the boys in my class

teaching the kindergarten class at Vacation Bible School was a most fulfilling and fun experience. one week of living away from home, crafting visual aids, pumping out energy for the action songs, and occasionally running after one or another of the 45 kids in my class was really, truly, completely exhilarating.

that is perhaps why the following week had been a little too quiet and uneventful (except for Sabbath and the tract distribution activity).

to make up for the i-miss-the-action mood, i am sharing photos of the boys who really, truly, completely made my VBS experience very much action-filled.

manoy! (trivia: he fell off a pick up truck once, off a tree another time, had us on a chase at least thrice, and threw a rock at a teacher once. we all miss him.)

seriously, who wouldn't miss this bright star?

Don't get me wrong. i miss the girls and the rest of the class, too.

but they didn't contribute as much to my temporary loss of voice. i miss VBS! :)

This is Why I Worship

this was written several months ago. it's actually supposed to be a song, but i admittedly (and quite frustratingly) can only but barely carry a tune. God and i are still working on my musical capabilities. so until we work something out, this'll have to remain a non-song (at least beyond the walls of my heart).

In You alone I find the strength to stand

Amidst the brokenness

In time I know I'll understand

You'll bring together the pieces

Lord, I am broken and I praise You

Savior, I'm in pain but it's okay

I'm coming back to life through You

Jesus, I see the wisdom of Your way

It hurt You to see how I brought this on me

Still You're standing close

When I tried to move farther away

I hurt with the wrongs I chose

Lord, I am broken and I praise You

Savior, I'm in pain but it's okay

I'm coming back to life through You

Jesus, I see the wisdom of Your way

Going away and coming home

Twice I walk the path so rough

This time the pain will lead me back

I'm not alone and that's enough

Working with God... and Ayn

For the longest time, I've been feeling that something's quite lacking in this blog. And yesterday, I finally realized what it is: ACTION!

So from this point on, I'll be putting up posts about the things that I do at work in the Royal Valley Free SDA Church. Allow me to start with the tract distribution activity that we conducted just this morning.

Our Publishing Ministry currently produces two kinds of tracts in two languages. One is about the seventh-day Sabbath and the other is about the eight principles of health. This morning, we set out to distribute them house to house in a subdivision near our church.

Now other people would think it boring and even embarrassing to go out under the sun and up to strangers to hand out "boring" flyers - but not us! The people at my church actually enjoy activities like this and some are so excited they're at the assembly area waaaay before the appointed time. And little kids came along, too.

One of the youngest to come out and join was four-year old Ayn who walked the streets hand in hand with me (very very lucky me!). I thought her little legs would tire easily so we just watched the other kids  gleefully hand out the flyers or put them into mailboxes while we took a much slower pace. Ayn had been my student at Vacation Bible School last week so I sang the songs we learned. Happy with Jesus  and I Will Wear A Crown in My Father's House . She giggles so cute.

When she learned from the older kids what we were supposed to be doing, she made it her duty to point the gates and mailboxes to me. Later on, she volunteered to put the flyers into the mailboxes herself. And each time I asked her if she was tired, she never said yes. Such a little trouper!

I didn't get to give away as many flyers as I used to in the other distribution activities because Ayn's little legs could only walk so fast. But she made it so much fun, I actually didn't mind.

It's obvious the other guys had fun, too. And all while doing the work of the Lord!