Vacation Bible School - Scheduling

One of the most effective ways to boost your Sunday school class attendance is to hold a Vacation Bible School during summer school break on your field of service. I say that because summer is not June, July, and August for all of us around the globe! For the next few weeks, I am going to share my experience in planning and executing a VBS program on the mission field. I pray these posts will be most helpful and encouraging to those of you who have been wanting to plan such an event in order to help grow your children's ministry.

My husband and I have been working in Russia for fourteen years. Just over seven years ago, we moved out to a village to begin a new ministry. After getting settled in a bit as a family, we secured a room in the local House of Culture to meet in for services. We immediately started a Sunday school class which met in the same room, just before the main service. Upon getting to to know a few families, we planned our first VBS program in 2007.  Since that time, we have held week-long VBS programs each summer. God has blessed, and these programs have become a favorite summer activity for many of the village children!

VBS Children and Workers  - 2007

In order for a VBS program to be a smooth success, most of the preparations are made in the months prior. Although you may be nervous about it all coming together at the last minute, I can honestly say that if you have prepared well enough ahead of time the problems (if any) will be minimal during the actual execution of the program. Then, as each day passes, you can relax a bit and enjoy the week more!

Very first day of our very first VBS 2007

Starting from the beginning of the planning process and building up to the week of the program, I will break down the planning process into several sections. In this first post, I would like to cover the scheduling part of the program.

Months ahead of time:
1. Determine WHERE you will hold the VBS program - Ideally you should have several rooms inside a building (in case of rain) and a nice yard or open field outside for more active games and activities. IF you have a situation like ours to where you do not have a building available and must meet outside, don't forget to have some sort of  tents or shelter in case of light rain.

2. Determine WHEN you will hold the VBS program - Planning the date requires much consideration. If you are in a smaller city or village, check with the school administration to find out their schedule so that you don't schedule a VBS program during the same hours of the school's day camp program times. Here in Russia the children also attend long summer camps. Often there will be a general date when most of the children leave for camp. Being aware of these dates helps you have more children in attendance and prevents them from missing either the beginning or ending of the program.

3. Determine HOW LONG the program will last (which days of the week and hours per day). We usually hold VBS on Monday through Friday from 11 am until 1 pm. If we have a daily craft time, we extend it until 2 pm. Speaking from personal experience, that is plenty of time! You may only be able to do three days a week. Whatever the case, do your best to ensure the best time frame for the most children to be able to attend. Also, remember you want to have a FULL schedule with little to no downtime. It is best to keep the children busy and not give them time to wander around because wandering results in a quick loss of control! Strict time frames help them stay busy, help the time pass quickly for them encouraging them to come back tomorrow, and help you maintain order.

4. Determine WHO (workers) will be involved. This is a big decision! You may not have anyone to help besides yourself (husband and wife); maybe you have several missionary families in the area, or maybe you have a few nationals to help out. Whoever you have as help, make sure the duties are distributed accordingly. A new missionary that has not yet learned the language will not feel comfortable leading the songs! Also, if you are helping another missionary and your job/s have been assigned to you, be sure to see them through to the end. If you volunteer to do something, do it! There is a balance that is necessary when working with other helpers in these type of programs. For one, people (nationals) are watching! They are watching the faces, personalities, expressions, body language, and interaction between the workers. They are watching how well the whole program is thought through and organized. They may not be able to pull something off like a VBS program, but they will sure be there to watch how you pull it off! Trust me, if you hold your VBS program outside, they will come to watch! That can be a good thing or a bad thing. The Lord can use a well-organized plan to help you win the hearts of your neighborhood, village, or city. The Devil can use a poorly organized program against you. Doing things 'decently and in order' (I Cor. 14:40) will be a huge benefit when you go to introduce yourself to those parents and grandparents later. When everyone understands what is expected of them and is committed to helping in whatever capacity needed, the whole program can run like a well-oiled machine!

