Vacation Bible School teaches excitement about God
WEST HAVEN — Children from St. Mary Parish in West Haven learned about God along with fireflies, crocodiles, spoonbills, possums, and turtles June 8-12. They were not in a swamp but they were at the Crocodile Dock, the Vacation Bible School theme for this year. Children ages 3 to 10 gathered Monday thru Friday at 9 a.m. to sing and dance fun praise songs. Then, they joined a crew, which had a leader and members of all ages. After joining a crew, the children were engaged in a number of activities or stations throughout the day, and learned the Bible point of the day with the help of different characters. On Monday, Flash, a firefly, reminded them that God is with us. The students learned that God spoke to Moses in a burning bush and promised he would be with Moses. On Tuesday, Jacques le Croc, a crocodile, told the kids God is powerful. They learned about the plagues God sent in Egypt to show he is the Lord. Belle, the spoonbill, taught them on Wednesday that God does what he says he will do. The next day, Blossom, the possum, reminded the children that God gives us life and that Jesus died and came back to life. On the last day of Vacation Bible School, Tucker, the turtle, showed the students that God cares for us, just as he cared for the Israelites when they crossed the Red Sea. "The Bible points are very helpful because although the kids might not remember the entire (Bible) story, they will remember (the short phrases)," said Peggy Milos, director. One of the crocodile dock’s stations was the Dockside Drive-in. Here, students watched Chadder Chipmunk have an adventure that reinforced the Bible point. "Chadder is a character that reappears every year and has different adventures. He was at the Louisiana Bayou this year. He gave the kids clues on what the theme for next year’s VBS will be," said Milos. One of the most intense activities was the Bible Bayou, where students act out the Bible story of the day. Thursday’s story was the Passion and Resurrection of Christ, and students were asked to expand their arms for a moment. After a few seconds, some children started to get tired. "Jesus didn’t wiggle his arms because they were nailed down," said the station leader, asking them to keep their arms extended for a longer while. "Jesus hung in the cross just for you and me," she said. "It is said that when Jesus died, an earthquake happened, and the curtain in the temple that separated the people from God was ripped in two. When Jesus died, he beat sin. When he came to life, he beat death." Then she asked the children how they felt after learning Jesus had died for them. Some expressed they felt bad. Others said they felt sad and glad at the same time. The kids played games that connected with the Bible point or Bible story at the Gator Games station. The games usually take place outside, but the weather did not allow for that and crew leaders had to improvise so the kids could play indoors, said Milos. Every day, a different crew skipped the Gator Games station and prepared snacks for the entire school at the Snack Shack. This gave the crews the opportunity to live the Bible point by serving others. The snack also served as a reminder of the Bible story. For instance, Thursday’s story was "Jesus dies and comes back to life." The snack for that day was a cracker with strawberries and whipped cream on top called "berried" and raised. In the Crawfish Crafts and Mission, students made crafts that reminded them of the Bible point, said Rose Berry, crafts leader. "We decorated papers with stickers," said Alexis Brown, 6, about the craft project the students had on Thursday. They also made small stuffed turtles to give to children from Your Community Connection of Ogden/Northern Utah, a non-profit organization that provides services to support and enhance the quality of life for all women, children, and families. The turtle included a card with a very special message. "I wrote that God loves us," said Brown. She said she knew God loves us because Jesus died on the cross for us. Berry said she has been part of the VBS for three years because it is a fun way to keep the Catholic faith instilled in kids. In fact, some kids love the VBS so much, they keep coming year after year. "We have at least three crew leaders who graduated from high school and they’re still doing it. Some of them have been part of it for seven or eight years," said Milos. The VBS had 120 students this year, and about 20 more had to be turned away. Handling so many kids can be challenging. "Sometimes they are having so much fun, they get out of control; but they’re pretty good overall," said Danielle Berry, who has been a crew leader for five years. Milos said she enjoys seeing how the camaraderie that the kids develop continues after VBS. Milos and Danielle also said they enjoy witnessing the transformation of some children. "They start out being very shy around the other kids," said Milos. "But by the end they will be dancing along," said Danielle. This is Milos’ first year as director. She said the work is stressful but rewarding and that it amazes her how everything, with the help of the leaders, comes together. "It affirms my belief that everything happens for a reason," she said.
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