God Has His Ways – Pua VBS 2024
A team of 12 from GBC headed to Kathy’s Home in Pua to conduct a Vacation Bible School from 28 Nov to 2 Dec 24. One of the team members, Victor, praises God’s marvellous work during this trip.
For 2024’s last quarterly trip to Kathy’s Home (KH) in Pua in northern Thailand, a team of 12 from GBC, with the help of Noel and the Sanglirs, conducted a Vacation Bible School (VBS) from 28 Nov to 2 Dec 24, instead of the usual English camps. The theme for the VBS was “God is Sovereign”. Through songs, stories, crafts and games, the camp reminded the team and the children at Kathy’s Home that God, our Creator, is all knowing, all powerful, holy and love.
We give thanks for God’s workers: (L-R) front row: Siew Kim, Noel, Joanna, Grace, Imti, Victor; middle row: Meei Fang, Karen, Kathleen, Kit Wan, Narola; back row: Kim Song, CC, Jason, William, Beh and Mak.
It was a God-honouring and memorable VBS and we are thankful that the children at KH responded to the gospel-themed activities with much spontaneity and enthusiasm. We are also grateful that Jason Sanglir (son of Mak) and his wife Imti answered our eleventh-hour call to assist in the games station, and they braved a bone-jarring overnight bus journey from Bangkok to be with us for the weekend. We couldn’t ask for a more congenial and committed team of believers such as this for they stepped up when it mattered most.
The build-up to the camp was anything but smooth – inability to get time off, a fall and a shoulder dislocation just before the trip, missed flight, wrong flight booking, and cartons of teaching aids, goodies and accessories inadvertently left behind in a hotel in Bangkok. Our carefully planned programme for the camp was almost upended. However, God was gracious and we managed to nip these problems in the nick of time but only after some nail-biting moments, and the camp proceeded without further hitches.
God is certainly working all things out for His glory and our good. Below, Victor, shares how this trip was a culmination of God's plans and His ways and a display of love and determination.
God Has His Ways
Due to a work trip, I was not able to join the team for their usual Thursday flight to Bangkok. Instead, my trip started with a cab ride to the airport at 3am on a Friday morning to catch a 6.40am Scoot flight to Bangkok which due to late arrival was delayed to 9am for take-off. Arrived in Bangkok too late to join the team (again) for the domestic flight to Nan, I had to take a later flight and got to Kathy's home just after the skit by the teachers on the first night was over. It was the first time that the teachers had planned a skit! The skit kick-started the VBS by highlighting the attributes of God in both Thai and English.
Though I missed the skit, I was able to join Jason and Imti in conducting the games for the VBS over the next couple days. It was good fun. The three games that we played revolved around the three Bible stories (on Joseph, Moses and Joshua respectively) that would be shared over the course of the camp. For each game, Jason laid a good foundation in explaining both in English and Thai how the game was tied to the respective Bible story. The children, as always, enjoyed the games and gave their best. Even as they played, I prayed that these games would help them to remember that the God who is sovereign in the lives of Joseph, Moses and Joshua is also the same God who will work in their lives.
I wasn’t part of the craft team, but I got to admire the works of the children and they are amazing. The creativity that the children showed is a blessing from God. The children painted stones to highlight the attributes of God that they have learnt and made puppets out of paper bags to illustrate how they are "fearfully and wonderfully made" by the Creator of all. Despite the limited resources, the children were able to create beautiful works with love, care and enthusiasm. All these just showed me that what God has given – big or small – can be magnified in the right hands and with His blessings.
In addition to the Bible stories, Kim Song and Beh also shared two messages on Abraham and Christ respectively. During the first night, Kim Song shared a message on God being the creator and His promise to Abraham to preface the three subsequent Bible stories on Joseph, Moses and Joshua. On the last day of the camp during Sunday worship, Beh shared a message on how God’s faithfulness in fulfilling His promise to Abraham culminates in Christ. Their messages to me were simple and clear – there will be moments in life when we will wonder at creation, life and the universe, and during one of those moments, we will have to see that there is a creator and that creator is our Heavenly Father who not only created the earth, but also sent His son to die for us. And we only have to acknowledge our sins and accept Jesus as our Saviour. It is my prayer that through the VBS, the children will realise that there is a God and acknowledge and believe in Jesus Christ.
The VBS ended with the children presenting skits that showed their understanding of the three Bible stories. It was a splendid showcase of their talent in acting as well as their creativity in using limited resources to create props for the skits. It was a joy watching them having fun presenting the Bible stories and I was moved by how God has blessed us and the children. To God be all the glory!
The next trip to Pua will be from 6 to 10 March 2025. Please let Beh (9788 6171) or Siew Kim (9752 5589) know if would like to partake of this blessing.