Next week, we will discuss more of the paperwork involved in planning a VBS program. We will view a sample schedule, talk about themes, teaching materials, and such in order to work out the details of VBS planning.

In the meantime, please feel fee to write me at: danddsterling@juno.com with ANY questions, concerns, ideas for discussion that you would like to know more about so that we can be better prepared to use one of  the greatest evangelistic tools in Children's ministries - Vacation Bible School.

Dessert of the Month Club: Strawberry Shortcake

Today I'm sharing month two of our Dessert of the Month Club.

Growing up in Michigan, strawberry picking was one of our favorite summer activities. We loved going to the U-pick farms to get quarts and quarts of delicious strawberries. My mom would make jam, of course, but she'd also freeze lots of strawberries to be used later for strawberry shortcake.
I love strawberry shortcake!
Then, I married my husband. And he told me he didn't like strawberry shortcake.
What????? How is that possible?
I soon found out the problem, and there was a super easy solution!
In Michigan, most people eat strawberry shortcake with yellow sponge cake.
If you get lucky, you might get it with angel food cake, but usually it's sponge cake.
As my entire extended family hail from the south, I'd never heard of such a thing.
My hubby doesn't like yellow sponge cake.
Quick fix?
Make him the real deal strawberry shortcake {well, at least the one I grew up with!}.
Guess what?!?
He loved it!

So today I present to you my family's version of Strawberry Shortcake {for those lucky days when we find frozen strawberries here!}

Strawberry Shortcake

2 c. all-purpose flour
1/3 white sugar
3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter or shortening
3/4 c. milk

Mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.
Using a fork (or pastry cutter), mash the butter into the flour until it is the consistency of cornmeal.
Add the milk and stir until the dough makes a lump.
Turn onto a lightly floured surface.
DOUGH WILL BE SOFT!
Knead gently until it is a smooth ball (about 5-6 times is sufficient).
Pat dough down to about 2 inches high and cut by pressing a round cutter or glass straight down.
Sprinkle tops with sugar, if desired.
Bake on a greased baking sheet at 450 degrees about 10-12 minutes.
Makes 10-12 biscuit-type shortcakes.
 *Note - Unless you are using fresh, in-season berries, place berries in bowl and cover with
1/2-1 cup sugar (depending on amount of berries) and let sit for at least an hour.

Just out of curiosity.....what does strawberry shortcake look like where you come from?

Missionary Monday

Hello, Ladies! I'd love to hear about a typical Monday in your house.

Please share in the comments or write a blog post and link up!

Sunny-Side-Up Saturdays

Saturday is upon us once again!  Therefore, it is time for some “Sunny-Side-Up” stories.

For the past two years, our children have attended a Ghanaian school started by another missionary.  They use the A Beka DVDs, which is the same thing we were using at home.  There are about 250 students in the school (Nursery – 6^th grade).  Our three children are the only white children in the school.  They were intimidated a little at first, but they fit right in now.  If you listen to our children talk when they are around Ghanaian children, they all sound just like the Ghanaian children, especially Bonnie, our youngest.  Each classroom has two “teachers,” but they are more like classroom monitors since the DVD teacher does the teaching.  Gilbert, our oldest boy who is in second grade, was talking about something that his teacher said.  I asked him if it was the DVD teacher or one of the other teachers.  He said, “It was my teacher on Earth, Mom.”  In his mind, the DVD teacher is not on Earth, I guess.

A couple weeks ago, the children had a day off from school due to a water shortage at the school.  That day just happened to be my husband’s birthday.  Our children were just positive that they had the day off for Dad’s birthday!  We went to the ocean that day.  Someone gave us a boogie board.  Danny, our middle child, has no fear when it comes to water.  He loves to take the boogie board out and ride back in on the waves.  Joe has to stay right close to Danny so that he does not venture out too far.  As Joe and Danny were out riding the waves, a wave pulled Danny’s swimming trunks down.  Before he could get them pulled back up, another wave came along and took the swimming trunks out to sea.  He said, “Dad, I think my shorts are gone forever!” For some reason, Danny had kept his underwear on that morning when he was putting his swimming clothes on.  He was very glad about that fact!  He was a bit embarrassed that they happened to be holey underwear. 

