Emily and Hilda led the kids in some energetic singing.
Then, it was off to classes to learn about Jonah & the big fish!
I think nearly every class had some type of craft project.
There were some intense fish decorators.
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Kids Klub 3.17.10
Then, it was off to classes to learn about Jonah & the big fish! I think nearly every class had some type of craft project. There were some intense fish decorators.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Caleb has tricks up his sleeve....
Whan a youth leader says, "Well, we're going to do a little activity, and I need two volunteers," that's a time to be afraid.
You'd think that gently warmed, pureed turkey would go down smooth as Jello. However, I think these good sports would slightly disagree!
Jacob, visiting from Indiana, received an unexpected lip makeover, while Brittany and Sheila, former interns visiting from Ohio and Iowa respectively, were called upon to join the fun, too.
The makeovers were of the outlandish variety, but Caleb's lesson Friday evening was not. He asked those in attendance, "Are you happy with who you are?" He then shared from Genesis how God called His creation "very good." Very good even without three coats of mascara or Van's shoes or expensive jeans from the mall. It was a timely message, especially since the culture screams at youth (and at any age, really) that you must measure up to an often impossible standard of beauty to be accepted and desired.
Fortunately, this little one isn't too concerned with her looks yet.....just that Daddy let some perfectly good baby food go to waste on those ungrateful big people!
Especially since the contents of that mysterious blue bowl on the table are covered with a towel.
Especially since that bowl most likely contains something fairly high on the grossness scale.
Especially since that bowl might contain something dead -- or alive. The possibilities are endless!
Nevertheless, when Caleb uttered those words (or something similar), he managed to recruit two victims...err....volunteers. While the participants' eyes were closed, Caleb unveiled the tiniest of jars. Note that mischievous smile -- another reason why you don't agree to do these kind of things.
You'd think that gently warmed, pureed turkey would go down smooth as Jello. However, I think these good sports would slightly disagree!As the evening progressed, Caleb had a few more tricks up his sleeve. This time, he didn't ask for volunteers. Instead, he selected the victims.
Jacob, visiting from Indiana, received an unexpected lip makeover, while Brittany and Sheila, former interns visiting from Ohio and Iowa respectively, were called upon to join the fun, too.The makeovers were of the outlandish variety, but Caleb's lesson Friday evening was not. He asked those in attendance, "Are you happy with who you are?" He then shared from Genesis how God called His creation "very good." Very good even without three coats of mascara or Van's shoes or expensive jeans from the mall. It was a timely message, especially since the culture screams at youth (and at any age, really) that you must measure up to an often impossible standard of beauty to be accepted and desired. Fortunately, this little one isn't too concerned with her looks yet.....just that Daddy let some perfectly good baby food go to waste on those ungrateful big people!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Dare 2 Share 2010
This past weekend, our interns and a group of teens attended Dare 2 Share's Blaze conference in Phoenix. Joining our group were leaders and youth from Paradise Valley Mennonite Church. The conference is based on Isaiah 6:1-8 and is designed to help youth understand The Fire That Burns (God's Glory), The Fire That Destroys (God's Justice), The Fire That Purifies (God's Mercy), and The Fire That Rages (God's Love).
An aspect of Dare 2 Share conferences that perhaps sets it apart from other similar types of conferences is that there is always a practical, hands-on component. On Saturday afternoon, groups at the conference were instructed to go to local schools and pick up trash surrounding the properties. As they tackled that task, they were to think about all of the garbage -- sin-- that clings to their friends and fellow classmates and pray for the cleansing and healing of those students. Teens also were challenged to take some time to make phone calls to friends who don't know Jesus.
Here is the Aim Right / P.V. group (and believe it or not -- this is the best photo out of several!).
A big thank you goes to Paradise Valley Mennonite Church for their sponsorship of our group! They made it possible for our group to attend.
Special thanks to Andrea for taking the photos below!
