Catch up post!

Well, today I am going to work on finishing up our Families on Mission trip. I have lots more to post from the past week, so I need to get up to date! Maybe I can do a week review tomorrow...

Rick is the NAMB staff person in charge of all Families on Mission! There are 6 locations with over 700 people attending this summer! It started last year with only 200 people...it's growing like crazy! We are thrilled to be project coordinators for next year, along with 11 other locations...it will be a busy summer for Rick next year! We loved getting to know Rick and he became like family.

This is the first day headed out to our ministry site at the KOA campground. The kids were so excited to get there and do VBS and meet lots of friends!

The first day Jay was in charge of the Bible story time. He did a great job...as always! The girls and I were in charge of music all week and had a blast. We had already done VBS the week before at our church, so we knew all the fun motions and the words.

After VBS at the campground, we would go back to the hotel for a little while, then head to the nursing homes. We were able to visit 3 nursing homes while we were there. It was awesome! We all made gift bags and gave the residents LOTS of wonderful gifts. The kids also made cards and pictures for a homemade gift. What an amazing thing to see your kids love on people like Jesus did...a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven!

Here the kids do a few VBS songs for the nursing home residents! They loved it...Tuesday was a huge day for me. This little girl named Nina showed up for VBS. While we were doing the craft, we had a few minutes to talk. She told me that she didn't go to church...and that "the devil is not a bad person...my brother told me so."

Her brother had told her that if she really wanted a puppy, the devil was the one to pray to for that. He told her that Satan would give her the things she wanted. I was a little shocked at that. I asked her what she thought of that. She told me that she was really scared to pray to Satan.

I asked her if she had ever accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and she said never. We talked and talked through scripture and through the kids tract that we had been given. She prayed to receive Christ that day, and this is the smile of a girl who was set free from fear...

The amazing thing is that the next day...her BROTHER came to VBS. He was in all black and didn't say much, but participated in everything we did! And the cool thing...he came on the day we gave the Gospel message...the ABCs. What an awesome God we serve! This is a picture I hold very dear to my heart.

On the last day we did all kinds of fun things! We had face painting, sno cones, and...Jay did balloon animals while we were there!

After VBS and the nursing home on the last day, we headed with our team (our new family) to the creek for some fun! The day was hot and the kids had not EVER complained one single time while we were ministering. They were AMAZING! They gave all they had everywhere we went. I was humbled by all of the kids and how awesome they did all week.

They had a great time wading and cooling off. It was great to just play together too! The women waded some, but mostly sat and talked along with snapping all the photos!

We were finished early on Thursday, so we headed to downtown Cherokee and enjoyed some tourist traps. We met a buffalo!

We danced the "friendship dance" and really enjoyed some Cherokee traditional dances and music.

Well, after this photo we headed home. We were all very sad that the week was over, but each of us was excited to get involved here in our own town doing some of the same things! Already our family is planning on getting involved with My Sister's House in Atlanta. We hope to do movie nights with the kids there at least once a month...and hopefully much more!

It was a sensational week. God was HUGE! We are grateful for such an opportunity...and we hope to see you next year!