VBS @ Simakakata

Our past week was spent out at Simakakata Community School. We had such a blast with those kids! We had the younger kids in the morning and older in the afternoon. We had about 250-300 kids in total. Our theme is the Joy of the Lord is our Strength.
On Monday our lessons focused on: The Lord Gives You Joy
Tuesday our lessons focused on: The Lord Gives You Strength
Wednesday our lessons focused on: The Lord Protects You
Thursday our lessons focused on: The Lord Rejoices Over You!!

The kids were very active and involved…and they just couldn’t get enough VBS! I however was quite okay to not sing any more Joy songs by the end of the week…I seemed to have been Joy-ed out. But by Monday I was ready to go again!

Sometimes after VBS was finished for the day the kids would gather around and we would offer some sort of “entertainment”….like bubbles, or practicing Tonga words, or singing, or whatever. But one day we were waiting for an especially long time and so Barb and I just decided to get a tarp and sit for a few minutes. In no time at all, we were smothered with kids! We had them sitting all around. Barb’s little friend Eliza was curled up right beside her and repeated every English word she said…with nearly perfect pronunciation! We were amazed and delighted to spend lots of time with that little gal throughout the week. As I was sitting there, I could hear several girls saying in Tonga, “blah…blah…blah its up to you.” I couldn’t understand what the first part was, but the second part was clear. I didn’t know what they were talking about, and then one girl reached out and touched my hair…and then one more….and then one more…and then my head was covered in little hands petting my hair! I guess they were trying to get enough guts to actually touch a white person’s hair. It was so funny! It reminded me of a similar situation that my mom had when she visited here in 2003…she was covered on her head, shoulders and arms!

I am always amazed by the singing everywhere in Zambia but these children were exceptional. They taught us several songs and we were thrilled! They had one song that goes something like:
When we follow Jesus Christ!
When we follow, one by one.
When we follow Jesus Christ
When we follow, one by one.
Then we’ll say, Then we’ll say,
“Allellujah!”

I had way too much fun with this one! I turned it into a massive game of follow the leader, while singing. They are MUCH better at this combo than I am….it wasn’t very long until I was huffing and puffing. But it was so much fun!

At lunch time they would come and sing for us and then we would sing for them. The best part was that they sang my dad’s favourite song from the African Children’s Choir named, “Watoto”! It is called, “Higher, Higher”. The chorus goes:
Let’s push Jesus Higher!
Higher, higher, higher, higher, higher, higher
Let’s push Jesus higher!

I took a video so I can show you when I get home Dad!

We will spend next week at Katungu and the following week at Siabalumbi. I know that this work is good and can see that the kids feel blessed by it and that is why I'm here.