VBS or camp

28, 28, 35, 41= number of kids at the first four days of VBS... and the 28 on Tuesday were not the same 28, there were a few who did not come in the rain that morning and about 7 who had brought a friend and received a gift for doing so.








 Canadian teachers were paired with a translator, Marcie is leading crafts with Nelly's help and Jack is doing English with his friend Julie (she was sick in bed on Wednesday and he had a much more difficult day). Dan helped Kolya and one of the Sashas in the gymnasium.

They teach in a mix of English, Russian and Ukrainian, just like the words on the shirts that the teachers wear everyday and were given to the kids on Wednesday Thursday that have a cross and Jesus in all three languages.

The students get a breakfast snack after morning stretch exercises. On Monday the school director was worried about the floor in the all purpose room breaking while they were jumping so it was moved into the hallway for the rest of the week.

The pastor's wife and other ladies from the village church make the breakfast and lunch for the students and teachers before they go home at the end of the day. Breakfast is usually open-face sandwiches, a normal Ukrainian breakfast. Monday's lunch was macaroni noodles and a hotdog, Tuesday was buckwheat and salad and a meat patty.

 After getting colored name tags with their names in Russian and English the kids go with their group (according to age and boy/girl) to one of four classes, then switch to the next class after every half hour.

Anton and Vasa teach the Bible story lesson. It has a soccer theme, the first day was titled who is your leader ?

Marcie and Nelly were amazed by how much all the students, even the 10-14 year old boys, enjoyed  making crafts.

Dan helped Kolya and Sasha with the sports and was surprised by how hard all the girls tried to succeed in playing soccer. He said it was so different from Canada.

Jack and Julie had fun English games like hit the correct word with the flyswatter first.

At around 12:15 they have lunch and closing time, and hand out prizes, like for bringing a friend.

Watch for photos of Thursday and Friday. The students and the teachers are all having fun. On Thursday they handed out Ukrainian New Testaments and the blue Jesus (in three languages) T-shirts that the Steinbach team brought for the village children.