Excuse me for interrupting...

Sorry to break in on your Lent roll, babe, but I want to take advantage of the fact that your readers know you are posting everyday, and I have something to say.

Two weeks ago, we started a new program in the mission called "Playday at Gateway". You may already know that we are opening a new English-speaking church here in Yaounde called Gateway United Methodist Church. As one of the goals of this church, everyone agrees that children are to be the primary focus. One of the faces of the day, Bonnie, along with Wes, Ginger, Pastor Simeon, Mama Therese and I came up with the idea to have a Saturday "Vacation Bible School" of sorts. We meet every Saturday from 9 - 11 am. We begin with songs that we already know or learned the week before, then we move into story time using the beautiful "Come and See" Sunday School curriculum that has been adopted for the entire country in children's Sunday School.

Our theme for all the sessions is "Our Journey with God". So we are highlighting stories in the Bible that are about people taking journeys with God and how that can be difficult and also a great big blessing! So, our first story was about Abrahm and Sarai. The next week we heard the loooong story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. This week, our story is about Moses and the people being led by the pillar of fire. After story time, we have some discussion, then craft time, snack (juice and popcorn), Scripture memory, and "Journey Time" which is when we talk about our personal journey with God.

We have nine weeks of Saturdays to share the love of Jesus and talk about our own faith journey with God before we open the new church. As many of you know, if we can interest the children in coming to church, we hope that they in turn will get their parents interested. It will be very exciting to see what God does through this little church in the neighborhood called Simbok.

If any of you are looking for a Vacation Bible School focus for your offerings, we would gladly put them to good use with the children of the mission. Sunday School teacher training, supplies for SS (like pencils and notebooks) and incorporating events like "Playday".