An aspect of Dare 2 Share conferences that perhaps sets it apart from other similar types of conferences is that there is always a practical, hands-on component. On Saturday afternoon, groups at the conference were instructed to go to local schools and pick up trash surrounding the properties. As they tackled that task, they were to think about all of the garbage -- sin-- that clings to their friends and fellow classmates and pray for the cleansing and healing of those students. Teens also were challenged to take some time to make phone calls to friends who don't know Jesus.
Here is the Aim Right / P.V. group (and believe it or not -- this is the best photo out of several!).
A big thank you goes to Paradise Valley Mennonite Church for their sponsorship of our group! They made it possible for our group to attend.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Carpe Diem
This neighborhood is a transitional one.
Nearly 60% of its residents are renters.
That means they move a lot.
Fortunately, they often move to different homes or apartments within this same community, and we're able to maintain connections with those families and children. Sometimes, though, they move beyond our feasible reach -- to North or South Phoenix, to one of the suburbs, to Mexico, or to California -- and you hope and pray that another ministry in that locale is poised to reach out to them.
I know that life is short and precious, that time on this earth is a limited commodity. I know that the Psalmist uses such descriptions as "a shadow....fleeting....a few handbreadths....a mere breath" when illustrating the "measure of [our] days."
But even with this knowledge in my possession--of humanity's frailty and brevity--I too often live with the attitude that there's all the time in the world. I take it for granted that tomorrow will look like today, and yesterday, and the day before, that doors will remain open, that if we said "hello" today, we'll get to say it tomorrow, too.
I forget how transitional life is.
Yesterday two of our Kids Klubbers boarded the van with a Big Announcement. They're energetic, fun brothers around the ages of 6 and 9. In the 5+ years I've lived in Phoenix, they've lived in the same house, on the same street, with the same parents, with a bird and a dog or two. I remember when they bricked their whole front yard, with the exception of a few circles surrounding some trees. I remember when their younger sister was born, and I was invited inside the house to take a peek at the little one. I remember the excitement of the older brother when he went off to camp at Youth Haven Ranch, and how his pronunciation of it sounded more like "Youth Heaven."
Now I remember when he made the Big Announcement.
Before he boarded the van yesterday, he stood right outside my open window and announced matter-of-factly:
"We're moving. This is the last time we're going to church. The living room is packed."
"Where are you moving?" I asked.
"Far away," was his response. "To an apartment. We'll go to a different school."
He clarified why the sudden, out-of-the-blue move:
"My mom and dad are fighting. We will come see our dad on the weekend."
My heart sank. These little guys are caught in the middle of their parents' separation. They'll have to make new friends at a new school, settle into a new home, and adjust to ping-ponging between mom and dad. Will there be a church nearby that will invite them to come? How will they fare when their mom has to get a job to make ends meet? What scars will they bear, or do they bear already, because of the brokenness of their family?
This encounter with the Big Announcement, while unexpected and unwanted, has been a good reminder to seize "such a time as this," or in a similar vein, carpe diem. It is not promised that tomorrow I can share Jesus with Juan or Angel or Cassandra. However, there is the moment that is now, and how is He asking me to spend it?
Nearly 60% of its residents are renters.
That means they move a lot.
Fortunately, they often move to different homes or apartments within this same community, and we're able to maintain connections with those families and children. Sometimes, though, they move beyond our feasible reach -- to North or South Phoenix, to one of the suburbs, to Mexico, or to California -- and you hope and pray that another ministry in that locale is poised to reach out to them.
I know that life is short and precious, that time on this earth is a limited commodity. I know that the Psalmist uses such descriptions as "a shadow....fleeting....a few handbreadths....a mere breath" when illustrating the "measure of [our] days."
But even with this knowledge in my possession--of humanity's frailty and brevity--I too often live with the attitude that there's all the time in the world. I take it for granted that tomorrow will look like today, and yesterday, and the day before, that doors will remain open, that if we said "hello" today, we'll get to say it tomorrow, too.
I forget how transitional life is.
