10 VBS skits done and still going!

We moved to Wichita almost 13 years ago.  In August of 2004, we started attending Westside Bible Chapel.  The following spring, I was approached about helping with their Vacation Bible School.  I really wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I attended the planning meeting where everyone discussed the theme and how to pull everything together.  My only experience with a VBS was attending a few as a kid, so I just sat and listened.  A little bit later, Jennifer, who was in charge, looked at me and asked if I could write a skit.  I'd written some very small skits in the past, but I thought I could handle this, so I agreed.

That's how my journey as the VBS skit-writer began.  I can't believe I've written 10 skits for our VBS program!  Of course, they started out small, but have now turned into somewhat large productions.  I don't remember how our practices started out.  Now, we begin about 2 months before VBS begins.  We practice every week during prayer meeting, have a dress rehearsal the Saturday before, do a quick run-through on Sunday after the leadership training, and then practice each night before VBS begins.  When I started,  I really didn't know what I was doing.  I approached a few people who I thought would enjoy acting and this is how I met Chad Buchanan.  Some had told me to ask him about being in the skit.  I wasn't even sure who he was.  If it weren't for these skits, however, I'm sure I would have never really gotten to know Chad or others who have been involved in the skits these last 10 years.

I went to see if I could find all my old scripts.  Out of 10, I found 5.  I'm sure the others are on a disk from old computers.

I have this year's, obviously.  "Montana Smith and the Search for the Greatest Treasure Ever Created on Earth."  The theme was an Indiana Jones theme which we entitled as God's Chosen Treasure.

I also have "The Battle For the Crown" from 2013 which went along with the kingdom theme of Kingdom Under Construction.

And from 2012, I have "The Case of David Lamb" for our detective theme which I believe was called Truth Files Case 3:16.

The other 2 I found were older.  "A Journey West" was written for the western theme in 2006.  I was pregnant with Little A at the time.

Believe it or not, the 5th one is actually the very first skit we did.  In 2005, we did a Survivor theme and the skit was called "Survivor Island Campout."  I found it written out by hand on lined paper.  It was only a little over 13 pages long, compared to the 35-40 pages we do now.  And if it had been typed, it would have been even less pages!  I don't even have all of the characters written down.  This is basically my first draft and I hadn't even nailed down who was going to be in it.  There were 4 main characters and then about 9 other characters.  Everyone basically just used their own names.  Throughout this draft, the other characters are simply listed as "camper," "boy camper," or "girl camper."  On the back, I have names written down of those I thought would be in it.

Lynne, Jonathan, Tom, Emma, Susan, Hannah, Karin, and Nick.

If memory serves me correctly, Lynne was unable to participate due to her having the chicken pox.  And Daniel and John were also in it.

Tim the Trailman was Tim Skiles, Dan the Man was Danny Rudzitis, Rad Chad was Chad Buchanan, and I was Lieutenant Laura, who was also known as Lunatic Laura by the campers.

And that was it!  Most years, I have around 20 actors.  This year I had 15.  Still, only 13 or so our first year.  My, how far we've come!

The plot: On what was supposed to be a short canoe trip to a wooded area for a campout, Dan the Man gets the troops lost.  They find themselves on a deserted island and must use the resources they have to survive.  Not only will they find a way to survive this surprise campout, they will discover how faith in God is necessary in order to survive life.

Tim the Trailman was the leader of the castaways.  Encouraging and fun.  Knows when to be serious and when to goof around.

Dan the Man was the lifeguard and medic.  Loves to have fun and be crazy.  Tends to be over-dramatic.

Rad Chad was the boys counselor.  Takes everything lightly.  Loves having fun all the time.

Lieutenant Laura was the girls counselor.  Takes everything seriously.  Believes there is no time for fun.

At the beginning of the skit, we all enter onstage when Chad trips over a rock causing a domino effect  and everyone else falls down.  After VBS was over, everyone in the cast "signed" that rock and gave it to me.  I still have that rock, although all the names have faded.  It sits against the house near the front.

Chad's catch phrase was "Rock on!" and was used quite often throughout the skit.  He finally got my character to say it near the end.  At one point, Chad and Danny were to be throwing a football backstage and knocked me into the ocean.  In reality, I sat in the tub we use for baptisms and Chad poured a bucket of water on me.

