Tsawout Summer Trip 2019
Tsawout VBS - 2019
Rather than covering every event each day, this year, we're going to try one mega blog.
Worship
"During the week of Tsawout, the worship team did not do a single sound check. For those who are part of the worship ministry, you know how terribly that can end. Lucky for us, worship at Tsawout is always a little chaotic but that’s the beauty of it all. As always, the beginning of the week was a little rocky. The kids had not learned the songs yet and they were unfamiliar with the actions. There was a grand total of 4 kids standing up among the sea of leaders for the first worship set we had. Two of them were not doing actions. Needless to say, the team wasn’t exactly the most encouraged by what they saw. However, as the week progressed, things started to change.
The community dinner is something we host every year. Typically, right before we send everyone down for dinner, we sing some songs with the kids. This year, the dinner we had originally planned for was on the exact same date as a community dinner happening at the band office. It was different and no one really knew what to expect. The worship team was asked to do a quick set during the dinner. We decided on three songs; our theme song for the year, Superhero (a Tsawout classic) and You are Good. Little did we know, 200 people would be in that gym. When I first called everyone to the front, we had one or two kids show up. Slowly but surely our numbers went up. By the end of our set, the crowd in front of us was so thick that we could barely see the community behind them. There were so many kids in front of us. Despite the uneasiness we may have felt going into this joint community dinner, God made a way. He showed us that change is not something we should fear. He showed us that sometimes change allows God’s work to be done."
-Worship Leader, Micaela
Crafts
"The crafts team this year had an eventful time at Tsawout! We started out on a sour note, as a bag containing several key craft supplies was left at the church. Luckily, a team member came later in the week and was able to bring it to us. In the meantime, I was extremely grateful for the patience and care from the kitchen team, who went on multiple shopping trips and picked up things for us. As you can tell, despite human error, God really had our back the whole time! The week continued on with joy, especially from the children and TLH leaders that joined into the crafting fun! Overall, I’d say that the week was a valuable lesson in trusting in God’s providence and unending love. I was uneasy, and hesitant at first, but God does a lot with a little trust. I was repaid in tenfold, with more laughter, smiles, and hugs than I knew what to do with! I hope that anyone who’s reading the blog and wants to come next year will experience all this and more in a way that is unique just to God and to you."
-Crafts Leader, Trinity
-Crafts Leader, Trinity
Bible Adventures
"This being my first time at Tsawout, I went into Bible Adventures not knowing what to expect and how to plan. Luckily, I had Alf with me throughout the week to help me with it. The first day, we had a discussion of times when life is unfair. The second day, we talked about things that scared us and how God is in control even when things are scary. The third day, we talked about how life changes. To illustrate this point, we played a game of spot the differences. Then, we talked about how even when life changes, God is still with us. The final day, we talked about how life is sometimes sad. The kids had the opportunity to draw things that were sad in their lives and then offer it up to Jesus, who comforts and accompanies us through these things. Overall, the week was an eye-opening experience and through a combination of games, discussions, and short lessons, we were able to share the fact that God is with us through everything, good and bad."
-Bible Adventures Leader, Jackson
-Bible Adventures Leader, Jackson
Games
I won’t lie, when I first saw the children at Tsawout, all lightning and thunder and ready to play, I was intimidated by the task at hand. I was to rally them for games, but what experience did I really have, with these children, most of whom I had never met?
But I did have experience. God had ensured it. They sure weren’t the Filipino village kids or Spanish schoolboys I had worked with previously, but I had something to work with.
I looked back on my missions trip, and the very popular games we played with the locals. How exuberant the shared love of Christ could be back then! Filled with spirit, I recalled the water balloon games we had organized in Guatemala, and knew exactly what I had to do. The missions trip had help prepared me for exactly this.
Jesus said, “Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” As I watched the kids play the games , the games that I wouldn’t have been able to organize nearly as well without missions, His words rang clear and true. I thanked God for giving me this opportunity, thanked for his foresight, for his manifest presence, and for the children."
-Games Leader, Eugene
-Games Leader, Eugene
Fun
This year, the kids enjoyed playing with marbles, looking for crabs at the beach and berry picking.
This year, we had a lot of people visiting Tsawout for the first time. Here is the account of one of them:
-Elyse
This year, we had a lot of people visiting Tsawout for the first time. Here is the account of one of them:
"I was invited to this trip by my best friend, Joanna, and it had definitely been a memorable experience.
