Stations of the Cross

Darrell prepared a variety of stations upstairs and downstairs for teen Bible study yesterday evening -- areas where youth could reflect on Jesus' death and sacrifice and read Scripture and prayers together.  Teens also had the opportunity to write on the "Thank You, Jesus" board.  The phrase on the board that caught my eye was one a young guy had written:  "Thanks for dying, bro." 

 

A Few Photos From This Week

Darrell is leading the teen Bible study during the weeks leading up to Easter, looking at prophecies about Jesus and other Scriptures related to His ministry, death, and resurrection.

 

 

Miss Hello Kitty had to try on my sunglasses when I was picking her up for Kids Club.

 

 



For Kids Club Rally, Ro and Lourdes gave each child a number.  Numbers were called throughout the evening, and the children got to pick an egg from a basket.  Some eggs contained candy, some contained a slip of paper that said "M&M's," and some contained a slip of paper that said "Prize."    This little guy couldn't have been happier with his prize!

 

This pair was attempting to get the red M&M's into a cup.

Letters

Aim Right doesn't get a lot of letters that accompany donations.  However, there were two that came recently that I believe I can share in an anonymous enough way that is appropriate for a blog. 

Letter One (more like a note, really):

I am late to an auction donation.  Sorry.  I was fighting with God.  But this is not really mine.  It's yours.

Letter Two:

It was with regret that I was unable to attend your recent auction due to a commitment made in December.  The first time I attended your auction was February 7, 1998.  Back then, this event was in the church and how excited I was to win the bid on a white wicker rocker which I still use.

Seems through these many years, I haven't missed many times.  It is a neat time to now sit under the tent -- arriving early and staying till the end.  Have acquired several quilts, miscellaneous items, and silent auction treasures besides cheese and bologna.  My hope is that this year's event was a success.

Then I also read this "letter" from Mark this week:

"And He sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box.  Many rich people put in large sums.  And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  And He called His disciples to Him and said to them, 'Truly I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.' "

Just Listening In...

Here's a chance to eavesdrop on the weekend happenings:  Teen Night and Ranch Day.

 

"Hi, I'm Caleb.  I decided to challenge a few teens to a little competition.  Yes, that's a mustard bottle you see.  I'm mixing it into some Mountain Dew, along with chocolate syrup, pancake syrup, hot sauce, and my secret seasoning.  Perfection."

 

 

"We're the spectators.  We're pretty glad that we didn't raise our hands and declare to be 'up for anything.'   That mustard-syrup-chocolate drink looks pretty disgusting."

"Hey, people!  I'm Carter.  I did my best to dress up for this Teen Night event.  Do you like my tie?  I'm usually pretty quiet unless I get too hungry or start to feel left out.  Then I'll let you know not to forget about me!"

 

"We're smiling because this little competition is just too wacky.  What is this strange concoction going to taste like?  Is it even worth the prize of a large tea, a Hot Pocket, and a bag of chips?"

 

"Gulp, gulp, gulp."

 

"I'm talking to teens about REDEMPTION.  I desperately want them to know that Jesus can redeem anything and change anybody."

"Howdy, ya'll.  I'm Bill, the one in the cowboy hat.  I love welcoming youth to our ranch in Buckeye.  My wife and I want our home to feel like their home, even if it is for only a few hours."

 

"And I'm Wanda, Bill's wife.  I have the privilege of sharing with the kids about our horses and how God has given man dominion over the animals.  Just as horses depend on us humans for their care, we depend on God for the air we breathe, the life we have."

"I'm Madison.  I think it's pretty neat that I get to help my daddy lead the horse around the corral."

 



 

"I'm Brittany, in the blue shirt.  Buckeye reminds me a lot of Texas, where I used to live -- except that Texas has more grass."

 



 "I, Clara, and I, Diana, hereby resolve never to enter the Pen of the Goats again.  It is a wonder we were finally rescued and made it out of there alive."

 

"Seriously?  You were that scared of us?  We were just playing around!"  

 



 "Of this we are confident:  WE WANT TO GO FASTER!  FASTER, BILL!  FASTER!  And we want to see that dead cow."

 

"I want you kids to know that I am here for you.  I have been where you are -- going to church but not living a good life.  One day I prayed to Jesus on the Kids Club bus, and my life changed.  It is still changing.  He is changing me."



Some Kids Club Musings

It is Spring Break week here. 

 

That meant that several kiddos were here yesterday several hours before Kids Club, "to play."  Before Kids Club had even begun, two of the balls they were playing with had gone over the fence into a neighbor's yard.  If you ever want to donate items to Aim Right that will most definitely be used, soccer balls and basketballs would fit the bill!

 

The young man giving the peace sign in the photo above got into the van last night saying, "I'm not going to use any bad words tonight."  I'm not sure what the motivation was behind it, but I'm glad he was thinking about the kind of words he uses. 

We wrapped up our lessons on the fruits of the Spirit.  A few weeks ago, Caleb & Stephanie began teaching children this song, and it definitely helped kids more quickly learn the Scripture memory verse about the fruits of the Spirit.  Darrell recently picked up two crates of chocolate at the food bank where we purchase most of our snacks; the 3rd & 4th graders were promised a large bag of M & M's as a prize for learning the fruits of the Spirit.  Many of them accepted the challenge and went home as proud owners of multi-colored chocolate candies yesterday.

For several weeks, I have been noticing a family that lives across the street from some Kids Club children we regularly pick up.  This family is not your average family of the neighborhood; they appear as if they may have just stepped out of Africa -- very dark skinned and colorful, flowing clothing.  I thought, "I should invite them to Kids Club," but then I also thought, "No...the van is already so full, and it looks like there could be quite a lot of children that live there."

Then I watched a movie about refugees recently and immediately thought about the family I had seen.  Are they refugees?  I don't know, but I knew I needed to try to invite them to Kids Club.  When I visited kids earlier in the week, one of the boys from the family was outside.  I handed him a flyer and told him a little about Kids Club. 

Guess who was waiting outside when the van neared his home on Wednesday evening?  A boy who said, "You gave me a paper."

2015 Auction Recap

First off, a big, big thanks to all who made the 2015 auction a successful event.  So many folks from so many places came together to attend and support the event and provided items for auction day.  Proceeds from the weekend totaled over $22,000. 

 

(I failed to get photos of the Friday evening meal and bluegrass concert, but you can find some good ones on our Facebook page.  Around 150 people attended the Friday event.)

 

Nancy is a former Aim Right'er who grew up in the neighborhood and loves to man the Garden Shoppe for us.

 

 

Stephanie and Lourdes have served as Auction Cashiers for a number of years.  These ladies do a fantastic job of sorting through tickets and handling the "Can I pay for my lunch tab and my Bake Sale tab with my credit card?" kind of requests, too.

 

Two new styles of Aim Right t-shirts were for sale at the auction.  If you're interested in buying one, let us know; plenty of sizes are still available.  

 

Some of the Bake Sale yummy-ness:

Lunch time:

 



 

Arts & Crafts Fair:

 Silent Auction:

 

Live Auction:



 

Steve Cross from Indiana once again did a great job of auctioneering for us.  Would you believe that this white bench sold for $410?  

Praise God for great weather and attendance and another auction completed!

Auction Weekend...Almost Here!

Volunteers have been working hard to get the many auction items sorted, cleaned, displayed, and ready to sell!  You can see photos of more items and find all the auction details on our auction website.

 

 

An added feature this year is a Friday evening BBQ meal (smoked chicken and pork, coleslaw, potato salad, rolls, and ice cream sundaes = yum!) and bluegrass concert by the Hudson Family.  Come and enjoy!