VBS = ER

Yesterday, Shawn and I helped out with a one day VBS at East Rock Community Church. This is a new church that is being planted here in Roxboro. It use to be Front Street Baptist Church, but the members chose to disband for several reasons. There were very few people that were still a part of that church family and they didn't have a full time pastor. In fact, I am not even sure they had a part time pastor. Anyways... they deeded the property and church building over to our local baptist association. Shortly after this happened, Rev. Tim Bowes, decided to start fresh and reach out to that community. He, along with Brett Carver, have stepped in to plant a new church. Shawn and I have had the opportunity to help with prayer walking, door to door surveying to meet the neighbors and ask about needs, and, as you can read in the title, VBS.

We were set and ready to go! All of the classrooms inside were decked out for the sports themed VBS. Shawn and I were in charge of recreation. This was right up Shawns ally being a PE teacher and all. We were all excited.

Before I go any further with this story, I believe I need to back up a bit. Well...let me see... oh yeah. Tim and Brett have been doing Bible studies in the parsonage since June. On Wednesday evenings, Tim meets with the adults and teens for a study while Brett takes the kids for Bible lessons. Then on Sunday afternoons, Brett and Tim have been doing Bible studies with teens. (This is where their hearts really are.) Anyways, Tim recently told Shawn that the Bible studies have grown so much that they had to split and do more than one. He also told Shawn that at the last one, there was standing room only! PRAISE THE LORD!!!

So- in preparing for VBS, Tim visited over 37 families who had been coming to the Bible studies. Most of them said they would bring the kids. He also passed out over 200 fliers in east Roxboro. The word was out! People had prayed and prepared! Now it was in His hands to stir them and bring them!

9:00 rolled around- no kids... 9:15- no kids... then Willie chimed in... "these people ain't 9 o'clock people" (well- his choice of the word was not people, but a word that begins with the letter 'n' that is only politically correct for him to use) :-) ya'll just gotta know Willie! He is a rising 9th grader that Brett has taken under his wing. He is quite a character- and a new believer!!!

What is VBS without any kids?... umm... exactly- nothing! So, a few of the workers (who had brought their own kids) decided to parade through the neighborhood to find the kids. Signs in hand, kids with pom-poms and Willie carrying a giant inflatable football... what a sight! They managed to round up a few kids and VBS was on. Tim decided that he and two of the other guys would go around the neighborhood again while things got moving.

(top pic) This is Brett, Tim, and Willie posing with the signs. (bottom pic) Tim, Willie and Antonio heading out on bike with signs in tow to round up some more kids for VBS. Now, as you can imagine, this does catch some attention! :-)

A few more kids to come, but more importantly, a bunch of high school guys show up. After all, it was about lunch time. :-) Like I mentioned before, youth is what Tim and Brett have a passion for. Gangs are a real issue in this area and the need for the Lord is great. The turn out for VBS was less than expected, but the number of high school (and some older) guys that showed up was much more than we dreamed. God works in mysterious ways! His plan is bigger than ours and He showed us that yesterday.

I am sure you are still wondering how the ER fits into all of this... well let me just tell you. It was time for lunch at VBS- hotdogs-yumm. To give all the kids time to eat, Brett, Shawn and all the guys went to play some backyard football before they came to eat. They decided to play tackle instead of touch. Shawn's comment was more than true, "Someone always gets hurt when playing tackle, but count me in." I guess he just didn't realize it was his turn. Sure enough, after about 10 minutes of playing here he comes shaking his hand. He was a little redin the face and his first words were, "I think I broke my fingers and might need to go to the hospital." For any of you women who married a stubborn man, the word hospital told me it was serious. So that's where we headed for some x-rays. Two hours later and he gets a splint and a referral to an orthopedic to see if he needs it pinned. Talk about exciting!

When we got out of the ER, we went back over to the church to see how things finished up. Brett informed us that he had a small Bible study with the guys after football and he thinks they made a few new connections! That's what it's all about... building relationships- building bridges to share the gospel. Even if we don't always understand the way things are going, God does!

Here are a few more pics from VBS...

Neuva Esperanza

Vacation Bible School... those three little words can bring back some fun memories.

VBS at Westwood is a little different this year and I believe it is working in the lives of that adults just as much as the kids. VBS is taking place on Wednesday nights with the focus of missions. Each week, the kids 'board a plane and fly to a different country'. We have been to Hungary, China, Bolivia, Peru, and to East Roxboro (yeah- that's where we live now). Our church either supports missionaries in those areas, has been there on a mission trip, or both. We learn about what God is doing in those areas, how we can support and pray for the people there, and about the importance of speading the gospel to all the nations. Acts 1:8 "You will recieve power when the Holy Spirit comes to you. Then you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem. You will be my witnesses in all Judea and Samaria. And you will be my witnesses from one end of the earth to the other."

Like I said earlier, one of the weeks in VBS we 'traveled' to East Roxboro. This is because our church is currently helping a new church be planted right here in our hometown. So often when we think of mission work, we think we must travel elsewhere. But truthfully, the people right here in our own neighborhood need to hear the good news of Jesus just the same as those in other countries. If I translated Acts 1:8 to be speaking directly to me, it would say "...be my witness in Roxboro. You will be my witness in Person County and North Carolina. And you will be my witness from one end of the earth to the other." Roxboro is my Jerusalem. Are you being a witness in your Jerusalem?

Yesterday, Shawn and I had an awesome opportunity to help with a mission project right here in our home town.

This leads me to the title of the blog. Neuva Esperanza. Neuva Esperanza is a Spanish Mission church that meets in the fellowship hall of our church weekly. Somehow they inherited an empty trailer that is located in a trailer park that is mostly a hispanic people group. They have been working on the trailer for quite a while now...cleaning, new walls, new flooring, etc. They are planning on using the property to hold Bible studies to reach out to the spanish commnuity. So, a team from Westwood got together yesterday to help out with the project. We were able to accomplish a lot, but there is so much that still needs to be done. We are going to be having a block party tomorrow to hand out free hotdogs, balloon animals, listen to live music, continue with some of the work, and pass out information reguarding the upcoming Bible studies. It is so awesome to be a part of Gods work.

Here are some pictures from the work day yesterday.

Here she is! (the trailer that is) The guys were building a new porch.

Jim was installing new light fixtures.

The ladies cleaned on the inside... and boy did we clean.

This is only about HALF of the trash we hauled out of the trailer.

Shawn and I taking a much needed break.

I ask that you be in prayer for the upcoming Bible studies that will be taking place in this very trailer. Pray that God will open many doors, provide opportunites for Neuva Esperanza to share God's word, and that they will be a light in this community.