When we first arrived in Ivory Coast, we worked with some other missionaries.  Joe was put in charge of the Sunday School department.  We were working on translating some lessons from English into French.  When we finished each lesson, we would have the national pastor read it to check for errors.  One of the lessons that we did was about an idle man.  We looked in the dictionary, and the word for an idle man was “lacheur.”  So, we wrote a whole lesson about the “lacheur.”  When Joe took the lesson to have the national pastor read it, he started laughing.  He could not stop laughing; he showed the lesson to a couple of the men in the Bible Institute.  They were all laughing.  He explained that although the dictionary definition for “lacheur” is “an idle man,” in West Africa, “lacheur” means “one who passes gas.” 

If you have a language blooper or some other funny story that you would like to share with us, please e-mail it to me at loconsford@gmail.com.

Until next week, keep your sunny side up! 

Upside-Down Pizza

Yes, I know it is late in the day {and maybe even Wednesday for some of you!}, but here I am with a delicious Italian recipe for you to try.
I won't tell you all the reasons this is late....suffice it to say, there were plenty!

Are you looking for a nice quick dinner?
Does everybody in your house like pizza, but you don't have time to make the dough?
Try upside-down pizza!
If you have a batch of sauce tucked away in the freezer, or leftover spaghetti sauce from earlier in the week, it will come together that much quicker!

 Upside-Down Pizza

1 lb. ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 jar spaghetti sauce {app. 26 oz.}
1-2 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded {use as much or as little as you have/like}
1 c. milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. oil
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain.
Add spaghetti sauce.
Cover and simmer until heated through.
Pour into greased 9x13 in. baking dish.
Sprinkle with cheese.
In a blender, combine milk, eggs, oil, flour, and salt.
Cover and blend until smooth.
Pour over cheese.
Bake, uncovered at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
Enjoy!

Missionary Monday



I can hardly believe that this is the last week of February!  Is it just me, or is this year speeding by so fast I can barely catch up?!!  My goal this year was to simply my life, but it seems to have gone the opposite direction.   Here are some things I've been working on for the year...

• Read my Bible through two times.
• Work on a regular prayer list.
• Read more books that encourage my Christian walk.
• Spend more quality one-on-one time with the kids.
• Spend more quality one-on-one time with my husband.

This is just part of my New Year's Goal List. How about you?  What are some things you are working on in your life?

Sunny-Side-Up Saturdays

I have been thinking about a blog post like this for quite a while.  When Jen Bauer asked for new contributors, I jumped at the chance.  When trying to choose a name for this post, I was reminded of the Ron Hamilton song, “Keep Your Sunny Side Up.” If you are not familiar with this song, you can go to http://www.majestytunes.com/p-26-patch-the-pirate-goes-to-the-jungle.aspx and listen to it. 

On the mission field, it is easy to become downhearted and discouraged.  The purpose of this blog post is to bring a smile to your face.  Sometimes things happen that are not so funny at the time that they are taking place; but when you look back on them, you can laugh.  Each Saturday, I will share a light-hearted story or two.  If you have any stories that you would like to share, please e-mail them to me at loconsford@gmail.com.  Just include your name and where you are serving.

With three children, we are provided with plenty of entertainment.  Gilbert is seven; Danny is six, and Bonnie is four.  I am not sure where they come up with some of their ideas.  For over ten years now, we have been sending out a daily e-mail to keep our family informed.  That expanded into a blog.  Some days, it is just every day, ho-hum stuff.  But every now and then, there are some hilarious stories!  If you would like to follow along, you can go to www.consfords.com.

