VBS Missionaries

The sweetest, most humbling thing happened this evening…

If you follow us on facebook at all, you might have seen that we are the featured missionaries at our church’s Vacation Bible School. Each year our church, Salem Bible Church, chooses one missionary family to support. The missionaries speak to the kids through presentations, hang out at their display table to chat during craft time, and challenge the kids to raise enough money to reach a goal.

This year, we are those people. Monday, I introduced the family to the main group of kids and gave them the monetary goal. (Aaron was working, so I had to public speak!! Yikes!) I made a little display to keep track of the money raising. For every $200 raised, we put a member of the Kelley family into the plane. The goal was to raise $1200 by the end of the week so that all 6 of us would be in the plane together. In the picture, we hadn’t collected any money…

On Tuesday, Aaron and I presented to each of the 3 groups at VBS. (Our church is awesome and runs 3 separate VBS curriculums based on age. I love my church!) First, Aaron talked with the main group of kids, those that completed kindergarten through fifth grade. Then, I spoke to the preschool group. And finally, Aaron spoke to the middle and high school group. Each presentation was a little different, but we basically explained our plans to leave in January for Kenya to be medical missionaries.

Today, since Aaron had to work again, I was by myself at the display table. Here is what it looked like on Monday…It looked a little better tonight, but I didn’t take any pictures. I think you get the idea though.

Not too many kids approached the table, but it was nice to chat with the few who did. Here is where the sweetest, most humbling happened. One little girl came right up to me and asked if I was the missionary. I said that I was, and she plunged her hand into her pocket and pulled out a fist-full of change. Then, she spilled it out onto my display table. How generous! You see, the offering is taken during the opening, but she was late and didn’t have a chance to put her money into the bucket. I think most kids would have kept the money, but not this little girl. She was determined to get that money to me, and she wasn’t waiting until tomorrow. I just love her faith and willingness to obey.

It reminded me of the story in the New Testament of the woman who gave a small amount of money but was counted more generous than the man who gave a lot. (Mark 12:41-44) Wow! I am so challenged by the faith and generosity of these kids.

We leave for our training tomorrow, so we won’t be able to attend the last two days of VBS. That means that we won’t be in attendance to receive the money these kids raised at the closing program on Friday. I’m sad that I won’t be there to witness the joy these kids will have when they see how much money they collected to help us get to Kenya. I’m trusting that God will work through these kids, that He will multiply their gifts, and that He will bless their lives. We serve an awesome God, a generous God, a God who loves a generous giver. He is well-pleased with at least one little girl tonight. Well done, good and faith servant. Well done!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Stephanie

Latest posts by Stephanie (see all)

• New and Old News - July 28, 2016
• Going back home - May 9, 2016
• Take the Pledge - April 11, 2016