I always see God working through these skits, too.  In the middle of this skit, everyone was out looking for berries to eat, but had to stay away from the poisonous berries.  Nearly everyone returns to the campsite only having found the poisonous kind.  Tim returns with a camper, who sees the berries, and out of sheer hunger, dives into them and eats some.  That camper ended up being played by Tom.  The result of eating those berries was a very itchy rash, which was revealed the following day.  On the last day of the skit, they have all been rescued and are returning to known land.  Tom's character was to make a few statements about eating the poisonous berry, but Tom's sister is Lynne, the one who had chicken pox.  So, guess what?  By the last night, Tom had the chicken pox and couldn't even come!  I had to make a quick re-write, which was quite easy.  Since he was the one who was poisoned, he had simply been taken by ambulance to a hospital while everyone else was just being checked out on shore.  God knew from the beginning that Tom would have the chicken pox and guided me to put Tom as the character to eat the poisonous berries.  Any other character would have been difficult to explain an absence.

Ah, the memories!  I look forward to writing more skits for VBS.  I always have fun with them and I love my cast every year.  And I miss those who have moved on with other things.  Next year, I'll be gaining a few newbies including my own son.  That will be an adventure!

Warning: There's a teenager in the house!

That's right.  I have a teenage son.  Am I really old enough for that?  It sure doesn't seem like it.  I swear I just graduated from college last week!

So, while I'm trying to wrap my brain about this fact, here's what we did to celebrate.

Since his birthday is during our Vacation Bible School, we kinda had to split it between 2 days.  But, we tried to do most of it on his actual birthday.  Everything was his choice until 4:30, then it was all VBS until 9:30ish.

The morning was nice and relaxed.  We had his favorite for lunch: pancakes.  I made special shapes for each of the kids.  J mostly picked things from the Xbox game Halo.  I thought I created those pretty well.  But, I took no pictures of lunch so you'll just have to take my word for it.

In the afternoon, we all got in our suits and headed to the pool.  It wasn't exactly a hot day for swimming, but it was nice.  And the pool was packed.  Thankfully, my kids can swim well enough that I don't have to get in with them.  I kept a close eye on Little A, however, since she's not quite to the point where I'm comfortable looking away for more than a few seconds.

J and K both went off the diving board.  All of them found new friends to play pool games with.  At one point, the lifeguards heard thunder so everyone was ordered out of the pool to wait for 15 minutes.  Then everyone could go back in.  I kept watching those darkening clouds.  This is one of those moments when I wish I had a smartphone.

Not long later, it started to lightly sprinkle.  I told the kids what time we needed to leave in order to get home, changed, and head to VBS.  About 15 minutes before that time, J said he was ready to go.  Great!  I hopped in the pool and swam a couple of laps (most of the kids had left by this point so the pool was not so crazy crowded).  Then, I told the girls it was time to go.

As we drove back home, it was raining lightly.  We got inside, changed our clothes, and then it just downpoured.  Heavy heavy rain....and we had to drive across town to VBS.

It was an adventurous drive to say the least.  Roads were dangerously flooded and if I did not have my SUV, I probably wouldn't have driven it through those deep puddles all down the road.  At one point, I looked in my rear-view mirror to see that the water was up to the headlights of the car behind me.  Others were struggling to make it to VBS also as it continued to get worse.

By the time VBS actually started, I think the rain had stopped.  We drove home on clear roads after another great evening.

We decided to let J open his presents that night and do his cake and ice cream.  It meant for a late night, but that's ok.  It's summer and we're night owls.  We'd probably be up that late anyway.

Saturday was the day we would finish celebrating with an evening at HuHot.  We love that place!  The cooks at the grill sang to him as we stood in line while they grilled our food.

And that was the end of his celebrations.

Just before turning 2, he became a big brother.

A few years later, another sister came along.

He was quite a helper.

And he recruited his sisters to join him.

They always had fun together.

He also has fun with his cousins.

His first year at camp.

This year at camp.

His first day of kindergarten.

After finishing 6th grade, he had earned several awards including these for the JROTC.  He was voted to be the Vice Commander next year.  OOH RAH!!!

 He is growing up into an amazing young man of whom I could not be more proud.  He has accomplished great things and I know as long as he continues to trust His Savior, he will accomplish many more.

Happy 13th birthday, J!  I love you!