Wednesday of Bible Camp October Third

Galatians 3:26-27

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

We arrive to the Lutheran Church in Ntshongweni at 8:30am with plenty of time to set up before the children arrive, right?  Wrong, about 40 children were in the yard when we pulled up - yikes; time to pray.  So the four Americans grasp hands and fall before the Father with overwhelmed hearts.

So excited for another day of Bible Camp and to learn about Jesus.  Okay, okay they also were excited for the games, music, crafts and mostly the snacks.

Did you notice the word clothed in our theme verse?  The past several Bible Camps the children, for whatever reason, haven't been taking their crafts home. We planned the whole week around this theme verse with the thinking if they got the craft home perhaps they would tell their family members about what they learned of Jesus.  Zulu's live in large extended families. 

Monday was cross necklaces; Tuesday flip-flops; Today was tie-dyed tee shirts.

The children had to wait for a really long time to file through the process of getting their correct sized shirt and then to the outside the back of the church to the tie-dye table.

Jessica and Ginger kept the children busy and happy until it was their turn.  Rhonda was at the rubber band table and I was at the tie-dye table.

They turned out so, so, so cute.

We went out to lunch in Botha Hills - 30 minutes away, came back.  Jessica and Ginger and pictured Lucky painted the creche's kitchen.  Rhonda and I rinsed out the 80 tee shirts and hung them on the line.

What struck me was how very patient all the children were waiting for their turn to experience something they've never done before (and in all likelihood will never again). These precious children knew that if they wait something awesome was going to happen.  All I could think about was why can't I live waiting for the either the Lord to call me home or for Christ's return with this kind of patience?  We all have so much crap in our lives; friends who betray us, uncertainty, illness/death, poverty, and more.  What would life be like if we focused on the awesome and cool thing waiting for us in the end to help us get through the crap.  Just an question with eternal consequences.

Thursday of Bible Camp October Fourth

Galatians 3:26-27

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

Day four of Bible Camp at Ntshongweni Lutheran church.  The numbers of children have grown from 45 on Monday to 90 on Thursday.  The word is out on the dusty trails of this township.  Our prayer is that the Word of God is out filling the homes and hearts of all who is attending our Bible Camp.

Morning preparation... getting the pony beads ready for the craft of the day.

Our dear friend friend 'Lucky' wore his tie-dye shirt this morning.  Looking good dude, looking good.

In the church for opening.  We open with singing, praying and then divide them into their groups by age.

Ginger leading the singing (center), Rhonda (left) who is leading games, Jessica (right) teaching the Bible truth. Wonderful team!!!

No one has more fun singing to Jesus than Ginger.

This group quickly strung their pony bead for a bracelet and moved into coloring - which they love to do!

Showing off their new bracelets.

This Occupational Therapist loves the fine motor aspect of this task :)

Jessica has the group doing gross motor games.

As if 90 children weren't enough for four adults (who don't know Zulu) let's toss in several babies into the craziness.

Jessica teaching about God's gift of Baptism today.  

I'm trying to video with my flip camera but this little girl was climbing all over me.  Here I'm filming and using my camera.

She and all the Zulu children are so very beautiful.

Sweetest picture of the entire week.  This boy is praying with the baby on his lap - awwwwwwww.

At noon when the Bible Camp was over, I cleaned up my craft station, Ginger and Rhonda helped those who weren't here yesterday to tie-die their shirts and in this picture Jessica is tutoring the children in English.  

South Africa has 11 official languages.  The better their English the more doors of opportunities will be opened for them.  Every child is taught English in school starting in 3rd grade, but it must be like me in Spanish class - I learned nothing.  Some of these children has fair to good English - others... not so much.

One precious boy told me today in perfect English that he will NEVER  take his bracelet off.  I said where is your cross necklace.  He said he wasn't here on that day.  I gave him the kit to make that craft. I bet he never takes either of them off.

This was optional and many wanted to learn from Jessica.

Another awesome day spent with 90 sweet children about the love of Jesus.

Tuesday night preparing for Bible Camp

Galatians 3:26-27

So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

So we had a problem... at our Bible Camp where the 80+ children rotate through music, snack, Bible story, games and crafts, they were not taking their crafts home.

We based the theme of our October 1 - 5th Bible Camp on crafts.  We decided that if the children WORE their craft home, it would make it home.  And if the craft made it to the home, hopefully the child could explain what they did and learned at their morning at the Lutheran church.

Add caption

Took going to two stores in two cities to find 90 white shirts

Washing 90 shirts - yikes.

Thus all we needed was five wearable crafts: cross necklace, flip-flops, tie-dyed tee shirts, bracelets and visors.  Four of these items were easy ... one seemed a bit more daunting: the tie-dyed shirts.

By a generous donation from sweet Americans, 90 white tee shirts were purchased.

Pretty, pretty colors

The evening was spent practicing on our own shirts.

Rhonda Grant and Ginger Taff figuring it all out.

Following the directions, we let it set over night.

Working on mine.

Ginger woke up at 5am to rinse each shirt and hung them just outside our front door to dry before we left at 8am.

So beautiful.

Bags of 90 washed and sorted white tee shirts ready for happy children who will come to church to learn about being clothed in Christ.

To God be the glory.