But if I could describe this trip for me in one word, it would be eye-opening. Before I went on this trip,
I expected the kids and teens there to not be interested in learning anything about us , leaders, at all.
I thought it would be a real challenge to get to know them individually and create a bond between the
both of us. But what I experienced was the complete opposite. On my very first day of vbs at Tsawout,
I got an opportunity to pick up some of the kids that morning and bring them to the church. I’ll admit I
was very nervous and was hesitant to even approach the children. But when I met my first kid that day,
all my fears disappeared. When she came out of her front door to greet us, her face just lit up with the
biggest smile I’d ever seen. It was that moment when I realized that all of us leaders could make such
a big difference in a child’s life. Even bringing them to church in the morning, and even just a simple
hug, can create a bond that will last a lifetime. It was that little girl’s smile that reminded me that what
I was afraid of, is nothing in comparison to the things God could use me to do on this trip. As the week
went on, I saw God working not only through the kids, but also through the leaders, including myself.
I could feel the presence of God radiating out of all the amazing leaders I met which inspired me to
share that love with the kids. Therefore, I was surprised how well I connected them. I gave way too
many piggybacks a day, and received a good amount of hugs on the last day of vbs. And, I also got to
have some meaningful conversations with a few of the kids during the week, and got to know them a
lot better. But even through all the seriousness, this trip had been nothing but fun. One very memorable
experience from Tsawout, was when my friend and I got lost after dropping one of the kids off at their
house. We wandered around the reserve for about 2 hours until someone luckily picked us up. Though
that was a challenging and tiring time, my friend and I became a lot closer, and whenever I tell that story, it always gives the kids a good laugh. I’m so grateful God brought me on this trip, and I
don’t regret one bit of it. If you feel Him calling you to do something totally outside your comfort zone,
trust in Him and He will guide you the way He did for me."
But if I could describe this trip for me in one word, it would be eye-opening. Before I went on this trip,
I expected the kids and teens there to not be interested in learning anything about us , leaders, at all.
I thought it would be a real challenge to get to know them individually and create a bond between the
both of us. But what I experienced was the complete opposite. On my very first day of vbs at Tsawout,
I got an opportunity to pick up some of the kids that morning and bring them to the church. I’ll admit I
was very nervous and was hesitant to even approach the children. But when I met my first kid that day,
all my fears disappeared. When she came out of her front door to greet us, her face just lit up with the
biggest smile I’d ever seen. It was that moment when I realized that all of us leaders could make such
a big difference in a child’s life. Even bringing them to church in the morning, and even just a simple
hug, can create a bond that will last a lifetime. It was that little girl’s smile that reminded me that what
I was afraid of, is nothing in comparison to the things God could use me to do on this trip. As the week
went on, I saw God working not only through the kids, but also through the leaders, including myself.
I could feel the presence of God radiating out of all the amazing leaders I met which inspired me to
share that love with the kids. Therefore, I was surprised how well I connected them. I gave way too
many piggybacks a day, and received a good amount of hugs on the last day of vbs. And, I also got to
have some meaningful conversations with a few of the kids during the week, and got to know them a
lot better. But even through all the seriousness, this trip had been nothing but fun. One very memorable
experience from Tsawout, was when my friend and I got lost after dropping one of the kids off at their
house. We wandered around the reserve for about 2 hours until someone luckily picked us up. Though
that was a challenging and tiring time, my friend and I became a lot closer, and whenever I tell that story, it always gives the kids a good laugh. I’m so grateful God brought me on this trip, and I
don’t regret one bit of it. If you feel Him calling you to do something totally outside your comfort zone,
trust in Him and He will guide you the way He did for me."
-Elyse
The Community Dinner
"Instead of hosting our traditional community dinner at the church for around 50 people, we were invited to join another community dinner hosted by the ministry of health at the band office. This dinner was for around 200 people. Our food team collaborated in providing food, and we were able to hang out with a larger slice of the Tsawout community than would be possible otherwise, as well as share a few VBS songs with them.
We originally planned to just do our own thing and compete with them, but somehow things worked out that we joined instead. The elders didn't leave. we had a party and a good time that didn't involve substance abuse and we were able to share that with the community."
We originally planned to just do our own thing and compete with them, but somehow things worked out that we joined instead. The elders didn't leave. we had a party and a good time that didn't involve substance abuse and we were able to share that with the community."
-Brian
Goodbyes
Special thanks to:
 |
| The Kitchen Team |
 |
| The Photography Team |
 |
| But most importantly, the entire 2019 Team |
Comments
Post a Comment