Easter Monday Family Fun Day - April 6, 2015

EASTER MONDAY FAMILY FUN DAY 

APRIL 6, 2015

Adventure Learning Centre is a non-profit ministry that reaches school children with the gospel of Jesus Christ through its science based programs.  Because our operating costs exceed what is charged for field trips, this annual fundraiser has served to offset those costs while providing a family outing on Easter Monday.  This year we had over 1500 people come through not including volunteers and children under the age of two.  We are thank ful for God's blessings and pray for the many who heard the gospel that day.

The morning preparations began with devotions and prayer led by Mark Wallace, the director of the Adventure Learning Centre.  Then it was everyone off to their areas, setting up and getting organized for the day.

tents and signs up

Kitchen crew ready! (My mom helped there)

Carrying items to their places! My dad (in yellow) helped everywhere!

This year myself and Laura Van Ryn were put in charge of the train skit which is one of two places where the gospel is presented during the fun day.  It requires a lot of work with creating a story line, writing a script, finding volunteers to act, creating and setting up props and scene sets etc...  Below, I have given a picture tour through this year's train skit.  If you are interested in seeing other fun day pictures see the Adventure Learning Centre/Camp facebook page.

The train skit is different from year to year.  This year we tried something new by attaching a puppet stage to the back of the train cab.  The story line was about an old lady friend named Ms. Bee (puppet) who interacts with the audience on the train as she tells her story from when a young girl and up through the progression of time in her life before she met Jesus and made him Lord of her life.

Ms. Bee introduces her story to the train audience explaining that she loves this time of year because it reminds her of what Easter is all about.  She explains that she was a bright young girl, always kind to her brothers and sisters and went to church EVERY Sunday.  She thought her life was  pretty good, but it also was when she began to make not so good choices.

As the train approaches the first scene, Ms. Bee (the puppet - seen better in this picture) turns the attention of the train audience to the live actors along the trail.  The woman dressed in yellow is the mother of the young Ms. Bee.  Young Ms Bee had used money to buy a bag of candy when she had been instructed to use it for a fundraiser at school.  When asked about it, young Ms. Bee lies.  

As the train continues down the road, a gorilla jumps out of the forest with a water gun startling the occupants with a wet and wild ride!

The next stop is an authentic Bahamian market scene.  As the train approaches, the actors are role playing what one might find at the market place.  People selling jewelry, silly tourists walking around looking lost, and of course a conch salad stand with someone cutting up fresh vegetables.

This time, the puppet Ms. Bee tells of her childhood past when she would go down to the market and look at all of the lovely pieces of jewelry.  One time, when no one was looking, she took a necklace for herself.  Just like with the candy, she didn't think that she was hurting anyone.  And she never bothered to think about what her Sunday school teacher had taught about not stealing.  Little did she know, the weight of her sins were burdening her.  She is now shackled by both the weight of the lie AND the steal.

As the train approaches the next scene, the puppet Ms. Bee narrates that as she traveled down the road in her life.   The weight of her sins continued to weigh upon her.  She began to look to other things and other people for fulfillment.  In this scene, the actress Ms. Bee (in black), stumbles across a friend at a local hang out place.  The two of them spend some time together using free wifi and she discovers something on instagram that reveals that her friend (in pink) is pursuing her boyfriend.  They get into an argument that leads into escalated anger until the puppet interrupts them before someone gets hurt.  She goes on to say that she knew that she often would let anger get the best of her and proceeds to attaches an "anger" weight along with the other "steal" and "lie" weights that are already chained to her.

The train begins moving slowly as the actress stumbles down the road next to the train with the weights attached.  The puppet explains that at this point in her life she was worn out, tired, discouraged and couldn't find the strength to live life on her own anymore  She had heard that heaven was for the good people.  She tried to be good but kept messing up.  Nut one day, she realized, that instead of just hearing about Jesus, she learned that..........

.....He was real!  He was alive!   He wanted to be her friend! And he opened his loving arms of forgiveness and acceptance.   But he didn't stop there...... He took the weight of her sin and  broke her out of her chains.....

He carried her sins to the cross.  He already paid the price that her sin required.  He allowed men to punish him for her sin. He died for her sin.  He took her punishment  because he loved her.

