Wrapping up June

It is 6:53am and I've been up for close to an hour now. I don't think I've managed to accomplish anything thus far, though. It's VBS week at Bethel and I've been more exhausted than usual (imagine that) and have not been much into accomplishing things this week.

Yesterday I came home from working on Bridge stuff around 5pm and flopped down on the couch first thing and fell asleep within a minute. I can't remember the last time i've been this tired everyday, but I also can't remember when the last time it was 100 degrees everyday either. Haha, the heat and hard work really makes you drowsy pretty quickly. 


VBS is going absolutely marvelous!!! We pick up our Bridge kids in Storm Lake and bring them to Newell. We originated with a small bus and a 15 passenger van full of children on Monday with numbers close to 40 kids. Yesterday (day 3) we brought close to 60 kids!! (58 exactly, i think). SO crazy! The kids are loving it and I'm absolutely loving watching these kids at VBS. 


In fact, the Bridge kids make up the majority of the VBS. I was observing the 4th-6th grade group that I help with the other day and was pleased at our 20+ kids in the age group. I counted only 6 of those kids that we didn't bring. Praise the Lord these kids are having a great time and (hopefully) feeling loved. 


The kids have finally learned my names and I thrill at the moments they say it before showing me something special they received or telling me something great about their day. I also just love the many hugs I receive from the girls who like to be hugged. 
The only hard part I've encountered thus far is that not all people have patience to work with these kids and I'm easily upset by people on a short string. I guess I've learned that I have not patience for people without patience, which doesn't sound right or justifyable. But my thing is, if you don't really know these kids or where they came from or what their home lives are like, don't jump at their throats when their making a little noise during a quieter time or playing wrestling with eachother in the gym. They're not your average church kids, some of them haven't been in a church before, and they're not aware of the social politics of your average white anglo-saxson protestent church. They're kids, and they will be kids. You choose your battles, and you love them no matter what.