An experience of many gifts

Back in the fall of 2009 my Sunday School teaching partner asked if I would serve on the leadership and planning team for Vacation Bible School at our church. I was hesitant to commit as I had already taken on a monumental role at Winston's school in addition to the weekly Sunday teaching gig at Bethany. I have been a VBS teacher to preschoolers a few times over these past years and frankly the level of exhaustion that comes with that responsibility is never forgotten - I wasn't sure I was up to the task. I prayed about it and after a few weeks of thought and prayer, agreed to take it on.

The planning team began meeting on a weekly basis after the holidays. Our church is rather large and considering our size along with previous year's attendance, we began planning for 400 children to walk through our doors for Galactic Blast at Bethany.

This past week, the endless hours of planning, meeting and planning some more came to fruition as 410 children arrived on Monday morning excited to spend a week on the Starship Galactic Praise. Without any doubt, it was one of greatest things I've ever been a part of. You want to see why?

Since January, we've had many moments of stress, fatigue, chaos and even tense conversations. This past week we had many more moments of the same, plus some tears added in - tears of joy and tears of frustration. I have reached a level of exhaustion that I rarely experience...a mental and physical drain that is hard to describe.

But.....What I'll remember about this past week more than anything are:


The sight of our fellowship hall as it transformed into Mission Control. We were beyond blessed to have an awesome group of decorators.
The gratitude I felt in my heart...deep in my heart...to over 100 volunteers who braved the heat, the noise, the chaos and everything in between to serve in such an enormous way.

Experiencing some of my most special friends in such a different way - I so wish I had gotten pictures of my friend Linda creating the Informational Space Center....or of my girl, Kristi, standing on a ladder hanging black tarps, splattering glow in the dark paint and hanging black lights to get her room ready for her class of Shockwaves. How fun to enjoy my friends in this way.

Listening to my sweet friend Christy, dressed as Aubrey the Astronaut, engage our children each morning during our opening assembly. She was the sweet encouraging voice who helped us start every day.
The sights and sounds of 400 precious little people (including my own) experience and enjoy all the planning and work we put into such an awesome time together.

I went into the Sanctuary on Thursday to hear preschool Music Time and to catch of glimpse of my girl experiencing her VBS. I was unexpectedly overcome with emotion....hearing a choir of tiny and sweet voices singing about God's love for them was a memory I will cherish forever.


The gift of new friends, getting to know "old" friends in a whole new way and being so filled with God's spirit that we were already talking about planning for VBS 2011 before the tear down of this year was complete.

The ability of my fellow leadership team members finding the grace to put up with my extreme Type A personality - they overlooked my faults, celebrated my strengths and loved me all the way through it.

It was a blast of Galactic proportions....and after a nap, I can't wait to know our theme for next year.