Vacation Bible School Busy-ness and Blessings!

  The Japanese summer break is always from the end of July for about 3 weeks. So our VBS is right at the beginning of the break before the Shinto Shrine Festival (Jinja Matsuri) starts the next week. So before all the "fun" and confusion, we get to tell them about the One, True, and Living God!

  There is always lots of preparation to do... :)

This year, it happened that the Japanese church members were busy with work, or this and that, and weren't able to help out during the actual VBS time. But, the Lord knew that, and Praise the Lord that He doesn't decide to rest from helping!! For, without Him, we can do nothing! We thank the Lord for good health that He gave for each one here in our family to be able to be a part of it. :)

  Mrs. Nakajima, Miho, and Inori all helped us in our translating or proof reading of skits. Bro. Hatanaka was very willing to be a voice for one skit. :) It's exciting to see any little part that he takes to helping toward giving out the gospel!

  Well, we always plan for 3 mornings, outside in a big park, for our VBS. We know and have experienced that rain comes any time. God is always in control, and He has at times allowed it to rain, but when we start to be sad, we realize that since we are postponing it to the next day it has allowed somebody to come when this day wasn't going to be possible. :) No matter what the reason, I believe God likes to teach us flexibility and complete reliance, and contentment in Him.

  This year, anyhow, the Lord gave us three beautiful mornings. :D There really was supposed to be thunderstorms. I think maybe I know why the Lord allowed the rain to come and go as it did this year... :) You will see why in a little bit, too.

  First here are some pictures of preparation....

Trying out a new game at family time - water balloon volley ball! 

Kristen, practicing sound effects for the caterpillar and butterfly story.
The Lord gave her ideas, and some she found on-line.

Rachel, typing up a skit.

Mom, making zucchini bread for one day's snack.

Katie, coming to the help of a puppet officer needing a uniform. :)

...And of course he has to have a hat!

Do you like my uniform? Not too bad, huh? :) Do I look intimidating enough, I wonder...

Putting tracts and VBS flyers together for passing out to homes. 

  One Saturday afternoon, Mom and I just went out together to have a float at McDonalds and discuss all the games we should do, what days to do them, what order, and all the things needed for them. We planned for separate games from the older kids for the 3 and 4 year olds. The last few years we have had lots of little ones because of English class contacts.

  This year, though, the 3 and 4 year olds are fairly new children in English classes, and we haven't been able to get to know the moms very well yet, so sadly they didn't come. So there were no little kids group this time, but it worked out well, since we needed four team leaders, plus a score keeper and picture taker. :)

All ready for the first day!

Mom, double checking everything for the games.

The puppeteers revealed! Katie and Kristen did a great job!

  Within the three days, it was our goal this year to teach about Jesus as the Creator, Jesus as our Judge and Saviour, and then Jesus's resurrection and the new life He can give.

  The Bible verse cards for each day went perfectly with those topics, and some of the children still remember their memory verses and said them to me at class the other day! :)  Yeah!!

Gotta keep your balloon from being popped!

Skit on Jesus stilling the storm. The Wilhite boys were the disciples.

Ann, the narrator

Iroha, listening well to the Bible story.

Resting before children arrive the second day. 

The Judge pays the penalty. 

Us and our helpers, Malachi, Josiah, Iroha, and Keiko,
making tons of water balloons. :)

  Iroha and Keiko came for all three days! Both are very sweet girls, and they have been listening really well when I talk with them about Jesus and teach them some Bible verses in English class. I've been praying for them often. Iroha is thinking very seriously on it, I think. I do a Bible verse with them each week for a month, and I long to see them be saved. I want it to be real from their heart, though, and only God knows when they're ready. On the 2nd day, we invited Iroha and Keiko to come over for the afternoon to help make water balloons with us and the older two Wilhite boys. We always have to make up a couple hundred for the last day, which is our "water day". :)  They were delighted to get to come and help! While we made water balloons in the garage, it poured down rain outside, and Iroha said "Please stop, rain!", so they could ride their bicycles back home. I told her it would be better if she asked God to stop the rain for her. So she bowed her head quickly and said, "Kamisama onegai..."  "God, please stop the rain so we can go home on our bicycles."  :)  (I have prayed with them before in class if we were having cookies or something, and one other time, she and Keiko on there own, tried to pray to thank God for the water I gave them. :)  It was sweet! )  Well, later the rain did stop, and when they got on their bicycles I reminded Iroha what she had prayed, and she excitedly said, "And it stopped!"

  The next morning, the 3rd day, it was steadily drizzling when we got up, but cleared up by 8:30 or so. When I saw Iroha later that day and said something about the nice weather, she said, "I prayed to God, this morning that the rain would stop for us today." !! :)  How exciting, that God is working in her heart like this!  Do you think that maybe this is why the Lord allowed the weather like He did? :)

  If any of you think to pray for these girls, we would greatly appreciate it. I know the Lord is working, but the devil will not give them up easily, either. Pray that we will be the vessels He desires us to be so they will come to know Christ as their Saviour! I can't wait! 

   Since VBS, Iroha and Keiko have come to Sunday school and are working on filling up an attendance chart. They get a petal on their "flower" for attending, for Bible verse memorized, and for bringing a friend. :)  Keiko brought her friend Yuri last week. 

Iroha and Keiko

Lining up for teams on 3rd day. 

The "green, fuzzy, little caterpillar" who wanted so bad to become a butterfly,
but wasn't able to on his own.

...But God made him into a beauuutiful butterfly!

  Though there is always so much to do for our Kaki Seisho Gakkou (Vacation Bible School) it is always rewarding! Would love to see all the kids come to Sunday School, but that is more of a challenge to accomplish. Thank you for praying for us!

  On Friday, after it was all over, we went to have a family day, playing in the water at a pretty lake.

We girls cannot swim, but had fun learning from Dad and Mom how to float. We had a great time!

"The water is warm!"  - Rachel, Katie, Kristen, Emilie

Dad tipping Kristen out of the boat. :) In front is Rachel and Ann.

What a beautiful day God gave us! Not a cloud in the sky! 

Posted by ~ Emilie