BC VBS, Day 4 - Thrillsday!

by Sue Chan Acuna on Friday, July 15, 2011 at 1:08pm

Friday, 8:45 a.m.

While there’s really no such thing as a “typical” day on this mission trip, yesterday stands out as a day of unusual events.

We awoke to a distinct threat of rain, but it didn’t really hit until after lunch, as teams headed out to their respective villages.  However, teams found that the farther out they went, the drier the roads were.  Everyone enjoyed a cooler-yet-rain-free day, especially on the soccer field.

Mid-afternoon, the team in Kitwanga learned that one of the higher chiefs had passed away.  They were told to wind things up and head out, and were warned they probably wouldn’t be able to return on Friday.  Tradition dictates that when an elder dies, everything in the village is promptly cancelled.  We were thankful that the villagers were still allowed to travel to our camp for Family Night, but they did arrive with confirmation that VBS was now officially ended.  The Kitwanga team said their good-byes last night and will spend today helping with some camp chores and planning a program for our closing campfire tonight.

Thursday night is traditionally Family Night.   Teams spend all week reminding VBS attendees to join us for a dinner of sloppy joes and hot dogs, accompanied by any potluck items that show up.  Last night was a challenge due to intermittent rain showers, but thankfully none were drenching enough to chase everyone under shelter.  The younger kids didn’t even seem to notice; jump ropes kept turning, and the volleyball, football, and soccer balls kept flying.  As we gathered at the campfire to sing God’s praises with our 200+ guests, the sun broke through and a rainbow arched over the campground.  Sometimes God speaks his approval very clearly!

Early in the week Derwin asked for 3 high school volunteers to give their testimonies at the Family Night campfire.  Each year this has a powerful impact on our guests, many of whom assume the Christian American kids lead charmed lives.  Last night three youth spoke about hardships in their lives - broken families, death of loved ones, and bad personal choices – and about how they saw God at work both during the tough times and in their lives today.  All three were in tears by the time they got to the end of their stories, as were many of us who heard them.

On a side note: in order to get from this area to the highway 5 kilometers away, we have to cross a one-lane bridge over Hagwilget Canyon (approx. 60 meters to the bottom).  All week, as we’ve traveled to and from our villages, we’ve passed a sign warning that the bridge would be closed daily beginning July 15 (Friday), from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with openings at the top of every hour.  As I pulled off the highway yesterday and headed for the bridge, I prayed, “O, Lord, please let their bridge repair be delayed.”  When we approached the sign, we saw it had been changed!  Work will now begin on Sunday morning, which will have a small impact on our departure, but nothing like it would have had on our daily trips to the villages.

So today we will close VBS and say our hard good-byes to our village friends.  While we all hope to return next year, we caution our teens NOT to make that promise, because we can’t predict the future.  There will be hugs and tears all around, and as we drive away, the tears will continue both inside and outside the vans.
Tomorrow about half the group will make a day trip to Hyder, Alaska, while the other half will hang out closer to camp (some will hike, some will go into town for a movie, some will just relax and nap).  Please pray for safe travel for the travelers and good rest for the stay-behinders.

BC VBS - The Wrap-Up

by Sue Chan Acuna on Wednesday, July 20, 2011 at 11:40am

Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.

As much as I'd like to write about Friday through Monday separately, I'm afraid it would get rather long.  I'll recap the highlights instead!

On Friday the Kitwanga team was visited by some of the kids from the village, and together they worked on the VBS craft.  Craft time is often the best time to have one-on-one conversations with the kids, and a good chance to talk about how much Jesus loves them.  The team members spent the rest of the day helping with projects around camp, and planning the program for the evening's campfire.

The rest of us headed to our communities for VBS as usual, but with a couple of differences:  for one, we had sad edges because it was our last day.  For another, we went bearing Goody Bags, which contained school supplies, small toys, toiletries, and faith-sharing items. (The kids who've attended VBS before know these are coming, so a few will show up only for the last day.)  It was hard to say good-bye, but thanks to Facebook, many of us will be able to keep in touch with our VBS friends.

Back in camp, Friday night's campfire was swelled by lots of visitors - almost as many guests as team members!  Planned by the Kitwanga team, the evening included lots of singing and plenty of time for sharing.  Several new team members were surprised by how much they had been affected by their time at VBS.  One said, "I knew the kids would cry when we left, but I didn't realize that WE would be crying, too!"  The veterans' experiences were understandably different; as one veteran shared, "This year it was about more than just having fun with the kids.  I found myself really looking for ways to make Jesus real to them."

On Saturday morning at 6, about half the camp (myself included) left for a day trip to Alaska.   Though there were only two fish (and no grizzlies) in Fish Creek, the waterfalls along the highway were spectacular, and the view of Salmon Glacier was breathtaking.  It meant another full day's driving right before our 2-day drive home, but it was well worth it because of the awesome scenery and the extra time spent with old and new friends.  Another group went on a hike up a nearby mountain - about 8 miles round trip, with a gain in altitude of at least a kilometer!  Team members who stayed behind relaxed in camp and helped disassemble the shelters we'd built earlier in the week.

Friday and Saturday also brought the beginning of breaking up the 2011 team as we said good-bye to our Canadian friends.  At our last campfire on Saturday, we all felt their absence as we sang almost every song we'd shared at VBS. Before going to bed, we removed the extra tarps from the tops of our tents.  The evening was clear - we'd been treated to a lovely sunset - so we thought we'd get them folded while they were dry, rather than wait til morning when they'd be wet with dew.

Imagine our surprise when we awoke at 5 a.m. to the sound of rain on our tents.  Thankfully, there was only a little leakage, and the rain actually served as a motivator to get out of camp as quickly as possible.  Our goal was to make it to the bridge in time for the 7 a.m. opening, and we were in line with all 8 vehicles by 6:50!  Sometimes God has funny ways of taking care of us. . .

Our last evening together was spent sharing pizza at Boston Pizza in Williams Lake, followed by an emotional time affirming one another.  Lori gave us all beads and invited us to give them to each other, along with words of appreciation or affection.  There wasn't nearly enough time for us to get to everyone!

After an easy border crossing, the vans arrived in Tacoma at different times on Monday evening, and everyone scattered to their respective homes.  Though we will never all be together in one place again (until Heaven), we'll always be united by our time together.  For one week we put our differences aside and shared a single mission: to bring hope to everyone we met by sharing how much Jesus loves them.  My revised version of Galatians 3:28 goes like so:
 "There is neither American nor Canadian, Arizonan nor Californian nor Washingtonian, neither male nor female, nor is there adult or teen, for we are all one in Christ Jesus."
May the lessons we learned about how easy it is to share Christ's love be lessons that stick with us forever.
Amen.