The puppet Ms. Bee continues to narrate as the train drives by the cross and the empty tomb.  As she 

contemplated and imagined  him there nailed to the cross along with her sins that he had freed her from.....but

He didn't stay there....

He rose from the dead! day!  He had victory over death!  The tomb is empty! 

And the reason why she lives today is because of the work and change that Jesus had done in her life.  Ms. As the train ride exits the trail, she asks the audience if they have met Jesus.  And so I ask you the same....have you met Him?  He is waiting for you!

We thank everyone that was involved in helping make props, design sets, record, set up sound system, collect tickets, manage the line, fix our flat tire and of course to those volunteers that came out to stand in the sun and act etc.... etc.... etc....  The train skit is a huge team effort and without all of you it would not have been possible.  This was the crew inside of the train cab for 7 hours straight! Tim our driver, Laura and I taking turns running the sound or manipulating a puppet. 

 Most people that spend money to come to the Bahamas never leave the beach.  Not my parents!  They spent the majority of their time volunteering in the heat, and buggy climate helping me and others at the centre get things prepared for the fun day.  We did have a couple of days for rest.  One day was spent with a friend, (Tika) that I serve with at the centre.

 This is the pirates staircase.  It is carved out of the limestone rock from the road above down maybe 30 feet to the water.  It was one of the first passage ways that was used to import items from ships onto the island.  Also in that same area was the Clifton Heritage National Park.  What could have been developed into who knows what, has been preserved now for educating guests with the history of the slave plantations from the early days.

Besides doing a couple of touristy things, we did exhale a couple of times at the beach.  This particular evening was  a beautiful walk to watch the sun set.

OTHER NEWS:

The Lord has provided a car!!  It is a 2002, Honda Domani.  It is a right hand drive!  Very different feel but I am getting used to it!  It has been a good little car so far so I am thank ful for God's provision and appreciate all who've been praying for me in that regard.  I had first viewed the car two weeks before making the purchase.  The price that they were asking was more than what I had budgeted.  All four tires would need to be replaced so I had factored in the amount of what new tires would cost me before offering the price that I had in mind.   Seeing that it was still available and other options had been closed doors, I asked God for a specific sign.  The next day, the lady offered to sell it to me for what I was going to offer so I thank God for answered prayer.  It has been nice to have more freedom!

 Some of you may have seen the facebook posts......a fire was discovered right outside the camp perimeter fence about 3- 400 feet from the camp cabins.  Praise the Lord that after 4 days of fighting it, most of the fighters did not break out with a bad cases of poison wood.  I cant say the same.  I broke out on one arm primarily and seemed to react abnormally compared to others.   It is drying up now thanks for your prayers.

 The middle of March, I had an opportunity to go away for the weekend to retreat with God.  It was a provision that came, outside of my regular supporters, and at just the perfect time as I had been very weary and in need of some Jesus time.  Thank you to those that provided the means for this much needed time of refreshment.  I sailed on the Bahamas fast ferry......

 and spent two nights in this cute little cottage built in 1860 which I was told was the oldest on the island of Spanish Wells.  Spanish  Wells is a small island 2 miles east to west  by 1/4 mile north to south.  The island is largely a fishing industry.

 One night I rode a bike out to the west side (first time I've been on a bike in a 1 1/2 year) to watch the sunset....... Great is your steadfast love and faithfulness oh Lord!

And the next morning I woke up and walked to the east side to watch the sunrise......Thank you oh God for your mercies that are new every morning!

Again as always, I thank each and everyone of you that support me whether it be through prayer, financial, or as simple as reading about what is going on down here.  Your continued prayers are needed!  Check out praise reports and prayer requests below!

Blessings!

Jen

Praise reports:

• Praise for a great fun day, beautiful weather and wonderful volunteers that help to make it happen.
• Praise for rest, relaxation and time spent with my parents.
• Praise for the provision of a car!

Prayer Requests:

• Pray for changed hearts for the hundreds that heard the gospel on fun day.
• Pray for staff to finish the school year strong and with excellence.
• Pray for staff as we transition from fun day prep to summer camp prep (yes we will already be starting planning this far out!)