Yesterday two of our Kids Klubbers boarded the van with a Big Announcement. They're energetic, fun brothers around the ages of 6 and 9. In the 5+ years I've lived in Phoenix, they've lived in the same house, on the same street, with the same parents, with a bird and a dog or two. I remember when they bricked their whole front yard, with the exception of a few circles surrounding some trees. I remember when their younger sister was born, and I was invited inside the house to take a peek at the little one. I remember the excitement of the older brother when he went off to camp at Youth Haven Ranch, and how his pronunciation of it sounded more like "Youth Heaven."
Now I remember when he made the Big Announcement.
Before he boarded the van yesterday, he stood right outside my open window and announced matter-of-factly:
"We're moving. This is the last time we're going to church. The living room is packed."
"Where are you moving?" I asked.
"Far away," was his response. "To an apartment. We'll go to a different school."
He clarified why the sudden, out-of-the-blue move:
"My mom and dad are fighting. We will come see our dad on the weekend."
My heart sank. These little guys are caught in the middle of their parents' separation. They'll have to make new friends at a new school, settle into a new home, and adjust to ping-ponging between mom and dad. Will there be a church nearby that will invite them to come? How will they fare when their mom has to get a job to make ends meet? What scars will they bear, or do they bear already, because of the brokenness of their family?
This encounter with the Big Announcement, while unexpected and unwanted, has been a good reminder to seize "such a time as this," or in a similar vein, carpe diem. It is not promised that tomorrow I can share Jesus with Juan or Angel or Cassandra. However, there is the moment that is now, and how is He asking me to spend it?
Monday, March 1, 2010
2010 Auction
Here are just a few auction highlights in photo form. It takes many volunteers to make auction day go smoothly, and regretfully, I didn't get photos of them all.
Burger Griller - Arlis Unrau from Pryor, OK
Bake Sale Crew - Emily Chupp (intern)
Auction Cashiers - Hilda, Andrea, & Stephanie
(with Ro and Delia there for moral support)
Burger Griller - Arlis Unrau from Pryor, OK
Bake Sale Crew - Emily Chupp (intern)
Kelsi Burkholder and Crystal Cross from IN
Chicken Griller - Kevin Hudson, Phoenix
Auctioneer - Steve Cross, IN
The highest auction item, a "Puff Quilt" made by Ida Anna Miller of Phoenix, sold for $2,100. It's pictured below, the second quilt from the left. The proceeds from that quilt and other items will be used to make Aim Right's final mortgage payment on the property. Praise God that He's provided the means for us to reach that milestone!
Chicken Griller - Kevin Hudson, Phoenix
Auctioneer - Steve Cross, IN
Mo Miller (IN) and Chuck Reed (OH) also assisted with the auction.
The highest auction item, a "Puff Quilt" made by Ida Anna Miller of Phoenix, sold for $2,100. It's pictured below, the second quilt from the left. The proceeds from that quilt and other items will be used to make Aim Right's final mortgage payment on the property. Praise God that He's provided the means for us to reach that milestone!Wednesday, February 24, 2010
National Pancake Day!
For a little something different, we celebrated National Pancake Day yesterday evening at tutoring. Yum!
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Welcome, Andrea!
A little over a week ago, we were blessed with the arrival of a new intern -- Andrea Stoltzfus, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Let's get to know her a little bit, shall we?What do you like to do in your spare time? Play or watch football, be with friends, snowboarding
How many siblings do you have? 1 brother and 1 sister
What do you like about Phoenix? The warm weather and palm trees
Why did you decide to become an intern? I visited Aim Right last summer and thought being an intern sounded like something I'd like. [As a side note, Andrea came to Phoenix with her youth group to help another church with their VBS. That church scheduled her youth group for a tour of Aim Right one afternoon. And...the rest is history!]
What is a favorite snack? Chocolate-anything
Who is a person in the Bible you admire and why? Esther. She was very courageous and trusted the Lord to protect her.
What is something you learned growing up on a dairy farm? Hard work is rewarding.
What is one of your pet peeves? When people start talking, then stop and don't finish
Ten years from now, what is one thing you hope to have accomplished? Grow an inch [Um....please let us know how that works out for you, Andrea!]
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