Recently, my husband started doing a weekly podcast. (Joe's Podcast) He answers questions that people might have about life in Africa, life as a missionary, etc.  He has also been listening to some motivational type podcasts.  Bonnie, our four-year-old daughter, has heard Daddy talking about podcasts.  The other night after church she said, “Oh man, Mom! I left my phone at home.  Now, I can’t do my podcast.”  She was referring to a little plastic toy that is not even really a phone.  Then, on the way home, she started laughing out loud.  We asked her what was funny.  She said, “Oh, I’m just laughing at something on my podcast.”  She has quite the imagination!  She can often be found “teaching” the refrigerator magnets; they are her students, and they each have been given a name.

We are currently missionaries in Ghana, West Africa.  We were originally in Ivory Coast, West Africa.  After being evacuated from Ivory Coast three times due to civil war, we relocated to Ghana.  Back in 2003, we went to language school for a year in France.  French is the official language in Ivory Coast.  While in language school, we attended the church of another missionary who lived about an hour away from the language school.  After we had been in language school for a couple months, the other missionary had to return to the States for a few weeks.  He asked my husband, Joe, to coach his basketball team for him while he was gone.  Joe went to practice with him once before he left to meet the boys.  The boys on the team ranged in age from ten to twelve.    When it came time for Joe’s first practice, he soon realized that he did not know any basketball terms in French – “Dribble, shoot, etc.”  So, he dribbled the ball and asked the boys how to say that.  They told him a word.  Then, he shot the ball and asked them how to say shoot.  They told him another word.  He came home pretty encouraged; he had really enjoyed himself.  When it came time for the first game, he ran into a problem.  During the game, he was yelling, “Dribble,” “Shoot,” etc.; at least, he thought that was what he was saying.  One of the parents came to him after the game and said, “Why are you cussing at our boys?”  Joe was shocked, and the whole team looked a little sheepish.  The parent caught on very quickly to what had taken place.  Those boys were in big trouble!  The moral of the story is: Do not take language tips from a child!

Until next week, keep your sunny side up!    

Joy's Chicken Pasta

Today I've got a quick and easy pasta dish for you to try!
This is one of my go-to meals when I'm in a hurry, and it can easily be made with whatever vegetables you've got on hand!
As I don't have a picture, you'll have to imagine it......
but I promise, it is good stuff!

Joy's Chicken Pasta

*Required ingredients
3 Tbsp. oil
1/3 c. onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. salt
2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
4 c. cooked pasta {your choice, though I often use twirls}

*Your choice ingredients {we don't often have broccoli so we just up the carrots and tomatoes}
1 c. broccoli, chopped
2-3 carrots, cut into thin strips
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped OR 1 tsp. dried parsley (optional)
Parmesan cheese, grated or fresh (optional)

In large skillet, saute garlic and onion in oil until translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
Add carrots and broccoli and cook over medium heat, about 10 minutes, until they are crisp-tender.
Stir in tomatoes and salt and let cook until tomatoes start to break down, about 5 minutes.
Add chicken and heat through about 3 minutes or until everything is hot.
If skillet is large enough, dump pasta into skillet and stir everything together.
{I usually add a little garlic powder at this point, because we love garlic!}
If using cheese and parsley, sprinkle on top of mixed pasta and let sit covered for a few minutes to wilt the parsley and let the cheese get melty.
Enjoy!

Fellowship Fridays

Hello, Ladies!  I know I've been MIA for the past few weeks.  I am trying to get into the swing of homeschooling four children with a busy toddler running around.  Our ministry here is also growing and expanding which means more time for people, less for online.

I'm making a quick trip to visit my Mother who is very ill.  I won't be back online here until the 22nd of this month, Lord willing.  I look forward to becoming more active on the blog again and sharing and learning from you all!

If there is anything you would like to share, anything the Lord has taught you on the mission field, lessons learned from your people, funny language bloopers, etc... anything, please send us an email!  We'd love to hear from you!