Every July, ACE hosts a three-day vacation bible school (VBS) for the children in our community. While we usually host three different camps in multiple locations, this year was a little different. Last-minute changes in volunteer numbers left us with only one camp to host at Freehill Basic and Primary School.
Yet God showed up in mighty ways and reminded me that ACE focuses on going deep, not wide.
The team from FCC Stillwater came organized, prepared, and more than ready to host an outstanding VBS with the theme, “Magnified! See the Greatness of God.”
It reminded me of the song, “Come, let’s magnify the lord. For He is worthy to be praised.”
We used props and bright colors to capture the kids’ attention. We used magnifying glasses to look at insects and butterfly wings so we could see how the smallest things can play a big part in our everyday lives. We sang beautiful songs of worship to Him and danced around joyfully. All to illustrate how we can magnify God in our individual lives. Every detail was accounted for, and every activity tied in wonderfully with the theme – even our Oreos activity, which highlighted the sweetness God has to offer.
The kids loved the topic, and I was so touched by everything they had to say about the week. They left knowing the God of our universe sees each and every one of them.
One moment in particular that stood out to me was meeting Todd, an older gentleman with special needs who attended his first-ever VBS this summer. The joy radiating off of him as he painted with the kids was unforgettable. At the end of the week, he gave me a big slap on the back and an even bigger hug, and he told me how much he loved me. He also promised to return next year. That greatly warmed my heart, and I know he left VBS feeling the love of God and the warmth of our ACE family.
Even with another VBS happening the same week nearby, we still served almost 50 children, teaching them about the goodness and greatness of our God. The first two days, the team split into two so half of the team could help our staff clear roads in our pastures and repaint the campus.
On the last day, however, the whole team came together to put on the grand finale at VBS. We were able to really focus on each child and provide a ratio of almost one volunteer to one child. Remember how I said we go deep, not wide? This is what we’re talking about. This is how we get to really invest in the lives of the people we minister and bring them closer to Jesus. All thanks to God, everything just fell into place for VBS.
I still can’t believe that last week we hosted our final team for the summer. From the bottom of my heart, thank you all for blessing us with an incredible summer, furthering ACE’s mission, and magnifying God’s greatness here in St. Mary, Jamaica.
Whether you came down on a mission trip, directly supported us financially, supported an individual so they could come down to serve, or took the time to pray for us, your assistance made our work possible this summer.
Thank you,
Althia
TRIP COST
There is an old proverb, “If you give a man a fish, he’ll eat for a day, but if you teach a man to fish, he’ll eat for a lifetime.” History proves that lasting change in a poverty culture is achieved by empowering the people to reach their full potential and become self-sustaining. ACE is invested in our community long-term and in conjunction with our partners in the US, we are identifying the circumstances of those around us in order to find real solutions for their unique needs.