Shiloh UMC has, for quite awhile, been doing their Vacation Bible School on a one day, Saturday, format. We had ours this past Saturday and our theme this year was "Expedition Everest". The teachings were about persistence and perserverance.
Our guest speaker was Dr. Robert Sullivan, a pediatrician from F. Read Hopkins Pediatrics. Which just happens to be where I am employed. Yeah, that's right he's my boss. Some of the folks in attendance told him to give me a raise, so they wouldn't have to.
Dr. Bob came to share with the kids and adults about his experience climbing and reaching the summit of Mt. Everest in May of this year.
He had about 190 pictures from his time in Nepal and his climb. We had a little glitch when they took longer than we expected to load for the program. Neither of us being very tech savvy, we just had to stare at the laptop until it loaded. We were about 15 minutes late getting started.
It was a fascinating account and the hour went by way to fast. Several people commented that they would have evjoyed another hour. He did a great job sharing about the spiritual nature that his experience had for him.
He told us something that I don't think I'll forget. When speaking about his preparations for the trip, he listed "making things right". How he would go to family, friends, and even enemies and make things right, get things settled. He said it is because you don't know if you're coming back.
Afterwards, he took time to talk with folks attending and answer questions. One lady told me, afer he left, that she had a hundred questions come to her once he was gone. Thanks Bob, for taking time to come to a small Methodist church and sharing an experience that is beyond most of our imaginations.
Next on the agenda for the morning was crafts. We tried to find crafts that would fit with the theme of Mt. Everest. The first craft they made a paper lantern that you could put a battery tea light inside.
We thought we little goats or sheep for the kids to make, but they turned out to be possums. Now I know you're wondering how we made that fit the theme. We said that when you climb you would get so hungry that you would eat one one of these.
When Dr. Bob was showing his pictures we kept seeing lines of little flags. He expalined that these were prayer flags and how when the blew in the breeze, it was believed that the prayers went up. So the kids made their own prayer flags and which we hung at the front of the church.
The older kids would help the younger ones with their crafts.
The next thing was music. Everyone came into the sanctuary to sing. I was advised by the music leader, my wife Joanne, that I should probably not actively participate in this part of the morning. She was afraid that I might scare the younger children and we would have to call their parents.
We did have a guest join us during the singing.
Buzz, from El Paso Texas, joined in the singing and dancing.
Buzz, made quick friends with the kids and the adults.
We closed the day with a hot dog picnic lunch in the Pavilion.
It was a fun day for all.
