letter this very morning, about his observations this week, where he is in the troubled Central American country of Honduras. Here is an excerpt:

"Here is what is happening here right now. The Honduran Congress, Supreme Court, the armed forces and the majority of the people were not in favor of the leftist trend that the president was taking here. Hugo Chavez from Venezuela had helped put this president, Zelaya, in power and he is trying to keep him in this position. Zelaya was trying to change the constitution, Chavez style, so that he could stay in power. The people of this country did not want this style of dictatorship nor a leftist government. This problem, along with 17 other issues, caused the Congress and the Supreme Court to ask Zelaya to step down as president. This would be like an impeachment in the States. However, Zelaya would not step down, so the Court asked the Army to arrest him and get him out which according to the Constitution here was legal and the proper procedure.
Well, Fidel Castro, Chavez, Ortega, and the other leftist presidents didn’t like this, so they started making a big issue out of it. The president of the United States, President Obama and Hillary Clinton, decided to go with the communist leaders and that has made the situation worse. Obama would not receive nor listen to a delegation from the present government that wanted to explain the situation to them. Instead they gave this government 72 hours to allow the ex-president back in the country and turn the government over to him again! Why would Obama and Hillary side in with Castro, Chavez, Ortega, and the other leftist presidents to try to force a leftist government back on the country of Honduras? As a true American and a loyal defender of American liberties and democracy, I feel that we have been betrayed! The newspaper yesterday said that there were more then 25,000 people who are ready to surround the airport to keep the ex-president out! What has Obama done? He is demanding that Zelaya be reinstated as president of Honduras! The street news yesterday was that the U.S. might allow the ex-president to fly back into Honduras through the large military base just outside of Tegucigalpa! What are we coming to? What has happened to American thinking? The majority of the Honduran people are pro-American and do not want Castro, Ortega, nor Chavez communism to rule their country? Is this their right? Now some of the people here who used to be backers of Obama are seeing another side of him and are turning against him and the U.S.A. politics! Can we blame them? What a sorry situation and what a disgrace for America! Yesterday, as we were driving out here to San Luis to try to get away from the political mess that Obama has helped to create, we passed the large military base that the U.S. has in this country. It made me sick to think that Col. Oliver North used to work out of this base to try to help fight communism, but now our President Obama is thinking of using it to help reinstate communism in this country that doesn’t want it! Do you see why I am upset? Can you understand why I, as an American, loyal to our country, feels betrayed? Yes, I know that there are some riots in this country caused by those who want the ex-president back in power, but guess what? The leaders of these street riots are being captured and do you know where they are from? You will not find this out in the US news, but the truth of the matter is that the leaders that are being caught are from Cuba and Nicaragua! This is what Obama and Hillary are backing up! Honduras does not want this! As a committed American I do not want this! May God have mercy on America and wake her up is my prayer! Americans, on this Fourth of July, please stand up for our country, for our democracy, and for the freedom that we want and for which so many of our good men and women have died!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY FROM A TRUE AMERICAN THAT FEELS HE HAS BEEN BETRAYED BY OUR OWN COUNTRY! - Anonymous from Honduras July 4, 2009"

(Post by Rowen)

More on the KS Albertsons' visit

A big highlight for us this past week was getting Jeffrey home from his trip to Haiti! On Thursday we prepared food for eating at the Mendezes in the evening, and food for our trip to the mountains on Friday and evening meal at home. Herb, Jenny and their kids went on over to the cousins' house in Greeley, while we went to the airport to get Jeffrey. He was on track to get in early, but a storm came in over Denver and put his plane in a holding pattern over Colorado Springs for 25 minutes, making him come in late. We were thankful that he was safe! Here he has just come up the escalator from the "train". This is just before he was mobbed with hugs and kisses!

We got to Mendezes about 7 pm and everybody was starving. Here the cousins are waiting for the chance to eat supper. From left around the table: Hadassah, Sarah, Celeste, Emily, Abby, Ben, Kwani, Daniel, and Jason.

Rowen and his sister, Esther, stirring the spaghetti sauce one more time.

Zeke, Herb, and Abby wishing they could already have some strawberry foam!

Maria, Manoj, and Christy

Gerrie, Mary, and Esther. Gerrie and Mary got in from TX on Wednesday. We were happy to get to see them again. Their time here was one reason Herb's family came to CO when they did.

Beth and Jeffrey catching up on their visiting.

Beth, Abby, and Jeffrey. Jeffrey is wearing his TLC Haiti South Team shirt.

We had a fun evening with our Albertson relatives.

Visit from the KS Albertsons

Last Tuesday, our nephew, Herb, his wife, Jenny, and their kids, Abigail, Ben, Celeste, Daniel, and Ezekiel came for a visit. Because they have lived so far away for several years, it was the first time they had come to stay for several days since Celeste was a baby, (around 9 years ago). Now they are located in Sterling, KS, only 7 hours away. We had a great time together!

The kids played a lot of games together, besides taking bike rides, and playing "Hide and Go Zeke!!"

A really sweet thing Zeke wanted to do when Beth practiced her flute--play along with the recorder. He was very good at doing the same rhythm as Beth.

On Friday, we went to the mountains. On the way, we stopped to enjoy climbing on rocks down to the South St. Vrain River. We always enjoy the sound of the rushing water. Here Jeffrey and Emily are getting reacquainted. (We got Jeffrey back from FL and Haiti on Thursday evening!)

Jenny and Zeke. Notice how beautiful the sky was!

Daniel, Celeste, and Emily enjoying the scene.

We got to Meeker Park where we intended to eat our picnic 'way before lunch time, so we spent the time playing horseshoes. Mostly we were trying to teach the younger ones to play; the adults barely got to play a short game...
Jeffrey and I on one end; Jenny and Rowen were on the other end.

Emily, Daniel, and Celeste waiting their turn to play horseshoes.

This is such a funny picture I had to include it for silliness. Nobody knows what we were gesturing about!

The scene of playing horseshoes at Meeker Park picnic area.

Jeffrey with his ringer.

Jenny was the only adult with a ringer. Guess the kids got to play the most!

Ben and his ringer.

One of Emily's ringers.

Abby and Daniel both got ringers on this round!

Our mountain picnic. You are not going to believe this, but we had hot lasagna as the main dish! We baked it before leaving home and wrapped it in towels and kept it warm in the "cooler" for our picnic. It was yummy!

Mt. Meeker, taken from Meeker Park picnic area

Our kids and their "cousins-once-removed": Emily, Jason, Celeste, Ben, Abby, Daniel, Jeffrey, and Beth

The girl cousins: Beth, Abby, Emily, and Celeste

Herb and Jenny's family "high in the Rockies!"

Our family "high in the Rockies!"

Saturday evening: The pelican we saw on the Johnstown Reservoir.

Our walk around Johnstown Reservoir. Janet, Zeke, Jenny, Beth and Abby in the back.

Celeste and Emily up on the climbing wall at the park by the lake. Isn't the sky a gorgeous shade of blue?!

Sunday afternoon: a group picture before the KS Albertsons departed.

We were so glad to have the KS Albertsons for a fun summer visit!