This past summer, I had the privilege to volunteer for two weeks at Abundant Life’s Vacation Bible School. It was my first experience with Abundant Life, and the first time volunteering at VBS in general since I was about 13. I was definitely nervous before my first week – wondering if I would be able to be social and energetic around kids, if I would be able to relate to them, and how things would work in a socially distanced environment. However, the experience surpassed my every expectation. I witnessed the love and message of Jesus through Angel Feero’s patient, yet energetic, leadership and teaching.
Bible stories and creative expression
Each day, the kids would arrive and play a couple short games (like freeze dance and a water balloon toss). They would then sit in a circle and hear the word of God through a daily story. They learned about Zacchaeus, the feeding of the 5000, and the healing of Jairus’s daughter and the old woman, and it was so cool to see the kids be excited to learn about Jesus and ask good questions. Then Angel led them in the memory verse before giving them time to create posters that visually represented what Jesus meant to them. The poster decoration was probably the most meaningful part of the day to me personally. Each kid had a unique interpretation, and it was plain that they understood the love of Jesus. I loved seeing them use their creativity and gifts to express themselves in this way.
Reflecting on the experience
Overall, I felt that volunteering at VBS was a really meaningful experience. I could see God at work in the kids and it was amazing to see moments of genuine joy from them during the activities and during the story time. I would highly recommend volunteering with Abundant Life to anyone, and will be pursuing opportunities to stay involved myself.
Katherine Huiskes is a fourth year student at the University of Virginia.
